Neurodiversity: A New Perspective
“Differently wired kids are not broken. They don’t need fixing. Our job is not to get them to conform to our standards or what society has deemed normal or right but to help them nurture their gifts and gain the self-knowledge to be who they are and who they are meant to be.” -Debbie Reber
Neurodiversity is a viewpoint that we embrace, outlining the idea that brain differences are not deficits, they are normal variations of the human brain. One in five children (20%) are neurodiverse; this applies to children with autism, Asperger's, dyslexia, ADHD, giftedness, sensory processing disorder and other neurodifferences. One of our missions at CODE is to change the narrative surrounding these diversities, creating an environment where atypically developing children can draw on their strong suits and thrive, rather than being subject to conformity. This can be a meticulous task for neurotypical parents, and we are here to help.
In order to dismantle the false value associated with conformity, we must first educate our neurotypical peers. Typically developing children can make great allies for neurodiverse children once they are taught to understand and appreciate that everyone experiences life in different ways. We must recognize differences not as a negative trait, but as a reality. Teaching everyone about neurodiversity should be as important as teaching that people come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and all are worthy of equal opportunity. Once children understand that people have physical differences, they can begin to understand that people have mental and emotional differences as well, which are not visible to the naked eye.
This applies not only to children, but to other parents and teachers. Biases are often unconscious; we must start the informing process with individuals surrounding our neurodiverse children, rather than placing the responsibility on neurodiverse children themselves to learn about their neurotypical peers. Teaching peers to embrace and normalize neurodiversity as part of the mainstream rather than signaling them out is the first step.
When informing your children of their diagnosis, try to focus the conversation on their abilities rather than the challenges and learning barriers they may encounter. Teach them about how their brain functions and how they learn, help them understand which tasks and activities they may need assistance with and which they are able to thrive in independently. Everyone has a range of skills as well as corresponding needs.
Consultations with physicians and/or psychologists who have experience working with your child can further help to create a plan towards teaching your child about their brain. This will not be a one-time conversation, but it is best to begin informing them at their first signs of frustration. Once children begin to notice discrepancies they are experiencing, which usually occurs when they are first enrolled in schooling, it is important to begin the narrative surrounding their skills rather than their differences. Placing value on their differences will encourage them and instill confidence. It is a learning process for everyone, but nothing should be deemed unachievable.
It is imperative that we collectively normalize the ideology that everyone has different abilities and varying needs to support those abilities, with the end goal of celebrating neurodiversity. Everyone’s brain is different, some more so than others, and once we begin to welcome and utilize those differences, we begin to eliminate harmful effects of stigmatization.
