Every morning at 5:30 AM, the alarm goes off. Precisely one hour later, my wife and my best friend ride into the gym under my wings. They often joke in the parking lot on our way in, “We’re riding in under David’s superpower!” My best friend and wife joke about this so often that it has become a truism: “Discipline is David’s superpower!”

It’s not easy to arrive at this statement of fact. This insight: I am neurodivergent (I am autistic). Call it what you want: a diagnosis, an adjective, a different way of thinking and being in the world, but when you finally arrive at this understanding of self—I am neurodivergent—it marks the beginning of a new journey. At least it did for me.

Clients often ask me, “What is the difference between online psychological testing and in-person psychological testing.?" Each type of testing has pros and cons, so it is helpful to understand why you might pursue one route over the other. 

Poking holes in a plan is a way to be thorough and prepared for what's coming. In work environments, I’ve learned this about myself: I often challenge a proposed plan. I do this in front of others as a way to ensure nothing is missed and that the plan is complete. I’ve found that this approach often differs from others—people often view this as being negative and sometimes get their feelings hurt.

The world of psychology wasn’t always this way: affirming the odd-person-out, or claiming strengths in what society perceives as weakness. But, 70-plus years into the field of autism research, the tides are beginning to shift.