Some thoughts about @elonmusk saying he is autistic, from someone with ADHD. A lot will not be about Elon Musk, but about how people might be responding to it. 1/12

I think societally, we have this notion/ideal of the "crazy" genius, that for someone to be exceptionally smart, they have to have *insert learning or developmental disability* 2/12

I find that to be damaging for 2 main reasons: first it's sometimes used to defend against bad things powerful people do (somewhat prevalent in academia/research): oh don't take those sexual harassment comments seriously, they're just socially awkward 3/12

But second, and perhaps more importantly, it feeds this notion that you can turn the disability into a "superpower" - or in fact it's "desirable" to have a disability 4/12

Don't get me wrong - I have a healthy relationship with my ADHD, am not ashamed to have it, or take meds for it (and nor should you), but it makes my life, and relationship challenging. 5/12

I forget for weeks on end to do simple chores, even visible stuff like replacing the kitchen rolls, to washing clothes due to the executive functioning deficiency. Standing up and forgetting why I stood up in the first place, when in extreme forgetting to flush the toilet 6/12

Not really being able to "set" a schedule as I'm not able to work in the late afternoon once my meds wear off, and an emergency or a meeting in the middle of the morning will wreck my productivity 7/12

To having conflict in interpersonal relationships, with me blurting things out in inappropriate times, sometimes causing annoyance to others, or me appearing distracted from a person when I'm still very interested 8/12

And I have it good - meds work reasonably well for me, and I have the language to be able to talk with friends (and strangers) about how I am and the accommodation I need 9/12

So whenever someone talks about how I can turn my ADHD into a "superpower", I just don't get it. We don't talk about turning one's blindness or lack of hearing into a superpower. And I know I'm talking about ADHD, but I've heard the same rhetoric in autism 10/12

So when someone tells you that they have ADHD, autism, or any other developmental disability, don't tell them: "oh did you know Elon Musk is autistic? You can be like him too!" or "Well everyone does that from time to time" 11/12

Instead, focus your response on 1. Appreciating the fact that they told you this and 2. Ask them how you can accommodate them.

This will go a long way in assuaging the social anxiety experienced by many when discussing one's disability 12/12