Unreasonable Adjustments (performed Southbank Centre, 5th European Hyperkinetic Disorder Conference) by Kai Syng Tan

I am fed up

I am fed up I am fed up

up fed

spelling swelling swallowing

watching watc

seething

seething teething

normal

n u

that Kai has to make to pass as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;normal â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

ab-normal

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th edition) by the American Psychiatric Association 2013

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th edition) by the American Psychiatric Association 2013

G N I N R WA

G N I N N U R NO E C A L P UR O Y N I Y A T S & SIT

unreasonable adjustment I :

spread sheets

sprea d joy

The rise & spread of the spreadsheet

d a e spr

Kaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life

t e e sh

+ e k a f

s w ne

aba

nd on ed

for m

ADHD and reading disability commonly co-occur due to shared genetic risk factors. – A longitudinal twin study on the association between ADHD symptoms and reading by Corina U. Greven, Frühling V. Rijsdijk, Philip Asherson, and Robert Plomin 2012

I have found that 15% approximately have ADHD combined with dyslexia; and approximately another 10% have ADHD combined with both dyslexia and dyspraxia or with another specific learning difficulty like dysgraphia. – ADHD as a Specific Learning Difficulty, David Grant 2014

Arts departments report particularly high numbers of dyslexic students (Rankin, Riley, and Davies 2007; Wolff and Lundberg 2002) and Steffert (1999) suggested a proportion as high as 30% at a prestigious London art college. Similarly, considerable evidence has accumulated to suggest that individuals with dyslexia are overrepresented in, and often excel at careers and occupations such as art and design, architecture and inventing (e.g. Davis and Braun 2010; Steffert 1999; West 2009; Winner and Casey 1992). – Dyslexia in Higher Education: the decision to study art, Alison M. Bacon & Samantha Bennett (2013). European Journal of Special Needs Education

Proposal: The incidence and intensity of visualisation is greater in ADHD individuals than in neurotypicals and dyslexics. – ADHD & Visualisation: Thoughts and Proposals David Grant 2017

High functioning ADHD: highlevel energy, extraordinary creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and spontaneity, exploration of novelty, craving for knowledge facilitated by the ability to hyperfocus as well as positive emotionality with enthusiasm and passion. — ‘Shine bright like a diamond!’: is research on high-functioning ADHD at last entering the mainstream? Klaus-Peter Lesch. Journal of Child Psych & Psychiatry

Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association

BBC 2017 The Independent 2017

BBC Horizon 2017

The Telegraph 2008

ADHD

and me with Rory Bremner

Michael Phelps Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed that he suffers from dyspraxia meaning he sometimes still has trouble tying his shoelaces

and his medals

I V le a c S t r o p e R Adult ADHD Self

I V le a c S t r o p e R Adult ADHD Self All the time I have lists, lists of lists, alarms, pre-alarm alarms. I write reminders on my wrist, paste post it notes on my wall â&#x20AC;Ś

All the time I burst into flames Alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time

d in M ly e iv s s e c x E e Th ) S W E M ( le a c S g in r Wande

Mowlem, F.D., Skirrow, C., Reid, P., Maltezos, S., Nijjar, S.K., Merwood, A., Barker, E., Cooper, R., Kuntsi, J. and Asherson, P., 2016. Validation of the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale and the Relationship of Mind Wandering to Impairment in Adult ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, p.1087054716651927.

d in M ly e iv s s e c x E e Th ) S W E M ( le a c S g in r Wande Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Fuck yeah

Kaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e m 17 Mar ail to Philip ch 201 6 18:33

unreasonable adjustment II:

toning

down

Kai’s e m 17 Mar ail to Philip ch 201 6 18:33

Philip’ sr 17 Mar eply to Kai ch 201 6 18:46

artist

scientist

Non-Expert

Expert

A T N A E V I T C U D PRO

S M S I GON

Norman

Non-Norma

Proposal: The incidence and intensity of visualisation is greater in ADHD individuals than in neurotypicals and dyslexics.– ADHD & Visualisation: Thoughts and Proposals David Grant 2017

High functioning ADHD: high-level energy, extraordinary creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and spontaneity, exploration of novelty, craving for knowledge facilitated by the ability to hyperfocus as well as positive emotionality with enthusiasm and passion. — ‘Shine bright like a diamond!’: is research on high-functioning ADHD at last entering the mainstream? Klaus-Peter Lesch. Journal of Child Psych & Psychiatry

With the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) Executive Committee members and members

Art Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guild

Innovator’s Showcase at NESTA’s The Future of People Powered Health

Headway East London

Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre

Birkbeck

UK Adult ADHD Network Congress 2017

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience

South London Gallery

Southbank Centre

Art & Mobilities Inaugural Symposium (Lancaster University)

MRC (Medical Research Council) Preview Festival

Peter Scott Gallery (Lancaster)

5th European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders Conference (Edinburgh)

5ththEuropean Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders Conference (Edinburgh) 5 European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders Conference (Edinburgh)

5th European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders Conference (Edinburgh)

Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre

unreasonable adjustment III: be consistent be one thing

be fixed

2017

– Francesca Happé 1999 Trends in Cognitive Sciences Vol. 3, No. 6

The Social Model of Disability: An outdated ideology?

