WORD OF THE WEEK: Neuro-Typical

Summary: Is your brain neuro-typical? If so, you have what's considered to be 'normal' brain chemistry. But that doesn't mean you can always escape the brain challenges that come with emotional overload.

As a Communications Coach, I specialize in what I like to call "the challenged brain"—clients who may have ADD/ADHD, clinical depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, even Asperger Syndrome, which is on the tip of the autism spectrum.

Challenged brains experience an inordinate amount of problems in communication. Because challenged brains don't produce a balanced amount of neurotransmitters (chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine and others that specifically regulate emotion), people who have challenged brains are often flooded with emotions. And when that happens, the ability to make decisions—like what to say next that's appropriate to the situation—significantly diminishes.

But even people with neuro-typical brains experience moments of "brain challenge." This happens when an abundance of emotion floods the brain, and the neuro-typical person has a fight-or-flight response to what's in front of her or him.

You can probably figure it out from context, but just to be certain, here's the definition of neuro-typical (sometimes spelled without the hyphen):

Neuro-typical (NER - ro - TIP - i - kal) - (adj.) having neurological developments and states that are balanced, or 'normal' for the average human being. Often abbreviated as NT , the term was coined by the autism community to reference those not on the autism spectrum, likely beginning in the 1980s. It has since been adopted by other brain-centered communities and groups, especially throughout the United Kingdom. (Please note: This week's word pronunciation comes from HowJSay.com, and has two pronunciation keys—the first in standard U.K. English and the second in American English.)

For a little more insight into emotional overload and the challenges this causes a neuro-typical brain, click here to read this opinion piece by James Williams, a speaker and advocate for the autism community who, himself, has High Functioning Autism.


© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010

WEEKLY UPDATE: Special Offers on Speak Your Truth Communications Packages

Summary: Congratulations to yesterday's winner of one free Speak Your Truth workbook!

Congratulations, Jon H., for winning yesterday's drawing in Cincinnati! After the Speak Your Truth workshop at Jon's office, he won a FREE e-copy of the Speak Your Truth course workbook. The workbook contains over a dozen different exercises and tip sheets for getting in touch with and understanding feelings the moment they begin in your body, so that you can speak your truth, say what you mean and get what you want—even during emotional overload.

If your brain is challenged to communicate clearly in the heat of the moment, Speak Your Truth can help you. Visit www.speak-your-truth.com today to download the workbook ... and start speaking your truth today!

P.S. - Join my Facebook fan page to win your own offer now! Scroll down and click the Facebook link on the left-hand side of this page. Then follow the directions in my recent note for your chance to win!

© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010

TRULY SPEAKING: Speak Your Truth Workbook Available Today

Summary: Do emotions get in the way of what you want to say—and how you want to say it? Download the Speak Your Truth communications course workbook to learn how to change your brain and get what you want out of life today.

Do emotions stop you from speaking your truth?

Whether you struggle with expressing your anger (or holding it back) or just can't seem to stay professional during emotional moments, you can change your brain. The Speak Your Truth course workbook can show you how.

With a dozen different exercises, and 30-plus pages of tools and information on how the brain works during emotional overload—and how you can change your brain's automatic reactions over time in order to communicate more clearly even when you're extremely emotional—this informative and important workbook can help you to recognize and identify your emotions the moment they begin. You can change your brain. And you can change your life!

I've spent years researching and practicing the techniques I outline for you in my Speak Your Truth workbook. With my special focus on "the challenged brain" as a communications coach, I've seen these tools in action. And I know they'll work for you. It's my pleasure to watch you grow and expand with our world. Thank you for speaking your truth today.

P.S. - Are we friends on Facebook? I'm giving all of my Facebook fans a special opportunity to join the Beyond Talk Study Group at no charge this week only. Click the link to my fan page on the right side of this blog, then follow the directions in my recent note to get your spot and go beyond!

© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010