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Terminology and Definitions related to Neurodiversity

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Terminology and Definitions related to Neurodiversity

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NEUROQUEER * THE WRITINGS OF DR. NICK WALKER

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Nick Walker, PhD
I wrote "Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions" back in 2014. So far, of all the pieces I've written, this is the one that's been most frequently cited in other people's work (academic and otherwise). The definitive, citable version of this essay, along with supplementary comments, can be found in my book When referencing my work, please remember that my pronouns are she/her. Neuroqueer Heresies
New paradigms often require a bit of new language, and this is certainly the case with the neurodiversity paradigm. I see many people - scholars, journalists, bloggers, internet commenters, and even people who identify as neurodiversity activists - get confused about the terminology around neurodiversity. Their misunderstanding and incorrect usage of certain terms often results in poor and clumsy communication of their message, and propagation of further confusion (including other confused people imitating their errors). At the very least, incorrect use of terminology can make a writer or speaker appear ignorant, or an unreliable source of information, in the eyes of those who do understand the meanings of the terms.

For those of us who seek to propagate and build upon the neurodiversity paradigm - especially those of us who are producing writing on neurodiversity - it's vital that we maintain some basic clarity and consistency of language, for the sake of effective communication among ourselves and with our broader audiences. Clarity of language supports clarity of understanding.

And, as I increasingly find myself in the position of reviewing other people's writing on neurodiversity - grading student papers, reviewing book submissions or submissions to journals, consulting on various projects, or even just deciding which pieces of writing I'm willing to recommend to people - I'm getting tired of running into the same basic errors over and over.

So, as a public service, I'm posting this list of a few key neurodiversity-related terms, their meanings and proper usage, and the ways in which I most commonly see them mis used.

NEURODIVERSITY

What It Means:

Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurodiversity is a biological fact. It's not a perspective, an approach, a belief, a political position, or a paradigm. That's the neurodiversity paradigm (see below), not neurodiversity itself.

Neurodiversity is not a political or social activist movement. That's the Neurodiversity Movement (see below), not neurodiversity itself.

Neurodiversity is not a trait that any individual possesses or can possess. When an individual or group of individuals diverges from the dominant societal standards of "normal" neurocognitive functioning, they don't "have neurodiversity," they're neurodivergent (see below).
"Our school offers multiple learning strategies to accommodate the neurodiversity of our student body."
Example of Correct Usage:

Examples of Incorrect Usage:

"Neurodiversity claims that..."
This writer is actually trying to talk about either the neurodiversity paradigm or the Neurodiversity Movement. Neurodiversity, as a biological characteristic of the species, can't "claim" anything, any more than variations in human skin pigmentation can "claim" something.

"Neurodiversity is a load of nonsense."
Really? So human brains and minds don't differ from one another? There's an awful lot of scientific evidence that shows quite plainly that there's considerable variation among human brains. And if we all thought alike, the world would be a very different place indeed. The person who wrote this sentence was probably trying to object to the neurodiversity paradigm and/or the positions of the Neurodiversity Movement, and has ended up sounding rather silly as a result of failing to distinguish between these things and the phenomenon of neurodiversity itself.

"My neurodiversity makes it hard for me to cope with school."
The correct word here would be neurodivergence, rather than neurodiversity. An individual, by definition, cannot be "diverse" or "have diversity."

"Autism and dyslexia are forms of neurodiversity."
Nope. Nope nope nope. There's no such thing as a "form of neurodiversity." Autism and dyslexia are forms of neurodivergence.

NEURODIVERSITY PARADIGM

What It Means:

The neurodiversity paradigm is a specific perspective on neurodiversity - a perspective or approach that boils down to these fundamental principles:

1.) Neurodiversity is a natural and valuable form of human diversity.

2.) The idea that there is one "normal" or "healthy" type of brain or mind, or one "right" style of neurocognitive functioning, is a culturally constructed fiction, no more valid (and no more conducive to a healthy society or to the overall well-being of humanity) than the idea that there is one "normal" or "right" ethnicity, gender, or culture.

3.) The social dynamics that manifest in regard to neurodiversity are similar to the social dynamics that manifest in regard to other forms of human diversity (e.g., diversity of ethnicity, gender, or culture). These dynamics include the dynamics of social power inequalities, and also the dynamics by which diversity, when embraced, acts as a source of creative potential.

What It Doesn't Mean:

The neurodiversity paradigm provides a philosophical foundation for the activism of the Neurodiversity Movement, but the two aren't the same. For instance, there are people working on developing inclusive education strategies based on the neurodiversity paradigm, who don't identify as social justice activists or as part of the Neurodiversity Movement.
"Those who have embraced the neurodiversity paradigm, and who truly understand it, do not use pathologizing terms like 'disorder' to describe neurocognitive variants like autism."
Example of Correct Usage:

NEURODIVERSITY MOVEMENT

What It Means:

The Neurodiversity Movement is a social justice movement that seeks civil rights, equality, respect, and full societal inclusion for the neurodivergent.

What It Doesn't Mean:

The Neurodiversity Movement is not a single group or organization, is not run by any single group or organization, and has no leader. Like most civil rights movements, the Neurodiversity Movement is made up of a great many individuals, some of them organized into groups of one sort or another. These individuals and groups are quite diverse in their viewpoints, goals, concerns, political positions, affiliations, methods of activism, and interpretations of the neurodiversity paradigm.

The Neurodiversity Movement began within the Autism Rights Movement, and there is still a great deal of overlap between the two movements. But the Neurodiversity Movement and the Autism Rights Movement are not one and the same. The most significant distinction between the two is that the Neurodiversity Movement seeks to be inclusive of all neurominorities, not just Autistics. Also, there some who advocate for the rights of Autistics but who cannot rightly be considered part of the Neurodiversity Movement because they still consider autism to be a medical pathology or "disorder," a view at odds with the neurodiversity paradigm.

NEURODIVERGENT and NEURODIVERGENCE

What It Means:

Neurodivergent, sometimes abbreviated as ND, means having a mind that functions in ways which diverge significantly from the dominant societal standards of "normal."

Neurodivergent is quite a broad term. Neurodivergence (the state of being neurodivergent) can be largely or entirely genetic and innate, or it can be largely or entirely produced by brain-altering experience, or some combination of the two. Autism and dyslexia are examples of innate forms of neurodivergence, while alterations in brain functioning caused by such things as trauma, long-term meditation practice, or heavy usage of psychedelic drugs are examples of forms of neurodivergence produced through experience.

A person whose neurocognitive functioning diverges from dominant societal norms in multiple ways - for instance, a person who is Autistic, dyslexic, and epileptic - can be described as multiply neurodivergent.

Some forms of innate or largely innate neurodivergence, like autism, are intrinsic and pervasive factors in an individual's psyche, personality, and fundamental way of relating to the world. The neurodiversity paradigm rejects the pathologizing of such forms of neurodivergence, and the Neurodiversity Movement opposes attempts to get rid of them.

Other forms of neurodivergence, like epilepsy or the effects of traumatic brain injuries, could be removed from an individual without erasing fundamental aspects of the individual's selfhood, and in many cases the individual would be happy to be rid of such forms of neurodivergence. The neurodiversity paradigm does not reject the pathologizing of these forms of neurodivergence, and the Neurodiversity Movement does not object to consensual attempts to cure them (but still most definitely objects to discrimination against people who have them).

Thus, neurodivergence is not intrinsically positive or negative, desirable or undesirable - it all depends on what sort of neurodivergence one is talking about.

