Neurolearn Space - Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity

There are movies like Taare Zameen Par, My Name is Khan, Swathi Muthyam (remade as Eeshwar in Hindi), Rain Man, etc. in which stories revolve around characters that are considered to have ‘abnormal brain’ by many.

This ‘abnormality of brain’ is caused by conditions such as Autism, Dyslexia, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), etc. and such a person is considered to be Neurodivergent.

What is Neurodivergent?

Neurodivergent is a non-medical term, used to describe people whose brains develop or work differently for some reason. Use of this word rather than “abnormal” is important because there’s no single definition of “normal” for how the human brain should work. It commonly refers to people with: Autism (or Autism Spectrum Disorder - ASD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Dyscalculia, etc.

The word for people who aren’t neurodivergent is “neurotypical.” That means their strengths and challenges aren't affected by any kind of difference that changes how their brains work.

A neurodivergent person has different strengths and struggles from people whose brains develop or work more typically. Let us consider the following two persons with a special talent for drawing.

Person #1: A 12-year-old child with ASD. The child struggles in social situations, has unusually high interest in drawing and being strictly dependent on a daily routine. The child is extremely good at drawing without taking classes or accumulating experience.

Person #2: A 40-year-old neurotypical adult. The adult learned to draw at the age of 17, and their talent took hard work and time to develop. He is very social and makes friends easily.

No one would consider the adult abnormal or defective even though he can’t draw as well as the child. But the child is talented at drawing, and describing the child as “neurodivergent” acknowledges he is “differently abled” rather than “abnormal”.

Why does this term exist?

The term “neurodivergent” came from the concept of “neurodiversity” introduced by Australian Sociologist Judy Singer in 1998 to recognize that everyone’s brain develops in a unique way. Like a person’s fingerprints, no two brains — not even those of identical twins — are exactly the same. Because of that, there’s no definition of “normal” capabilities for the human brain.

What is Autism?

The term “autism” was introduced in 1911 to describe what was believed to be a childhood version of schizophrenia, because the children seemed to be detached from reality and withdrawn into their inner world, even though they didn’t have smartphones back then! Autism was later recognized as a condition independent from schizophrenia.

Autistic persons are found to have persistent challenges in social situations, unusual reactions to sensory stimulus, communication issues, impulsive or aggressive behaviour, short attention span, unusual eating and sleeping habits, lack of environmental or self-awareness, etc. Have a look at this video to know about typical characteristics of neurodivergent persons:

At the same time, autistic people are ‘gifted’ with deep/focused interests and behaviours. They may have fixation on objects, topics, or specific activities. This is where the ‘savant syndrome’ of autism might present itself.

What is Savant Syndrome?

Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which persons with various developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, have an amazing ability and talent. Approximately one in 10 persons with ASD has some savant skills.

There is no single theory that explains savant syndrome. It is not a disorder or disease, it's a condition where extraordinary skills and memory are grafted onto a more basic brain dysfunction.

Savants can be exceptionally talented in musical, artistic, mathematical or other special skills. In some instances, multiple skills occur in the same person. Regardless of the type of skill, it is always combined with exceptional memory.

Certain developmental disorders are normal variations in the brain. And people who have these features also have certain strengths. For example, people with ADHD may have trouble with time management. But they often show high levels of passion, drive, and creative thinking. Even their impulsivity can be an advantage, because they’ll say things other people are afraid to say.

Famous/successful neurodivergent people

Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Nikola Tesla, Steven Spielberg, Anthony Hopkins, Albert Einstein, Henry Cavendish, Charles Darwin, Emily Dickinson, Michelangelo, Sir Isaac Newton, Satoshi Tajiri, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Hitchcock, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin, …. the list is endless!

Neurodiversity

The idea of “Neurodiversity” is that there’s no “correct” way for the brain to work. Instead, there is a wide range of ways that people perceive and respond to the world, and these differences are to be embraced and encouraged rather than being looked down.

Some people wrongly believe that neurodivergent people aren’t intelligent. Some others believe that neurodivergent conditions are mental illness requiring medical treatment.

These beliefs are rooted in myths. Research has shown that the behaviours and traits of neurodivergent people are the result of a person’s brain developing differently during the key stages of development before they were born or as a very young child. This differs from mental illness.

Causes of differences in neurodevelopmental conditions include: Genetics, Trauma at birth, Infectious disease, Immune disorders, Nutritional factors, Physical trauma, etc.

The neurodiversity view is that brain differences are just variations in how the brain is “wired.” But these differences don’t impact intelligence. So, if we start noticing the strengths that can come from these differences, the neurodivergent people can be better engaged and harnessed for their potential. That’s the basic idea of neurodiversity — that differences don’t have to be looked at only as weaknesses. It can be compared to other diversities of race, culture, class and gender.

Neurodiversity and disability

Although, neurodiversity view is that differences aren’t deficits, it supports giving special treatment to neurodivergent people with “diagnosis” and “disability benefits”. Being diagnosed with a disability gives people protections under the law. It allows kids to have special education or supports at school. And it can help employees get supports at work.

Is it possible to prevent, treat or cure being neurodivergent?

