Christensen 1

Christy Christensen
Brett W. Campbell
EDU1400-402

Disabilities that affect the Mind: Insidious vs Acute Onset

Bridging the cultural gap between people without disabilities and people with disabilities
is a worthwhile cause that needs desperate attention. This research paper will consider some of
the reasons why that gap is so large, while summarizing suggestions for narrowing the gap. The
main focus will be on disabilities that affect the mind, while comparing insidious vs acute onset.
According to the course text, choosing not to disclose an invisible disability is often termed
passing (Smart Pg. 258). Even some with visible disabilities, due to rejection and avoidance
from others, will choose to pass in any way possible. But passing is not exclusive to the disabled
population, it is a wide spread social concern. In the book passing: when people cant be who
they are, summarizes;
Despite the many social changes of the last half-century, many Americans still pass:
black for white, gay for straight, and now in many new ways as well. We tend to think of
passing in negative termsas deceitful, cowardly, a betrayal of ones self. But many
passers today are people of good heart and purpose whose decision to pass is an attempt
to bypass injustice and to be more truly themselves. However passing never feels natural,
it is a second skin that never adheres. (Kroeger Pgs. 7-8 & cover)

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Reasons people have always passed: for opportunity, safety, or adventure. They passed to avoid
conflict or personal rejection or to fulfill serious professional aspirations. Many PWDs dont
have a choice of whether to disclose and passing is never an option. As long as PWODs
mistakenly believe that invisible disabilities are not as severe as visible disabilities, and all the
other many misnomers, there will be misunderstanding and therefore discrimination. Knowledge
brings understanding. There could be disability studies taught in elementary and secondary
schools that promote inclusion. While some disabilities are invisible, others are episodic and
more difficult to hide. Other disabilities are nearly impossible to Visible disabilities are the most
difficult to keep private, however, disclosure does have its benefits. In general, I believe that it
would benefit our society to have more disclosure and less passing.
Of the many types of disabilities, the ones that affect the mind are the easiest to
disguise. For example, stroke survivors or the mentally disabled, in many cases are not
recognized as having delayed mental or emotional capacity. Congenital disabilities present at
birth, may not manifest until later in life. For example, a psychiatric illness such as manicdepressive disorder is a genetic disease which runs strongly if families while absent in most.
These insidious-onset disabilities do not have a definitive time of onset, and those with insidiousonset disabilities are less likely to seek treatment than those with acute onset disabilities. Due to
the episodic nature of this mood disorder those suffering from manic depressive illness also
experience episodes of mania or hypomania (mild mania). These episodes are characterized by
symptoms that are, in many ways, the opposite of those seen in depression. Thus during
hypomania and mania, mood is generally elevated and expansive; activity and energy levels are
greatly increased. (Jamison Pg. 13)

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Acquired disabilities, such as strokes, are categorized as acute onset disabilities. Most
Acute onset disabilities, due to their unexpected nature are initially public. Many acute onset
disabilities remain apparent because the onset is often caused by some kind of trauma or medical
emergency. In the case of the stroke victim however, especially if the motor cortex that controls
the bodys ability to move is not affected, a stranger would perceive them as neuro-typical. In the
book My Stroke of Insight, the author reflects about things she needed the most while in recovery.
Many of the listed suggestions apply to any PWD whether in recovery or not. Some of my
favorites are:

Be aware of what your body language and facial expressions are communicating

to me.
Make eye contact with me. I am here come find me. Encourage me.
Do not assess my cognitive ability by how fast I can think.
Speak to me directly, not about me to others.
Trust that my brain can always continue to learn.
Focus on what I can do rather than bemoan what I cannot do.
Remember that in the absence of some functions, I have gained other abilities.
(Taylor Pgs. 181-182)

Whether a disability is of the mind or of the body, social support is key. The course text
summarizes the importance of social support; Anyone with any type of disability needs social
support. However, individuals with disfiguring disabilities require even greater degrees of social
support because their disability elicits a great deal of rejection and avoidance from others. (Smart
Pg. 537) Support groups for every disability should be readily available to every individual.

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Works Cited

Jamison, Kay R. Touched with Fire: Manic-depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament.
New York: Free, 1993. Print.
Kroeger, Brooke. Passing: When People Can't Be Who They Are. New York: PublicAffairs,
2005. Print.
Smart, Julie. Disability, Society, and the Individual. Austin, TX: Pro-ed, 2009. Print.
Taylor, Jill Bolte Ph.D. My Stroke Of Insight. 2006. Print.