The terms neurodivergent and neurodivergence were coined in the year 2000 by Kassiane Asasumasu, a multiply neurodivergent neurodiversity activist.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurodivergent is not a synonym for autistic. There are countless possible ways to be neurodivergent, and being autistic is only one of those ways. There are myriad ways of being neurodivergent that have no resemblance or connection to autism whatsoever. Never, ever use neurodivergent as a euphemism for autistic. If you mean that someone is autistic, say they're autistic. It's not a dirty word.
"Our school aims to be inclusive of students who are Autistic, dyslexic, or otherwise neurodivergent, though there are some types of neurodivergence that we're still seeking ways to accommodate." "This group is for people who identify as both queer and ND (neurodivergent)."
Examples of Correct Usage:

NEUROTYPICAL, or NT

What It Means:

Neurotypical, often abbreviated as NT, means having a style of neurocognitive functioning that falls within the dominant societal standards of "normal."

Neurotypical can be used as either an adjective ("He's neurotypical") or a noun ("He's a neurotypical").

Neurotypical is the opposite of neurodivergent. Neurotypicality is the way-of-being from which neurodivergent people diverge. Neurotypical bears the same sort of relationship to neurodivergent that straight bears to queer.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Neurotypical is not synonymous with non-autistic.

Neurotypical is the opposite of neurodivergent, not the opposite of autistic. Autism is only one of many forms of neurodivergence, so there are many, many people who are neither neurotypical nor autistic. Using neurotypical to mean non-autistic is like using "white" to mean "not black."

Also, neurotypical is not a derogatory word, and has no intrinsic negative connotation. Of course, sometimes people use the word in the context of criticizing the behavior of neurotypicals, but that doesn't make it an intrinsically negative word. A lot of people criticize the behavior of men, too, but that doesn't make "man" an intrinsically derogatory word.
"If the primary language of the society in which you were born is well-suited to the purpose of describing your sensory experiences, your needs, and your thought processes, you may have neurotypical privilege." "My sister is NT, but after growing up with an Autistic father and brother, she's quite at ease with other people's neurodivergence."
Examples of Correct Usage:

Example of Incorrect Usage:

"Is your daughter Autistic or neurotypical?"
This isn't a well-worded question because there are other possibilities. The daughter in question might be non-autistic, but might also not qualify as neurotypical - she might, for instance, be dyslexic or have Down Syndrome.

NEUROMINORITY

What It Means:

A neurominority is a population of neurodivergent people about whom all of the following are true:

1.) They all share a similar form of neurodivergence.

2.) The form of neurodivergence they share is one of those forms that is largely innate and that is inseparable from who they are, constituting an intrinsic and pervasive factor in their psyches, personalities, and fundamental ways of relating to the world.

3.) The form of neurodivergence they share is one to which the neurotypical majority tends to respond with some degree of prejudice, misunderstanding, discrimination, and/or oppression (generally facilitated by classifying that form of neurodivergence as a medical pathology).

Examples of neurominority groups include Autistic people, dyslexic people, and people with Down Syndrome.

It's also possible to be neurodivergent without being a member of a neurominority group. Examples include people with acquired traumatic brain injuries, and people who have altered their own neurocognitive functioning through extensive use of psychedelic drugs.

The word neurominority can function as either a noun (as in, "Autistics are a neurominority") or an adjective (as in, "Autistics are a neurominority group").

NEURODIVERSE

What It Means:

A group of people is neurodiverse if one or more members of the group differ substantially from other members, in terms of their neurocognitive functioning.

Or, to phrase it another way, a neurodiverse group is a group in which multiple neurocognitive styles are represented.

Thus, a family, the faculty or student body of a school, the population of a town, or the cast of characters of a TV show would be neurodiverse if some members had different neurocognitive styles from other members - for instance, if some members were neurotypical while others were Autistic.

What It Doesn't Mean:

Many people mistakenly use neurodiverse where the correct word would be neurodivergent.

Of all the errors that people make in writing and speaking about neurodiversity, the misuse of neurodiverse to mean neurodivergent is by far the most common.

There is no such thing as a "neurodiverse individual." The correct term is " neurodivergent individual." An individual can diverge, but an individual cannot be diverse.

Neurodiverse does not mean "non-neurotypical." The opposite of neurotypical is neurodivergent, not neurodiverse. Neurodiverse cannot be used to mean "non-neurotypical," because neurotypical people, like all other human beings, are part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity. The opposite of neurodiverse would be neurohomogenous (meaning "composed of people who are all neurocognitively similar to one another").

To refer to neurominority groups or neurodivergent individuals as "neurodiverse" is incorrect grammatically, because diverse doesn't mean different from the majority, it means made up of multiple different types. So an individual can never be diverse, by definition. And a group where everyone is neurodivergent in more or less the same way (e.g., a group composed entirely of Autistic people) wouldn't be "neurodiverse," either.

The only appropriate and grammatically correct use of the term neurodiverse is when it's used to describe a group of people whose members differ neurocognitively from each other. In other words, a classroom where everyone is Autistic is not neurodiverse, but a classroom where some students are neurotypical and some aren't is neurodiverse.

Humanity is neurodiverse, just as humanity is racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse. By definition, no human being falls outside of the spectrum of human neurodiversity, just as no human being falls outside of the spectrum of human racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.

In addition to being incorrect, it's also oppressive to misuse the word "diverse" to mean "minority," because this misuse of "diverse" is based in the intrinsically oppressive assumption that there's a default "normal" way of being and that "diversity" is about adding non-normative individuals into the "normal" default environment. This is the assumption that allows tokenization to pass for "diversity" in corporations, schools, and other social institutions.

We can see this same oppressive misuse of the word "diverse" in the discourse of racists who use the term "diverse" as a euphemism for "non-white." This usage seeks to twist the definition of the word "diverse" to mean "not part of the privileged in-group." Again, that's not what the word means, and misusing it in that particular way serves to reinforce a racist mindset in which white people are seen as intrinsically separate from the rest of humanity, rather than as just another part of the spectrum of human ethnic diversity.

It is the same with the misuse of the term neurodiverse to mean "non-neurotypical." To describe an Autistic, dyslexic, or otherwise neurodivergent person as a "neurodiverse individual" is not merely an incorrect usage of the word "diverse"--it also serves to reinforce an ableist mindset in which neurotypical people are seen as intrinsically separate from the rest of humanity, rather than as just another part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity.

In summary, then: misusing the term neurodiverse to mean neurodivergent (i.e., non-neurotypical) is not only plain old bad grammar, it also subtly reinforces ableism and undercuts the fundamental tenets of the neurodiversity paradigm. I hope this explanation will help people to avoid this particular error in the future--and, when possible, to correct such misuse where they encounter it.
"We humans are a neurodiverse species." "We employ a wide variety of creative teaching strategies to accommodate the many different learning styles represented in our highly neurodiverse student body." "My neurodiverse family includes three neurotypicals, two Autistics, and one person who's both ADHD and dyslexic." "I think every single member of their board of directors is neurotypical. An organization that supposedly serves the needs of neurominority children should have a more neurodiverse board."
Examples of Correct Usage:

Examples of Incorrect Usage:

"This group welcomes Autistics and other neurodiverse people."
It's nice to be welcomed, but there's no such thing as a "neurodiverse person." the correct phrase here would be "Autistics and other neurodivergent people."