Neurodivergent conditions are result of developmental differences and are not preventable, treatable or curable. For some people, such as those with ADHD, behavioral therapy and medication can positively affect their quality of life. For others, therapy programs can help them perform to their strengths.

Challenges faced by Neurodivergent people:

Challenge 1 : Discrimination in the form of ableism

Ableism is discrimination or social prejudice towards those with physical or mental disabilities. It is based on the belief that typical abilities are superior and that disabled people need to be fixed. This sort of discrimination leads to a situation of internalised ableism in neurodivergent people. Internalised ableism is when a disabled person discriminates against himself and other disabled people by holding the view that disability is something to be ashamed of, or something to hide.

This is how society covertly treats neurodivergent people as less important and less valuable human beings than neurotypical people, which is a form of dehumanization.

Challenge 2 : Double Empathy Problem

Both autistic and non-autistic people can find it difficult to empathize with each other.

The theory of the double empathy problem argues that autistic people do not lack empathy, but rather that the experiences of autistic and non-autistic people are so different that it is hard for one to understand how the other thinks; for example, non-autistic people may not understand when an autistic person is overwhelmed.

Challenge 3 : Prevalent Systems or Processes

Neurodivergent people struggle during job interviews. However, they can still get the job if the hiring process focusses on assessing their abilities through suitable process. Once on the job, their attention to detail means they’re an outstanding accountant or record-keeper because they can easily process data that others might find more tedious.

Challenge 4 : Working Environment

Some neurodivergent persons struggle in noisy environments or situations. That means a busy office can feel overwhelming to them. However, a pair of noise-canceling headphones might give them the quiet they need to make them the most productive person on their team because one of their strengths is the ability to focus on their work intensely.

How to support someone who is neurodivergent?

Some of the most important things to keep in mind include:

Listen - Let them know you hear them and respect them and their choices.
Communicate in ways that help them like text or email rather than phone call or face-to-face.
Avoid value-based labels like “high-functioning” and “low-functioning”
Understand that no two neurodivergent people are the same.
Don’t assume that anyone is incapable or unintelligent.
Treat everyone with respect.

Neurodiversity and education

Embracing neurodiversity in education means moving away from the traditional one-size-fits-all approach and instead recognising and accommodating the unique learning needs and strengths of all students. Career preparation that is specifically targeted for neurodivergent students is lacking. There are several programs that exist to help assist neurodivergent individuals in finding and obtaining a job but not many of those programs exist within schools. This can make it difficult for neurodivergent students to find a career path that they feel is attainable for them.

Neurodiversity on TikTok

Neurodiversity content on TikTok exploded during the pandemic, with a significant amount of people creating content specifically about ADHD and Autism using hashtags such as #ADHD or #autism. Often, this is neurodivergent people sharing their own experiences. TikToks with the hashtag #ADHD have been viewed more than 11 billion times.

Neurodiversity movement

The neurodiversity has taken the form of a social movements within the context of disability rights, emphasizing that the autism spectrum is a result of natural variations in the human brain and not a disorder to be cured. It advocates for greater acceptance and non-discrimination of neurodivergent people. It asks for therapies that focus on coping skills rather than imitating the behaviors of those without autism.

Symbols and flags

The infinity symbol represents neurodiversity. The rainbow represents the pride with spectrum. Gold in the base has “Au” as the chemical symbol (from the Latin aurum) which matches with first two letters of “Autism”

World Autism Awareness Day

The United Nations has declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism, so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

Strengths of neurodivergent people

Some researchers believe that autism drives human invention:

Some researchers even think that the neurodivergent condition could be the next stage of human evolution!

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Neurodiversity in the workplace means creating an environment that is inclusive and supportive of neurodivergent conditions. Embracing diversity empowers both employees and employers to be more creative, agile, and innovative.

Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage

In an article of Harvard Business Review, the authors state that neurodiversity can be used by organizations to create a competitive advantage. Here is its summary:

Many people with neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia have extraordinary skills, including in pattern recognition, memory, and mathematics. A growing number of companies, including SAP, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and Microsoft, have reformed their HR processes in order to access neurodiverse talent.

Click here to read the whole article

Companies hiring neurodiverse people

Accenture, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Lemon Tree Hotels, SAP Labs India, EY, Microsoft...the list is long. They have launched programs dedicated to strengthening their workforce with neurodivergent talent. But hiring is just the first step. Providing a conducive work environment and culture to make the neurodivergent persons comfortable and be productive, requires preparation across organization.

You may like to go through this article recently published in Times of India.

Organizational Neurodiversity Maturity

Depending on how neurodivergent people are treated in an organization, its maturity for neurodiversity can be put in following stages:

Stage 1 - Exclusion – you are not welcome here
Stage 2 - Tolerance – you are disliked, but you can be here
Stage 3 - Acceptance – I accept you even though you are different
Stage 4 - Belonging – I embrace you for whatever you are

At the end

Neurodiversity is an attempt to dispel misconceptions about neurodivergent conditions (ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Asperger's syndrome, etc). Neurodivergent people may be extremely talented. The society should stop discrimination and unpack some of the misconceptions and support them in daily lives, education and at work.

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