Tom Shakespeare, Nicholas Watson 2002. Research in Social Science & Disability

No clearcut distinction between normality and abnormality. – Plomin, R., Haworth, C.M.A. and Davis, O.S.P., 2009. Common disorders are quantitative traits. Nature Reviews Genetics, 10(12), pp.872–878.

‘Atypical’, not abnormal ‘Neurodevelopmental Disability’, not disorder Deevybee, 2010. BishopBlog: What’s in a name?

– Gilger, J.W. & Kaplan, B.J. (2001). Atypical brain development: A conceptual framework for understanding developmental learning disabilities. Developmental Neuropsychology, 20(2), 465–481.

be a runny, octopus-

-silly ill-disciplined

interspecies

kaimera in interstices

Drawings by David Shrigley

http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appginquiry/Publications/Creative_Health_Inquiry_Report_2017.pdf

CREATIVITY:

• stimulate imagination and reflection • encourage dialogue with deeper self and enable expression • change perspectives • yield opportunities for guided conversations • means of empowerment • allows access a range of emotions including anguish, crisis and pain which can serve as a preferable alternative to being sedated http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appginquiry/Publications/Creative_Health_Inquiry_Report_2017.pdf

0 p2

http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appginquiry/Publications/Creative_Health_Inquiry_Report_2017.pdf

‘Neuro-diverse art’? Looking at the world in different ways is healthy — it makes the rest of us re-examine ours.

The term is as unlimited in its possibilities as the notion of art itself, but with the added element of surprise, that which is 'not typical’. April 2018, #MagicCarpet launch, Art Workers’ Guild

‘Neuro-diverse art’? Looking at the world in different ways is healthy — it makes the rest of us re-examine ours.

The term is as unlimited in its possibilities as the notion of art itself, but with the added element of surprise, that which is 'not typical’.

When people get shown the world afresh, when the dull monotonous axis of our personal world just shifts for a moment. Great art does that. But only when an artist makes work that is true to themselves. And I think disabled artists, neurodiverse artists, are lucky as here they often have a head start – either because of the access they use to make work, or to simply navigate the world – they sometimes can’t be other than true to themselves – and we, the audience, get to benefit, however they or their work is labelled – Jo Verrent April 2018, #MagicCarpet launch, Art Workers’ Guild

7 January 2018

Disabled women are rarely featured in the media: even in campaigns or content that are purposely striving to include marginalised women routinely miss out those with disabilities. […] Women like me are made to feel invisible. […] If disabled women aren’t included in these high-profile campaigns, our interests are much less likely to be addressed.’ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/07/vogue-new-suffragettes-women-disabilities

If the male stereotype is seen as the norm, potentially only the girls with the most severe, or most “male-like” symptoms that manifest as disruptive behaviour will be identified. – Flo Mowlem. ‘Girls have ADHD too – here’s why we may be missing them’. The Conversation Aug. 2018

There are widely held preconceptions that autism is a male disorder. […] We know that some females deliberately hide their autism by consciously copying how another woman or girl acts, dresses and talks.– Francesca Happé, ‘Finding the female face of autism’. The Academy of Medical Sciences. May 2018.

Fuck reasonable. I aim to be beautifully, awe-inspiringly, audaciously, powerfully, ecstatically unreasonable. Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to join me?

Jess Thom / Touretteshero

Art with Heart

Raquel Meseguer

Aby Watson Anna Berry

unreasonable adjustment IV:

running out of time

Tweet your feedback & questions to:

Thank you: interpreters, transcribers, Southbank Centre, Unlimited, Shape Arts, Artsadmin, Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College London, workshop participants, #MagicCarpet team, Prof. Philip Asherson. *23-26 Sept: Eunethydis conference: Exh, performance, panel. Edinburgh EH3 8EE * 3 Oct. evening: Solo Show private view, SGDP Centre, SE5 8AF * 4 Dec. evening: Group Show, Open-Mic & Publication launch, Bush House WC2B 4QN