"This group is open to both neurotypicals and the neurodiverse."
No, no, no. "The neurodiverse?" Seriously? What does that even mean? The spectrum of neurodiversity encompasses the entire human species, so one can't label any subset of the human species as "the neurodiverse." And neurotypicals are part of the spectrum of human neurodiversity, so it makes no sense to say "neurotypicals and the neurodiverse," as if those were two separate things. The correct way to say this would be, "This group is open to both neurotypicals and the neurodivergent."

I hope this list of definitions will help to foster greater clarity and understanding, and more accurate writing, when it comes to the terminology around neurodiversity. I encourage readers to share, cite, or quote from this piece, anywhere it might be useful. If you're writing up submission guidelines for neurodiversity-related writings, for a journal, anthology, conference, or other project, feel free to include a link to this post in your guidelines. If you encounter a journalist who's doing a piece on a neurodiversity-related topic, or a group of college students who are writing about neurodiversity, please share this piece with them. And please feel free to use this piece as a resource in any situation in which there's confusion about what any of these terms mean.

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NEURODIVERSITY: SOME BASIC TERMS & DEFINITIONS * NEUROQUEER

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Nick Walker, PhD I wrote "Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions" back in 2014. So far, of all the pieces I've written, this is the one that's been most frequently cited in other people's work (academic and otherwise).

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What does it mean to be Neurodiversity Affirmative?

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What does it mean to be Neurodiversity Affirmative?

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In our clinical practice, we are guided by neurodiversity affirmative principles based on our understanding of the Neurodiversity Paradigm (the underlying philosophy) and Neurodiversity Movement (a human rights, disability and social movement). We acknowledge that the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent are framed in ways that hold both similarities and differences between different epistemologies (e.g. disability studies, critical autism studies, Neuroqueer theory) and allow space for understandings that differ from our own.

Working in this way is a process of unlearning much of what we have been taught (e.g., in training, workplaces) about Autistic experience. As caring professionals who have most likely chosen our career path to alleviate distress, we can feel uncomfortable reflecting on previous deficit-based practice, which is typically based on knowledge of Autistic experience constructed by the perceived neuromajority, rather than Autistic people (see Fricker, 2007, for discussion of epistemic injustice). Sitting with this discomfort offers the opportunity to develop practice and learn new approaches that seek to move beyond the current epistemic and systemic injustices surrounding the Autistic experience.

In this article, we provide a summary of principles to guide working respectfully with Autistic people within a neurodiversity affirmative framework. Our emphasis is on working with Autistic people as this is our main area of practice, but the underlying principles apply equally to working with any neurodivergent person (we use neurodivergent in its broadest sense, including autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, acquired brain injury, PTSD, depression, Tourette's, OCD etc.).

Reframe the Autistic experience from a disorder to a neurotype

The medical model of disability and all classification systems arising from this model (e.g. the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11) are inherently based on neuronormative assumptions. Being Autistic is a different, valid, neurotype with a distinct developmental trajectory. It is a different way of experiencing the world, not a disorder.

Stop pathologising Autistic ways of being

Current autism identification (assessment) procedures and tests are based on the pathologisation of Autistic ways of being. For example, being adept at social chit-chat is considered an arbitrary 'gold standard' way to interact, with a dislike of this communication style viewed as a 'deficit'. Within an Autistic culture, however, communicating in-depth on one topic is a much more valued method of communication. Turn-taking still occurs in 'info-dumping' but at a slower pace than the perceived neuromajority considers as the 'right' way to interact. 'We are not asocial, we just socialise differently' (Hammond, 2022, p.102).

Supports should target needs and challenges that autistic people experience, not Autistic ways of being

Post-identification support for Autistic people should never focus on changing or 'treating' the person's neurology but instead on self-advocacy and self-determination. As neuroaffirmative practitioners, we work on the individual's priority areas of support, e.g. adapting both the physical and social environment to better fit their neurotype (through sensory needs, monotropic attention, and communication styles). Autistic ways of being should be validated, a positive Autistic self-identity cultivated, mental health needs attended to, alongside supporting an understanding of specific perception and sensory differences, empowering self-advocacy and supporting those close to the person to appreciate Autistic experience through a neuroaffirmative lens.

Ensure the Autistic voice is at the centre of everything you do

This does not mean a tokenistic 'listening' to, an implied power dynamic of the perceived neuromajority 'allowing' notional space for the voice of a marginalised group but continuing as before. The Autistic community must have the agency and power to choose for themselves how their experience is explored, understood, identified and supported. As a professional working in this area, this means committing to learning and engaging with the Autistic community's voice, culture, Autistic-led research and publications and community priorities for language, future research and support.

Respect Autistic culture and identity

The idea that an Autistic culture, communication and identity even exists is very new to most people. Some examples of this culture include the symbols that the Autistic community choose to identify with (e.g. the gold infinity symbol) and the ones they firmly reject (e.g. puzzle piece, and the colour blue which have been imposed by those outside the community). Autistic people have distinct ways of being in, exploring and learning about the world. The only way to become and keep up to date with any of these is by listening to Autistic people.

If you have the power, employ autistic and otherwise neurodivergent team members. If you don't have the power, advocate others to do so

It is vital to highlight that Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people are employers and leaders too, and so this call to action is for all people regardless of their neurology. For example, Thriving Autistic is led by Autistic professionals, as well as employing many other Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people. The Adult Autism Practice is neurodivergent-led.

Being neurodiversity affirmative does not just mean changing your language to be more respectful of the community, but making systemic changes across workplaces, healthcare systems, communities, and society so that Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people have the equal rights they deserve. This requires community allies as well as advocates. It is a basic human right to have a voice and a 'place at the table' in equal decision-making about community needs, and diversifying teams in this way also leads to better care and support.

Recognise that there is immense value in diversity

There is inherent value in diversity in and of itself. We can see the significant negative impact that a reduction of biodiversity causes to ecosystems. As with biodiversity, all humans are part of a tapestry of neurodiversity and we are all connected to each other. We need all kinds of people and minds in order to flourish as worldwide societies. Being neurodiversity affirmative is to see and celebrate the value of this diversity.

Recognise that there is value in living a disabled life

To see the value in disability and living a disabled life requires examining how our views on disability are inextricably tied to capitalist ideals of being 'productive' and 'independence' (i.e. needing no outside help or support again so that you don't cost the 'system' money). Both professionals and individuals may need support in examining their relationship with disability and unpacking what external factors impact this. It is an Autistic person's right to choose if they identify as disabled.

All humans have intrinsic value regardless of how much it costs to care for them, or how much money they can make through their 'productivity'. Many disabled (including Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent) people will need ongoing support from others throughout their lives and may never have a paid job, but this does not mean that they do not live a rich, valuable and meaningful life. There are, for example, democratic socialist countries in which the care economy is healthy and well-funded and disabled people are supported to be integral members of their communities without being seen as burdens.

Seeing the value in disability and a disabled life requires ongoing reflection and unpacking of ableism for us all (whether disabled or not). Totton (2015) highlights that so-called 'normalcy' is temporary.

For some, 'misfitting is a rare experience and shocking. For others, it is a central feature of daily lives'; (Totton, 2015, p.40). In other words, we all need to challenge the many assumptions we have collectively gathered over a lifetime of both implicit and explicit messaging transmitted from the people and societal structures around us. To change these external messages and forces, we need first to reflect and change ourselves.

It also includes changing our definition of what 'being productive' means and broadening this from only producing something of monetary or other value to society, to include production of something of value to that individual person, or the production of calm, joy or connection with life.

