Sherlock

Here, we will be focusing on Sherlock. Now, what makes Sherlock different from John or Moriarty? Aside from having different diagnosis, Sherlock has no professional supports unlike John, however, unlike Moriarty, he does have the support of his friend John. Throughout this television series, we can see that John is, essentially, Sherlock's emotional support. For people who are neurodiverse it is extremely important to have good support systems set in place so that they have resources readily available to help when things are not going well. While this also applies to neurotypicals, those who are neurodiverse can struggle with day-to-day activities that neurotypicals wouldn't need to think twice about. For example, someone who has high anxiety might find it difficult to go class because they find large groups of people in unfamiliar settings to be panic inducing. Or, a person who has sensory processing issues might have trouble going to the grocery store because the amount of noise there can be overwhelming. When you have supports in place, like a friend who can go to the grocery store with you, or having someone you trust to talk to about your class anxieties, they can help a neurodiverse person to overcome obstacles. 

Let's start with diagnosing Sherlock Holmes. In the second episode of season three Sherlock declares himself to be a high-functioning sociopath. sociopathy is not an officially recognized diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The closest neurological disorder I could find that meets Sherlock's self-proclaimed disorder is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). ASPD is characterized as "disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others... Deceit, manipulation, and the exploitation are central characteristics of this personality disorder.” (DSM-5). This, I believe, is a misdiagnosis. This is how Sherlock sees himself. However, with careful examination of his symptoms there is a diagnosis that fits him a bit better. Sherlock is often socially inappropriate and emotionally detached, which are two traits of autism according to the DSM-5. In season one episode three, sherlock's friend, Molly, wants to introduce her new boyfriend to both John and Sherlock while Sherlock is using a lab to examine evidence. Instead of being socially appropriate, the first word that comes out of sherlock's mouth is “gay.” He also does not recognize the emotional distress of Molly, or think about how his words might upset her before he speaks. He also has a fixated, restricted interest in solving crime--to the point where he thinks almost of nothing else. Routines and “insistence on sameness” are also autistic traits (DSM-5). 

With this diagnosis in mind, let's reverse the clock and speculate back to a time where Sherlock was thinking about attending college. For the sake of this paper, let's say that Sherlock has decided to attend the University of Louisville, will not be funded by his parents, and has good relationships with his parents and siblings. Therefore, he has chosen to live at home and commute forty-five minutes to class three days a week. He has already met John Watson. Belonging to a wealthy family, Sherlock was most likely home schooled, or had a private tutor, which means that he's never been to a public campus before. Since Sherlock has no official diagnosis, he will not know about nor receive any professional help or in-class accommodations from the university. Now let’s put ourselves in his shoes and think about what kind of challenges he might face during his first semester on-campus.  

Due to being autistic, he is uncomfortable with new situations and new people, and struggles with appropriate socialization and communication, emotional regulation and recognition, and environmental sensory stimuli (DSM-5). This is a new and strange environment for Sherlock. When he speaks to his advisor about registering for classes there is no discussion of where he can go for help with his classes. Sherlock does not tell his advisor he is a high-functioning sociopath, because he does not find it relevant to completing college. His advisor does not ask about neurological disorders, so going into his first semester, Sherlock is unaware of any resources that might help him when he struggles. He has also opted to only take classes that will further his career; no electives. When UofL asks him to attend Welcome Week, he refuses. In his mind, this will not help him further his study of criminology and psychology, his one and only focus, and the change in routine is unwelcome. The first day of classes is painful. He drives the 45-minute commute, arrives five minutes before class starts, and is late to almost every class. He interrupts his professors and corrects them on a variety of subjects. His professors are quickly frustrated with him. As soon as his last class ends, Sherlock makes the commute back home. Because he does not live on campus, it is inconvenient to stay longer than necessary.  

Discouraged, Sherlock quickly loses interest in his schoolwork, and, although he is intelligent and competent, his grades start to plummet. His loss of interest means he is no longer completing his assignments. He talks to his family and John regularly about the difficulties he is having at school. They provide him with emotional support and encouragement, and he manages to finish his first semester without failing any classes. However, his grades do not reflect his intelligence or ability. Because he leaves immediately after classes, because he never discusses needing support with any UofL staff, and because he is undiagnosed, Sherlock does not know what resources are available through the university that could have helped him stay on track in his classes. And if he had known and taken advantage of these, he might have received grades that reflected his abilities more accurately. The University of Louisville does offer things that would have helped Sherlock. There is a Counseling Center on campus that offers free counseling and disability assessments to all students. Getting that assessment would mean that Sherlock would have written documentation he could submit to his professors at the beginning of class in order to receive accommodations. However, because Sherlock spends very little time on campus, he is unaware of resources the university offers that would help him succeed in college, and because he is unaware of his neurological disorder, and has no formal diagnosis, he is ineligible to receive in-class accommodations and will not be living up to his full potential. 

So, what now? 
 

Now that the issue has been addressed, the diagnosis revealed, the difficulties laid bare, what can university staff and administrators do to help? Advisors and professors alike should be assigned mandatory training sessions that enable them to identify a neurodiverse person. People who are neurodiverse should still have the right to choose what medical information they divulge, however, if professors are more informed, they will have a better understanding of their students and what methods work best to teach them. If a student acts inappropriately in class, and the teacher knows they are autistic, then that professor has a base to work with and the classroom experience will be less frustrating for both parties. If advisors are trained to recognize neurodiverse traits they can recommend the counseling center for assessments and make sure to check in more often than would be necessary for a neurotypical student. While this training does not need to be overly extensive, it is necessary for improving the lives and grades of struggling neurodiverse students.