2E (Gifted + Developmental Disabilities) Tendencies... I can do it, but I can't. I finally understand why.

A brief introduction. I have been diagnosed by a doctor with severe ASD, ADHD (hyperactivity/impulsivity), mild dyslexia, and DCD. I also have intractable epilepsy.
While this article is based on my personal experience, it also references professional books and medical findings, and ChatGPT was used for some parts.

This article is organized for the purpose of self-understanding and is not intended to assert a specific diagnosis or to highlight being 'special.' It is written with the goal of 'restructuring the background of life's difficulties.' I hope it reaches those who can understand.

*This account participates in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate program that allows us to earn referral fees through Amazon links.*

Today, I will explain 2E. Here is the link to the gifted explanation article I posted the other day.

What is 2E?

As I wrote briefly in my recent explanation of giftedness, 2E refers to a condition where giftedness and developmental disabilities coexist. It is also called 'twice-exceptional.'

You might think, 'If you're gifted, you must be smart, right?' but honestly, because high abilities and low abilities cancel each other out, you end up in a state where your capabilities are mismatched, which makes things extremely difficult. To put it simply, it's like being able to do some things incredibly well, while being truly unable to do others! Moreover, since Japanese education tends to value uniform ability, you don't get evaluated for your strengths and end up struggling even more.

Actually...

I also believe I have 2E tendencies. I don't state it definitively because there is a problem with the Japanese medical system; since diagnoses are primarily issued for educational purposes, doctors are not in a position to provide a medical diagnosis for it (as told to me by my doctor who is well-versed in developmental disabilities).
However, after looking at my WAIS-III scores the other day and comparing them with information on 2E diagnoses, it honestly made sense.

As for the evidence, in my WAIS-III, there is one area—really just one—where my score is ridiculously high! While my language-related scores are standard, my processing speed and working memory are quite low, so I can't output effectively!! In 2E, you often can't demonstrate your abilities due to this unevenness. In my case, I also have DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder), which makes it even worse. By the way, I took the WAIS-III when I was experiencing depressive symptoms (scores tend to be lower when measured during depression), and my Full Scale IQ was 87 (the standard IQ score), which is slightly below average. Honestly, with 2E, IQ scores can sometimes fail to reflect true ability due to this unevenness.

*Specific WAIS-III scores are not included here, except for some parts, as they could be misleading.*

Decreases in scores due to comorbid DCD/LD are often overlooked

Furthermore, if ASD/ADHD and DCD/LD are comorbid, the possibility of 2E increases. In addition, many doctors fail to notice the decline in ability caused by this comorbidity. Therefore, 2E is even more likely to be overlooked.

Why I couldn't realize it was 2E

Yes, that is because information on 2E was not widely known in Japan at all. I finally learned about 2E after paying for ChatGPT. There are only a very few books available to learn about it otherwise!! I will introduce some books here.

Difficulties and misunderstandings that occur with 2E

I'll post a link to what I wrote the other day, but it seems my poor academic performance in high school was due to ASD + 2E. Like this, you end up with extreme polarities in what you can and cannot do when you are 2E.

In addition, there were times when the abilities I covered through immense personal effort were dismissed as 'talent.' Honestly, that was painful...

Summary

However! By realizing I was 2E, I came to the thought that I don't have to view my abilities as so low. I realized that there is a reason for the things I cannot do.
Honestly, the things I can do are limited to manga, illustrations, novels, essays, writing explanatory articles, AI art, and stock illustrations, but it seems these things act as self-therapy for me. It's like I'm saving myself through creation, or rather, I'm the type of person who would die (not joking) if I didn't create. So, I decided that it's okay to live while helping myself a little more!

I created a magazine for gifted-related topics.