Disability is not a 'dirty' word (and if you feel it is then this is an indicator that you have some internal unpacking to do in these areas). People should be free to choose to declare themselves disabled, receive the support they need, and not be shamed or be reacted to negatively for doing so either from individuals or societal structures.

Ensure that all neurodivergent people (including those with Significant Learning Disability and High Support Needs) have power, a place at the table, and are supported and advocated for

Being neurodiversity affirmative means that all neurodivergent people, no matter how high their support needs are, or how they communicate, have an equal voice and agency in relation to their own lives and communities. The neurodiversity movement was born out of the wider disability movement and has always (and continues to) encompass, embrace and advocate for the voices of all disabled people.

Traditionally, little effort has been made by researchers or clinicians within healthcare systems to access the voice of Non-Speaking or sometimes Non-Speaking Autistic people, with or without a learning disability. But it is possible to capture these voices. There is a large online community of Non-Speaking or minimally speaking Autistic adults (with and without a learning disability) who interact online on X (formally Twitter), other social media platforms and safe online spaces. They often speak out about what is important to them, how they want to be spoken about, their priorities for research and how they want their care managed. These voices need to be listened to and taken seriously in terms of service planning and support.

Reject compliance-based behaviour approaches, e.g., Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)

Behaviour-based compliance approaches are fully rejected by the Autistic community and the neurodiversity paradigm, with comparisons being drawn between them and gay conversion therapy. Despite some recently reported industry changes and a great many kind and well-intentioned practitioners, ultimately the end goal of ABA is an Autistic child and adult who meets neuronormative assumptions such that they are 'indistinguishable' from their neurotypical peers. Compliance-based behavioural methods (including PBS and ABA) have been shown to have significant, negative, long-term effects on people's mental health (Anderson, L 2022; Ram. J 2020; Wilkenfeld & McCarthy 2020).

They are counterintuitive to a human rights model emphasising the vital importance of self-advocacy and self-determination. Besides this, the fact alone that the Autistic community reject them should be enough. If a method is based on compliance through behavioural means, it is not neurodiversity affirmative. As clinicians, we should question the authority of knowledge sources, from whom it was produced and whose epistemic position was privileged. Here, we deliberately include an Autistic written blog recognising all sources of knowledge are valid, 'We all have something to say, but we don't all have the privilege of a platform from which to say it' (Hammond 2022, p.52).

Reject neurotypical social skills training

Neurotypical social skills training is fully rejected by the Autistic community and neurodiversity paradigm, where again comparisons to the practice of gay conversion therapy are made. Like all behaviour-based models, neurotypical social skills training encourages neurodivergent people to hide their true selves (which decades of psychological research have shown us is a core element of positive mental health) and instead promotes masking. It leads to internalised feelings of shame and ableism and the person's core ways of being and interacting are presented as something to hide and change. It ignores Milton's (2012) double empathy: any difficulties in cross-neurotype communication are mutual and are not located in the Autistic person alone. The emphasis should be on both Autistic and neurotypical people developing an understanding of each other's ways of being and working together on the best ways to interact with each other. There needs to be mutual respect for the diversity of communication between humans.

Additionally, there is a large body of research indicating compliance-based behaviour methods are ineffective, increasingly showing links between masking (promoted by neurotypical social skills training) and poor mental health, self-harm and suicide. These approaches place barriers to connection, prevent full exploration of Autistic identity and finding a way to be in the world as an Autistic person, instead encouraging concealment of a crucial element of the self, increasing loneliness and isolation. It leads to feelings of rejection, hurt and devaluation. A similar body of research can be found for the LGBTQIA+ community related to levels of masking of authentic sexuality and gender.

Advocate for systems and environmental changes

Systematic, cultural and environmental factors are major barriers for the Autistic community in relation to achieving a good quality of life and mental health resulting in Autistic people being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, mischaracterised, rejected and not listened to as a group.

Professionals seeking to make positive changes for Autistic people need to move beyond just assessment (or identification as we call it), 'diagnosis' (again, we avoid this term in The Adult Autism Practice & Thriving Autistic) and individual therapy and also engage in the more wide-reaching work of combating systemic injustices by advocating for change within the systems around their clients. This means (if you are not Autistic yourself) learning to be a true ally and using your privileged position to stand with Autistic people in helping to change these systems.

As professionals (whether we are Autistic, otherwise neurodivergent or neurotypical) we all need to make sure we are upholding the disability rallying cry of 'Nothing About Us Without Us'. Here are a few practical ways you can do this:

If a conference involves autism in any way, make sure that there is a significant percentage of Autistic people presenting and involved in the aims and goals of the conference.

If you are neurotypical and asked to present about Autistic people at an event, ensure that you have Autistic colleagues also presenting with you. Or, even better, do you have an Autistic colleague who may know the topic better and do a better job?

Do not support or recommend an organisation or charity claiming to support Autistic people before checking how many board members are Autistic. None is a huge red flag. Investigate the goals and aims of the organisation and if they align with the Autistic community. What do the Autistic community feel about this organisation and do they align with them?

When evaluating research or academic articles, as well as deliberately focusing on reading material from Autistic academics, check to make sure that Autistic people are involved, and their voices heard, from the outset. Are the research goals aligned with community priorities? Were there Autistic people on the steering committee (for example) or did the research use scales and materials designed with Autistic people and validated with Autistic populations? If it is an article, were Autistic people interviewed and given prominence in the article? If not, this is not a high-quality piece of research in relation to Autistic experience.

If you are reading a policy related to Autistic people, were Autistic people involved in developing it? Without this, the document is inherently prejudiced.

Embrace any opportunity to share the language preference of the Autistic community in meetings (e.g., remind colleagues to use Autistic, not 'has autism', or ASD)

Make sure your service is accessible (e.g., a duty worker in a mental health team accessible only by phone does not meet the communication needs of those who cannot make phone calls).

The more that professionals advocate and look for these factors, the greater and quicker the organisational and societal changes will be for Autistic people.

Support fostering a positive Autistic identity as a priority goal

Fostering a positive Autistic identity should be the number one goal for all professionals working in this area. Support the people coming to you to have pride in their culture, value their own personal communication style and recognise and increase their own personal strengths. Help them to promote their own self-autonomy and self-advocacy. Perhaps most important of all, link them in with Autistic peers and the community. Help them to understand what it means to be neurodiversity affirmative and the social model of disability and in identifying for themselves what the components of a good and valuable life are, and how they can advocate for these things. Support them in understanding the importance of environmental fit to their overall wellbeing.

A process of ever-becoming

Moving towards neuroaffirmative practice is a process of ever-becoming: you will never arrive. Seek to always learn from the Autistic community, ever exploring your own knowledge. Do not make neuronormative or heteronormative assumptions in your clinical work. Strive for cultural humility. (Kandeh et al., 2020). Show yourself compassion as you unlearn, re-learn, and ever move forward. Learning is an ever-looping process of becoming, it is not linear. Welcome this.

Contributors

Davida Hartman is a Child and Educational Psychologist, Adjunct Professor at the UCD School of Psychology, and is late identified ADHD. She is Clinical Director and Principal Psychologist at The Children's Clinic, Ireland (specialising in neurodiversity affirmative assessment and supports for children) and Clinical Director at The Adult Autism Practice (specialising in online neurodiversity affirmative adult autism assessments).

Dr Anna Day is Co-Principal Clinical Psychologist at The Adult Autism Practice, and is Autistic, self-identifying as ADHD. Anna is passionate about advocating for Autistic rights in education and mental health, and has a particular interest in neuroqueering. Anna has an Autistic young person.

