Autism

The first piece of positive inspiration for EVT came from me being autistic.

The widely available information about autism describes it as a deficit, a deficiency, a problem, a condition. It is all wrong. It's not something you have; it's something you are, it's as intrinsic as having a head.

No one is a little bit autistic. The best analogy I have ever heard is, being neurotypical is like running Windows in your brain, being Autistic is like running MacOS. Same outcome but a completely different way of processing the information, which includes sensory information.

Autists are statistically talented problem solvers; they are less prone to missing the fine detail and can be amazing pattern matchers, which is a proven skill for solving problems.

Autists, on the whole, assume very little and process much more information than neurotypical individuals, actively constructing the world from all sensory information, filtering out very little first. All the sensory information is treated equally until it's decided it's not required.

When a neurotypical individual walks into a room, they will see the furniture, windows, etc., but will make assumptions about them rather than focusing on the details. If they want to know about the room, they will focus on individual elements as a conscious act.

Filtering out most of the sensory information is a very efficient way of viewing the world.

When an autistic individual walks into the room, they see virtually everything and construct the room from all those details. Chair legs, carpet, pattern on the wallpaper, virtually nothing is assumed. This is why autistic people are known for their analytical and problem-solving skills. They see all the detail. Think Sherlock Holmes.

The British security services recruit autistic and other neurodivergent individuals for these skills.

I thought if I could understand and communicate in a simple way how the autistic brain analysed problems, then maybe it could be something you could teach anyone, irrespective of neurotype. Turns out I could.