NeuroNote #1: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

After listening to the TedTalk, A second opinion on developmental disorders, by Aditi Shankardass, the first thing that came to mind was the common saying, "Never judge a book by its cover". In just a short talk, there was such a powerful message and an incredible conversation begun.

She is a pioneer in the field of Neuroscience and she is passionate about seeking the truth in children's developmental disorders. She mentions that, often times, children are diagnosed at a young age with disorders based on behavioral observation alone. She has used a new technology of EEG that is non-invasive, with no risk, that measures brain waves. Through this technology, brain activity can be detected and analyzed, defining abnormalities more clearly and precisely.

She tells a remarkable story of a boy who had been diagnosed with autism, but with this technique, they found that he was actually having brain seizures that were unobservable to the naked eye. With medication, he was remarkably improved and his life was completely changed!

I thought this was interesting because this is an epidemic that is widespread in our day and time. Children are being tagged with all kinds of behavioral and neurological labels, and parents are struggling to understand answers. Are we missing what is inside by the label on the cover? As Aditi beautifully said, "one more mind unlocked".

I love that as occupational therapists, we strive to treat every client holistically and uniquely. We want to see each person as they are, looking beyond the diagnoses, to see deeper and clearer.

Shankardass, Aditi. (2009, November). A second opinion on developmental disorders. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/aditi_shankardass_a_second_opinion_on_learning_disorders/transcript?language=en