Tara O'Donnell-Killen is the founder and CEO of Thriving Autistic (specialising in supporting Autistic adults) & The Neurodivergent Practitioner Community (a platform for neurodivergent mental health practitioners to advertise services) and the Post Identification Support Lead at The Adult Autism Practice. Tara is an Autistic Coaching Psychologist who brings a unique perspective as both an Autistic professional and parent with a deep interest in human rights and the Neuro-Affirmative approach.

Jessica K Doyle is an Assistant Psychologist and a neurodiversity and sensory Consultant. Her research has focused on mechanisms of Autistic perception, Autistic experience and Universal sensory design. Jessica K is Autistic and AdHd, she is passionate about repositioning the lens away from thwarting Neurodivergent authenticity to designing for diversity and fostering growth. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9258-3981

Maeve Kavanagh is a Principal Clinical Psychologist working in The Adult Autism Practice and Co-Director of Childversity. Maeve has worked with Autistic adults and children in public and private services for over 15 years and strives to be an ally to the Autistic community.

Juliana Azevedo is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who has extensive experience working in lifespan public services. She also works with The Adult Autism Practice since 2020.
Image: Untitled by Natalie Dance (29/11/2022 - acrylic, felt pen, paper - 43cm x 61cm)
Key sources

Anderson, L.K. (2022). Autistic Experiences of Applied Behaviour Analysis. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, August, 13623613221118216.
Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gray-Hammond, D.G. (2022). The New Normal: Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society. Amazon.
Kandeh, M.S., Kandeh, M.K., Martin, N. & Krupa, J. (2020). Autism in Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Ethnic Communities: A Report on the First Autistic Voice UK Symposium, Advances in Autism 39 (February): 88.
Totton, N. (2023). Different Bodies: Deconstructing normality. Monmouth: PCCS Books.
Ram, J. (2020) I am a disillusionsed BCBA: Autistics are right about ABA. Neuroclastic 18 September 2023 https://neuroclastic.com/i-am-a-disillusioned-bcba-Autistics-are-right-about-aba/
Wilkenfeld, D. A., & McCarthy, A.M. (2020). Ethical Concerns with Applied Behaviour Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kennedy Instutute of Ethics Journal 30 (1): 36-69.

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What does it mean to be neurodiversity affirmative? | BPS

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With a focus on the autistic experience, our contributors (see below) consider this question and its implications for how professionals and services can adapt.

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City's Student Health and Wellbeing Team can provide more information and support around Neurodiversity

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City's Student Health and Wellbeing Team can provide more information and support around Neurodiversity

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Student Health & Wellbeing | Student Hub

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Student Health & Wellbeing includes four teams who provide practical, emotional and specialist disability related support to our students.

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For more information on what's coming up this week!!

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024 | City, University of London

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This free engaging series of events will help encourage us to appreciate the myriad talents and advantages of neurodivergence.

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Neurodiversity: What is it and why do we care?

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Neurodiversity: What is it and why do we care?

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Introduction to Autism, Part 5: Neurodiversity (What is it and why do we care?)

Written by Dr Melanie Heyworth

Often when we discuss Autism, and a strengths-based approach to Autism, we invoke the term "neurodiversity". But what is neurodiversity, how is it related to Autism, and what does it mean for the way we think about Autism?

Neurodiversity (a word coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer and popularised by the journalist, Harvey Blume, in the late 1990s) simply refers to the reality that a diversity of human brains and minds exist. It is a biological fact that each person's brain is different, since the brain is a complex organ that develops through a continuing interaction between a person's genetics and their experiences and environment.

If we accept that each human is a unique individual, then we already accept the premise of neurodiversity (or brain diversity).

And, ultimately, most of us do, unthinkingly, accept the reality of neurodiversity in many aspects of our lives. How else do we explain why some people are artists, while others are accountants, why some are musicians, while others are managers, why some love heavy metal, while others love Mozart, why some are extroverted, while others are introverted?

Neurodiversity itself is not an ideology or an approach: it is an undeniable aspect of the rich tapestry of biodiversity which typifies the human species.

How is neurodiversity related to Autism?

For many Autistic individuals, even that basic concept of neurodiversity has had significant implications for their own neurology.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference, so the term "neurodiversity" validates our existence, it humanises us, because it allows us just to "be" part of that rich tapestry of humanity. Without judgement.

Without judgement. The liberation of existing without being labelled neurologically impaired or deficient has proved an enticing prospect for those of us whose neurology strays further from the expected putative "norm" than just that we like art or numbers or what music we prefer.

And that's how the neurodiversity paradigm evolved. Because Autists - and many others with different neurological variances - want the opportunity to exist without judgement.

So, the neurodiversity paradigm takes the basic concept of neurodiversity and proposes that some brains are neurotypical (that is, broadly conforming to a standardised, typically developing norm), and some brains are neurodivergent (that is, diverging from that standardised, typically developing norm).

Importantly, though, the neurodiversity paradigm, also proposes that divergent brains - and, by natural extension, Autistic brains - should exist alongside neurotypical brains, without judgement. We are not "disordered" (a subjective judgement) because of our neurodivergence. It proposes that typically developing brains are no more "right" or "desirable" than divergent brains.

In other words, the neurodiversity paradigm doesn't presume to judge which neurodivergences (even within the typically developing population) are valuable and which are not. It doesn't presume to categorise neurodivergences into "healthy" or "deviant" differences.

The neurodiversity paradigm values all neurodivergences as natural, worthy and potentially beneficial manifestations of human diversity.

So, within the neurodiversity paradigm, Autism is not the same as neurodivergent (they are not equivalent), but Autistic brains are neurodivergent, since they do not develop along the expected trajectory. But there are many other expressions of neurodivergences (some organic to the individual, and others acquired by specific circumstances), including learning differences, giftedness, ADHD, OCD, epilepsy, acquired brain injuries, and PTSD, and all are invited to just "be" in the world without judgement.

The neurodiversity paradigm doesn't deny the many and often profound challenges associated with living as a "neurominority" (that is, a neurological community that exists outside of the neurotypical norm). But it argues that the challenges result from living in a world that is generally "physically, socially, emotionally inhospitable towards Autistic" - and other neurodivergent - people (Dr Jac den Houting, 2019). It is, in part, when the neurotypical world seeks to judge our existence, and finds it lacking, that we are significantly challenged.

So, the neurodiversity paradigm isn't designed to gloss over the challenges of being neurodivergent in a predominantly neurotypical world, fashioned to meet neurotypical needs, although it does acknowledge that many such challenges would be lessened if appropriate accommodations were put in place through implementing the principles of universal design, for example.

The neurodiversity paradigm doesn't reject the narratives of how problematic and complicated it can be to live as a neurodivergent person. It does, however, ask that neurodivergences be considered without judgement; it advocates for abandoning models that construct neurodivergence as "less than", "defective", "broken".

What does neurodiversity mean for the way we think about Autism?

For Autism, the neurodiversity paradigm asks that we divorce the neurology, Autism, from the ideological construct of "disorder". A useful analogy here is giftedness, which is also a specific neurodivergence. We do not "diagnose" a child with giftedness. They do not "suffer" from the "disorder" of giftedness. There is no "cure" for giftedness, no "treatment" to lessen its impact on the way that a gifted neurodivergent person experiences and perceives and processes the world. And, indeed, we would not expect there to be, because, as a society, we generally value giftedness. We do not judge gifted neurodivergence as lacking or deficient. And yet, gifted individuals often testify to the challenges and negative experiences arising from their giftedness: giftedness is not without its own struggles.

