Shane’s Personality Is Unusual.
After much research in attempting to discover what is wrong with Shane, I’ve once again learned that he’s … well, he’s just like that.
After the whole envelope debacle, and my sudden raging concern that Shane has an undiagnosed learning disability, I did some research. I read about left-right confusion, about doing things backwards, about being absurdly literal.
So I started with autism-spectrum disorders.
The tendency toward the literal is very much associated with Asperger’s Syndrome. For what is maybe the 40th time, I took quiz after quiz online, just to be sure that Shane doesn’t have Asperger’s.
I read about the various levels of Asperger’s – in case he is just incredibly high-functioning. There are five defined levels – and Shane doesn’t fit into any of those categories. He simply takes everything very, very literally.
So I moved to left-right confusion.
I studied the brain. I learned that most left-right confusion comes from disorders in the left parietal lobe. I learned a lot about disorders along the autism spectrum, including ADHD, since they are thought to originate in the parietal lobes. And there are a dozen or more incredibly rare disorders that are also associated with left parietal lobe dysfunction.
Those parietal lobes are pretty important things.
Shane does not have Gerstmann’s Syndrome, Balint’s Syndrome, Holmes-Adie Syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Apraxia or a brain tumor. In fact, he doesn’t seem to have any kind of disorder at all.
This is great (and not unexpected) news. But it doesn’t explain why Shane threw a light bulb randomly across the room, instead of “tossing” it in the garbage. And it doesn’t explain why he can’t address an envelope while looking directly at a sample envelope.
The most helpful tip I got was from a blogger who suffers with severe left-right confusion – and has, for her entire life. Her post discussed the parietal lobes, too, but then suggested:
Her blog went into detail, describing the various personality types – all based on the Myers-Briggs test, which Shane has never taken. But I have no doubt that Shane is an NT personality.
So I researched personality types.
Shane fits flawlessly into the INTJ category: introspective, analytical, determined, adaptable, open-minded and decisive. Reading about the personality types renewed my hope for Shane, who fit so nicely into this category that I don’t think he will even need to take the test.
INTJ personality types – and “NT” people in particular – are quite rare in our population. As adults, they are generally quite content with their work and their lives.
But it does mean that Shane’s personality is … unusual. And of course, I knew that all along.
So I will just go back to believing Shane is fine, just the way he is… and, as often as possible, I will try to see his oddities as learning opportunities.