Monday, April 1, 2019
What if those of us diagnosed with mental illness are not living with a genetic mutation, but an amazing evolutionary adaptation. What if mental illness is, as Malcolm Gladwell says of such things in his book “David and Goliath,” in fact a “desirable disadvantage.” You would never wish it on anyone, but the mental disability may in fact with a set of mental abilities, that neuro-normal people can only dream of.
What if we could re-frame mental illness as a combination of mental illness and mental able-ness. What impact would that have on a child? What would be the impact on their peers? Is it possible that it would reduce stigma and bullying?
What if we redesigned the IEP (Individual Education Plan) to minimize the impact of the mental disability, and embrace, enhance and energize the mental abilities, and steered a young person onto a career path that takes advantage of their “superpowers?”
Frank King – Hufsa Ahmad – Dwight Brashear –Glenn Freezman – TedTalk 2018-2018