But if we can value the potential of giftedness alongside its concurrent challenges, if we can respect and accept the worth and value of giftedness as a marker of human diversity, then it is not so great a leap to extend the same respect to Autism.

The neurodiversity paradigm offers the Autistic community a framework by which we can celebrate who we are, how we exist, and what we have to offer. It allows the Autistic community to describe all of ourselves, including our Autism, without pathology, which is especially important since so many Autists are "multiply neurodivergent" (that is, our brains diverge from the "norm" in multiple ways). Adopting the neurodiversity paradigm means that we can encompass our whole authentic selves without listing each and every "disorder" or "diagnosis". We can just "be", genuinely and entirely, ourselves, with worth and value because of our differences, not despite them. Existing without judgement.

Indeed, research shows that Autistic individuals who identify more strongly with the neurodiversity construct think about their Autism more positively as an identity, and are able to use that Autistic identity to experience the kinds of self-esteem that protect against mental health conditions.

So, I ask you to consider the value of thinking differently. Thinking differently is a multifaceted concept which both requires us to value Autistic ways of thinking differently, and challenges us to think about Autism differently. One crucial way in which we, as a community, can think differently about Autism to effect positive change for the Autistic community, is to embrace the neurodiversity paradigm.

For more of Reframing Autism's Introduction to Autism series, please click on the following links:

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Introduction to Autism, Part 5: Neurodiversity (What is it and why do we care?) | Reframing Autism

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Introduction to Autism, Part 5: Neurodiversity (What is it and why do we care?) Written by Dr Melanie Heyworth Often when we discuss Autism, and a strengths-based approach to Autism, we invoke the term "neurodiversity". But what is neurodiversity, how is it related to Autism, and what does it mean for the way we think about Autism?

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Someone who is neurodivergent behaves, thinks and learns differently compared to those who are neurotypical. This term can be used to describe an individual whose brain functions differently to what we consider “normal”. This includes people with autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, dyslexia and a range of other neurodiverse conditions.

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week Website with information and links to events

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week Website with information and links to events

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week aims to bring about worldwide neurodiversity acceptance, equality and inclusion in schools and workplaces.

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What Is Neurodivergence and What Does It Mean to Be Neurodivergent?

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Neurodivergence means that a person’s brain functions differently from the typical brain. It is thought to be quite common. Learn what it means to be neurodivergent.

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Style guide for written materials from the BDA

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Open Access Paper on Neurodiversity in the UK Population

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Open Access Paper on Neurodiversity in the UK Population

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Dyspraxia at a glance

Dyspraxia (also known as developmental coordination disorder - DCD) is a surprisingly common condition affecting movement and coordination in children and adults. It is a hidden condition which is still poorly understood.

Dyspraxia affects all areas of life, making it difficult for people to carry out activities that others take for granted. Signs of dyspraxia/DCD are present from a young age but may not be recognised until a child starts school - or even later in adulthood.

Signs of dyspraxia/DCD

Each person's experience of dyspraxia/DCD is different and will be affected by a person's age, the opportunities they have had to learn skills, environmental demands and the support/understanding shown by people around them. There are, however, some common signs of dyspraxia/DCD.

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Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children & adults.

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What is dyslexia? - British Dyslexia Association

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Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is…

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Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.

Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.

(BDA Definition)

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Dyscalculia - British Dyslexia Association

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What is Dyscalculia? Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with...

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Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder

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Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder

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Welcome to RADLD.ORG, created to Raise Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder or 'DLD'. Here you will learn more about DLD, access resources and find out how to raise awareness.

SAVE THE DATE | DLD Day #dldday

Friday 18 October 2024

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING The 2023 DLD Day theme is 'DLD Around the World'.

Please share our website with family, friends and professionals. Our website is constantly growing, so please check in regularly. Send us your ideas or links to your own resources or activities about DLD to hello@radld.org.

DLD AROUND THE WORLD

Click on a highlighted country to see our international committee pages:

Meet RADLD Spokesperson Marie-Soleil Labelle "Sunny"

Hear about Growing with DLD from our RADLD Spokesperson Race Car Driver Marie-Soleil Labelle "Sunny".

The 2023 Dorothy Bishop lecture

Join RADLD for our annual Dorothy Bishop lecture in the lead up to #DLDday 2023 presented by Prof. Elizabeth Peña!

Learn more about RADLD

Learn more about DLD

How well do you know Developmental Language Disorder? Take our short quiz to test your knowledge.

More information

Here we share resources to help build your knowledge of this hidden but common condition.

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SAVE THE DATE | #DLDDAY 2024 FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2024 Developmental Language Disorder is a hidden but common disability that affects 1 in 14 people causing difficulties understanding and using language for no known reason. The 2024 DLDday theme will be announced in the coming months. Please contact the RADLD...

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Developmental Language Disorder

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is the new term to replace Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Developmental Language Disorder is diagnosed when children fail to acquire their own language for no obvious reason. This results in children who have difficulty understanding what people say to them, and struggle to articulate their ideas and feelings. Recent research has shown that, on average,...

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Newsroom

Race car driver Marie-Soleil Labelle races to raise awareness of DLD/TDL as RADLD's first official Spokesperson Quebec (CA) Race car driver and bilingual French-English speaker, Marie-Soleil Labelle is known affectionately as 'Sunny'. RADLD is excited to announce that Sunny has joined us as our first official spokesperson. Sunny has...

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Amelia, a 9-Year-Old UK school girl and RADLD Ambassador, is living her best life. With support, she continues to reach her goals despite being diagnosed with an 'invisible' communication disability affecting 2 students in every class of 30. Amelia loves to be busy! She plays the cornet, enjoys dance,...

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Marie-Soleil Labelle is a young racing car driver from Quebec. Marie-Soleil has Developmental Language Disorder. What an inspiration! This video is in French, but you can add auto-subtitles if French is not your language. Thank you Marie-Soleil for sharing your story with RADLD.

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RADLD is a movement of passionate academics, researchers, health professionals, educators and families from around the world committed to raising awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
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RADLD - Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder - RADLD

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Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD) is the international advocacy for people with Developmental Language Disorder.

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Definition & Diagnosis

The definition commonly relied on is set out by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. These criteria are presented in shortened form and are for information only. Diagnosis can only be done by a medical professional.

Inattention

Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:

Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.

Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.

Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).

Often has trouble organising tasks and activities.

Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).

Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).

Is often easily distracted

Is often forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for the person's developmental level:

Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.

Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.

Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless).

Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly.

Is often "on the go" acting as if "driven by a motor".

Often talks excessively.

Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed.

Often has trouble waiting their turn.

Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or game)

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.

Several symptoms are present in two or more settings, (such as at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).

There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.

The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder). The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.

Diagnosing ADHD in Adults

ADHD often lasts into adulthood. To diagnose ADHD in adults and adolescents age 17 years or older, only 5 symptoms are needed instead of the 6 needed for younger children. Symptoms might look different at older ages. For example, in adults, hyperactivity may appear as extreme restlessness or wearing others out with their activity. If you are an adult looking for indications that you might have ADHD you can take the WHO screener survey here.

Presentation:

There is a persistent thought from some parts of the general population that ADHD requires some form of hyper-activity. This is not the case. Based on the above criteria there are three kinds (presentations) of ADHD that can occur. Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well

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Tourettes Action is a support and research charity working to improve the lives of people living with Tourette Syndrome. Our services include online live-chat and email support, a befriender network, information, webinars, events and resources.

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Learn what obsessive-compulsive disorder is, and what it’s like to live with. Our information also explores related conditions, plus stigma around OCD.

