Hi, After working with my sensitivity with the light spectrum for 6 years, I have just been diagnosed with autism. To a lesser degree I also experience ADHD. What I was calling spectral sensitivity is in fact the same as autism and ADHD.
What can we learn from my journey?
- Autism and ADHD are rooted in our response to the light spectrum.
- Autism occurs when our brains are over-responsive to light in the violet range.
- ADHD occurs when our brains are under-responsive to light in the blue range.
As the balance of the light spectrum changes across the day and across the seasons, so does our experience of autism and ADHD.
Let me explain . . .
When I am more in an autistic place, I feel more spaced and have to embrace the big picture of life and not take so much attention to the detail. I feel creative and intuitive but just a bit lost.
When I am in more of an ADHD place, I feel spaced in a different way and as if I am being driven by a motor. I have to embrace attention to detail. I like working with data and become very analytical.
What has this to do with the light spectrum?
One of the gifts of my autism is that I see the colours in the light spectrum. I look out of the window and I might say ‘The light is a bit violet today’ or ‘The cloud seems to have swallowed the blue’ or ‘I can’t really see enough red in the green of the grass’.
How Can This Help Me?
When we don’t understand our relationship with the light, we can be trying to push our energy into the wrong direction. My son is stronger ADHD and often analytical but when the light swings from low blue to high violet and he becomes more autistic, he is completely lost and depressed and anxious. He doesn’t know that if he just lets go to his creativity and intuition at that point, that he could feel so much happier.
Understanding our relationship with the light spectrum helps us to understand how and why we are feeling a certain way in any moment. Become a light watcher. Knowledge is power!
Focus Your Eyes, Focus Your Brain 
Well Jennie, you may remember our visit years ago for a playdate and we did some painting together. I tried to tell you it may be autism you were describing as we are autistic and everything you ever described since in your blog was exactly our own experiences. At the time you were adamant it wasn’t autism, which you described in some other form, which saddened me a little as it was so obvious to me from our perspective. It’s been strange reading your blog as an autistic person, recognising all the symptoms, and seeing you struggling to find ways and explanation for your experiences. I’m glad you’ve finally accepted your unique neurology. Life is much easier once the way we work is no longer a mystery to us. I hope you find the start of your new journey as exciting as I did when i got my adult diagnosis. Much Blessings to you 🙂
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Hi Jennifer,
Wow! I do remember.
I don’t feel I have wasted any time looking at autism through a different lens. I mean, I am actually saying that our perception of the light spectrum (which is different for everyone) is the trigger for autism and ADHD. I think that is a bold claim. I am sure you wouldn’t agree with me. I don’t believe it is just my unique neurology.
But it is nice to see you here x
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