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Different types of learning disability

There are different types of learning disability, which can be mild, moderate, severe or profound. In all cases a learning disability is lifelong.

It can be difficult to diagnose a mild learning disability as the individual will often mix well with others and will be able to cope with most everyday tasks. However, they may need support in other areas of their life such as filling out forms.

People with a severe learning disability or profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD), will need more care and support with areas such as mobility, personal care and communication. People with a moderate learning disability may also need support in these areas, but not definitely.

For any parent, the greatest concern will be your child's wellbeing and their future. As a parent, you can help your child by encouraging their strengths and getting the right support to help them overcome the things they find difficult. Every child is an individual with their own needs, but with the right support children with a learning disability can lead fulfilling lives in the way they choose.

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A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities. There are three different types mild, moderate and severe.

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Open Access Paper - Which Neurodevelopmental Disorders get Researched and Why?

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Open Access Paper - Which Neurodevelopmental Disorders get Researched and Why?

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Aim

There are substantial differences in the amount of research concerned with different disorders. This paper considers why.

Methods

Bibliographic searches were conducted to identify publications (1985-2009) concerned with 35 neurodevelopmental disorders: Developmental dyslexia, Developmental dyscalculia, Developmental coordination disorder, Speech sound disorder, Specific language impairment, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Autistic spectrum disorder, Tourette syndrome, Intellectual disability, Angelman syndrome, Cerebral palsy, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, Cri du chat syndrome, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Fetal alcohol syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Galactosaemia, Klinefelter syndrome, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, Lowe syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Neurofibromatosis type 1, Noonan syndrome, Phenylketonuria, Prader-Willi syndrome, Rett syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, Trisomy 18, Tuberous sclerosis, Turner syndrome, Velocardiofacial syndrome, Williams syndrome, XXX and XYY. A publication index reflecting N publications relative to prevalence was derived.

Results

The publication index was higher for rare than common conditions. However, this was partly explained by the tendency for rare disorders to be more severe.

Interpretation

Although research activity is predictable from severity and prevalence, there are exceptions. Low rates of research, and relatively low levels of NIH funding, characterise conditions that are the domain of a single discipline with limited research resources. Growth in research is not explained by severity, and was exceptionally steep for autism and ADHD.

Citation: Bishop DVM (2010) Which Neurodevelopmental Disorders Get Researched and Why? PLoS ONE 5(11): e15112. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015112

Editor: Rory Edward Morty, University of Giessen Lung Center, Germany

Received: August 3, 2010; Accepted: October 21, 2010; Published: November 30, 2010

Copyright: © 2010 Dorothy V. M. Bishop. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: This work was supported by Wellcome Trust Programme Grant 053335. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

It is well recognised that there are substantial differences in the amount of research activity concerned with different medical conditions, but the reasons for disparities are not fully understood. Within the field of neurology, Al-Shahi and colleagues found that the amount of research into a condition was not proportionate to the frequency of the disease [1]. Common conditions such as stroke or migraine were under-researched relative to rare diseases such as Wilson's disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, when assessed using 'publication ratio', a measure of number of publications divided by disease frequency. They suggested that as well as political, economic and scientific interest, research activity might also be influenced by the fashionable nature of some conditions, and recommended that similar analyses should be conducted in other areas. However, their analysis did not take into account the severity of disease, which might be expected to play some part in research priorities. A review of grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health [2] confirmed that research funding was not related to how common a disease was, but it was related to disease burden, as indicated by mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years. Thus severity of the impact of a condition seemed to play a larger role in determining research priorities than disease frequency.

The field of neurodevelopmental disorders is a microcosm in which these issues can be further explored. The term neurodevelopmental disorder is used in two ways [3]. The first refers to conditions affecting children's neurological development with a known genetic or acquired etiology, such as Fragile X syndrome or fetal alcohol syndrome. The second use refers to conditions of presumed multifactorial etiology in which certain aspects of neurodevelopment are selectively impaired; this includes such conditions as autistic disorder, developmental dyslexia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both types of condition were included in the current analysis. In this article, counts are provided for publications in this field to consider how far the amount of a research on a condition can be explained by (a) frequency of disorder, (b) severity of disorder or (c) the disciplines involved in research. In addition, research activity is evaluated in terms of funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) relating to these conditions.

Methods

Conditions included in the analysis

The conditions included in this review are shown in Table 1. These were identified from Rutter's Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5th edition [4] and a review of behavioural phenotypes [5]. Those from the latter source were included only if an estimate of prevalence was available. The category of 'intellectual disability' (ID) posed problems, because this can be both a symptom of a known disorder, and a nonsyndromal condition of unknown etiology. Furthermore, in the UK, the term 'learning disability' is used to refer to intellectual disability, whereas elsewhere 'learning disability' is used for specific difficulties in a child of normal IQ. Despite these problems, it was decided to attempt an estimate of publications focusing on ID, but data on this condition need to be treated with particular caution.

Number of people affected

Estimates of prevalence per 100 were computed from Rutter et al. [4] or Udwin and Dennis [5], with the mean being used if a range was given.

Severity of condition

Measures of disease burden used in mainstream medicine focus mainly on mortality and morbidity and are not in general appropriate for neurodevelopmental disorders. It was therefore necessary to derive an ad hoc measure for this study. This was a 4-point scale representing the extent to which an affected individual could be expected to obtain educational qualifications and live independently in adulthood (see Table 2). Nine expert clinicians who saw children with neurodevelopmental disorders were asked to estimate severity for conditions shown in Table 1 on this scale. For some conditions, this scale was difficult to apply because of the wide variation in severity. For instance, a person with autistic disorder is unlikely to fall in category 1, but could fall into category 2, 3 or 4. In such a case, raters were asked to give their best estimate of the average level of severity. The data in Table 3 shows the average across all raters. For rare conditions, few clinicians had sufficient experience of cases to be able to make a judgement, and in those cases, the author provided a rating based on the description of the phenotype in Udwin and Dennis [5].

Estimates of number of publications

Web of Knowledge was the basis for research counts; the search terms used are shown in Table 1; for a paper to be counted, the search term had to appear in the title. This exercise revealed that some disorders lacked consistent terminology and were correspondingly hard to search. Total number of articles for each condition was obtained for 5-year bands from 1985 to 2009. Note that coding of articles was not mutually exclusive, so that if search terms for two conditions were included in the title, the same article would be counted towards toward the total for both conditions. The word 'Down' is not a valid search term in Web of Knowledge, so it was necessary to estimate the number of articles on Down syndrome. From a Google scholar search it was established that 9.9% of articles on Down syndrome include 'trisomy 21' in the title. Thus the number of articles on Down syndrome in Web of Knowledge was estimated by multiplying the number of articles with 'trisomy 21' in the title by 10.1.

Publication index

This was derived in a method similar to that used by Al-Shahi et al [1] by dividing the total number of articles by prevalence. This was scaled so that it could be readily interpreted as a count of the N papers in 25 years per 100 affected cases in a population of 11.56 million, which is an estimate of number of children in the UK [6].

Rate of increase in publications

This measure was derived by computing the slope of the line linking the number of publications in 5-year time bins across the period 1985-2009.

Estimates of amount of genetic/animal research

Preliminary analyses suggested that the amount of research on a condition was partly determined by the disciplines involved; for some conditions, a high proportion of studies involved genetics and/or mouse models. To gain an estimate of how much research on each condition was of this type, searches were re-run to find the proportion of papers on a condition that had the words 'gene', 'genetic', 'mouse', 'mice' or 'chromosome' in the topic field.

Amount of funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Data on NIH funding were obtained using the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) ( http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm). For each disorder, the database was interrogated to identify funded projects for the period 2000-2010, and the total funding in thousands of dollars was computed, together with the NIH institute that provided the funds. It is important to note that the RePORT software identifies projects on the basis of keywords, and may include projects that do not have a central focus on the disorder in question. This means that, on the one hand, the amount of funding focused on a specific disorder is likely to be over-estimated, and on the other hand, that the same project is likely to be included in counts for more than one disorder. For this analysis, it proved impossible to obtain realistic estimates of funding for studies of intellectual disability, as the search terms from Table 1 identified numerous projects concerned with a wide range of disorders. This category was therefore omitted from this analysis. For the remaining conditions, a measure of rate of increase in funding between 2000-2010 was computed from the slope of the function for funding by year.

Results

Table 3 shows the estimates of prevalence, severity of condition, number of publications, rate of increase in publications, proportion of genetic/animal papers for each condition, and publication index, with disorders ranked by prevalence. Most variables were skewed, and so nonparametric Spearman correlations were used when assessing association between variables.

The first point to note is that the publications count has only a weakly significant relationship to prevalence of a condition (r s = .34, N = 35, p = .046). To explore predictors of publications, the publication index was used, i.e. a measure that reflects the number of publications relative to estimated number of affected individuals. It is evident on inspection that there is a general trend for a higher publication index for the rarer conditions; the Spearman correlation between publication index and prevalence is r s = −.91, N = 35, p<.001. However, when we consider the common conditions, we see that most of them have a relatively low severity index; indeed, there is a significant negative correlation between severity and prevalence, r s = −.61, N = 35, p<.001. Furthermore, the severe, rare conditions are more likely than common, milder conditions to be monogenic disorders, consistent with the fact that they are likely to have a high proportion of publications including terms indicative of genetic studies; the correlation between % genetic papers and prevalence was r s = −.52, N = 35, p = .001. The correlation between % genetic papers and severity was also significant: r s  = .41, N = 35, p = .015.

Further analysis was conducted to consider how far the publication index for each condition related to severity and genetic content. A regression analysis was conducted to find the best-fitting function relating severity to publication index, and a log-log relationship gave the best fit, with R = .648, p<.001. Figure 1 shows the scatterplot relating mean log severity to log publication index, together with the line showing predicted log publication index.

A constant of 4 is added to log publication index to avoid negative numbers. Abbreviations: ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; CP: cerebral palsy; DCD: developmental co-ordination disorder; de Lange: Cornelia de Lange syndrome; FraX: fragile X; ID: intellectual disability (shown in brackets to indicate that the publication index is overestimated); NF1: neurofibromatosis type 1; PKU: phenylketonuria; SLI: specific language impairment; T. sclerosis: tuberous sclerosis; VCF: velocardiofacial syndrome.

Adding the proportion of genetic papers as an independent variable led to a significant increase of fit to give R = .728; change in fit: F (1,32) = 7.51 p = .01. Adding prevalence to the model after including severity and genetic index, accounted for a further 24.3% of the variance, change in fit: F (1,31) = 33.24, p<.001, bring the multiple R up to .879.

The rate of increase in publications across the five 5-year age bands is logically independent from the publication index. This measure revealed two clear outliers, autistic spectrum disorder, and ADHD (see Table 3). Autism started from a high baseline, with 1215 publications during 1985-1989, increasing 5-fold by 2005-2009. The increase for ADHD was even more dramatic, from 356 publications in 1985-1989 to 6158 in 2005-2009. In general, rate of increase in publications was positively correlated with N publications in 1985-1989, r s  = .35, N = 35, p = .042, but a high initial level of publications did not guarantee rapid growth. For instance, Down syndrome started in 1985-1989 with 2121 publications, more than either ADHD or autism, but this had risen only to 3474 by 2005-2009. It is noteworthy also that Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, which had a remarkably high publication index, showed a slight decrease in number of publications over a 25 year period.

Table 4 shows data on NIH funding per condition by year, and the slope of the function. There are striking parallels with the data on publications. The Spearman correlation between the total N publications from Table 3 and the total funding from Table 4 is .883 (N = 34, p<.0001) and the correlation between the slope indicating increase in publications from 1985 to 2009, and the slope of increase in NIH funding from 2000 to 2010 is .522 (N = 34, p = .002). In a final analysis, the proportion of funding from different NIH institutes was computed for the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. These data are shown in Figure 2.

Abbreviations: NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health; NINDS: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; NIDCD: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication DIsorders; NICHD: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Discussion

Before discussing the results, it is important to note that the range of conditions investigated is not comprehensive, and the approach adopted here could be extended to include a wider range of disorders. For instance, psychiatric conditions such as antisocial behavior disorder and schizophrenia were not included here, though a case can be made for treating them as neurodevelopmental disorders [3]. Reliance on a textbook of behavior phenotypes as a source book also meant that many neurological disorders without clear genetic etiology, such as congenital hypothyroidism or spina bifida, were also excluded.

It is also important to note that estimates of all of the main variables in this analysis are imprecise. A frustrating feature of this study was that is was hard to be confident that search terms identified all relevant papers without including papers on other conditions. Subsets of identified papers were scrutinised to ensure that they reflected the intended content, but relevant articles would be missed if they did not include the search terms in the title. For some conditions, the concern was not of missing relevant papers but of using search terms that would yield false positives. Thus, the acronym SLI (used here for specific language impairment) is associated with 16 meanings in Wikipedia, as well as referring to genes in potatoes and worms. Attempts were made to restrict searches to exclude such usages, but it is nevertheless likely that the estimate for N publications is inflated by occasional errors. Another condition that was difficult to search was XXX trisomy, because XXX is used widely with a range of meanings. Conversely, the estimate for velocardiofacial syndrome will be slightly deflated because it was decided to exclude searches for papers with only the acronym VCF in the title, given that this acronym refers to a host of things other than velocardiofacial syndrome, and only a small minority of publications including it in the title were relevant. As noted above, identifying papers on intellectual disability was particularly problematic, and estimates of research on this topic are inflated because of the difficulty excluding articles on specific learning disabilities. It is noteworthy that nevertheless the amount of research on intellectual disability was below the level predicted from severity and prevalence (see Figure 1).

The second key variable in the analysis is prevalence. Estimates were taken from reputable published sources, but are bound to be imprecise for very rare disorders. Furthermore, for some disorders, especially those with multifactorial etiology, prevalence can vary substantially depending on the severity cutoff used. For instance, the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome disorder is estimated at 1 per 1000, but this condition is far less commonly identified in the UK than in North America, where a milder phenotype of 'fetal alcohol spectrum disorder' is recognised and estimated to be nine times as common [7].

A third key variable is severity, which was estimated according to the criteria from Table 2, averaging ratings across a range of experts. All raters agreed that this was difficult to do for those conditions with variable phenotype, such as tuberous sclerosis or autistic spectrum disorder. For a condition such as intellectual disability, severity will also depend on prevalence, with milder forms being more common than more severe. Because it was in general not possible to determine the severity of cases included in specific studies, average estimates were taken, but results for specific conditions need to take into account unreliability that is inevitable when using these fuzzy estimates. Furthermore, the severity scale was devised to assess how far the condition affected educational attainment and adult independence, but did not take into account physical symptoms that characterise some of the rarer conditions. Thus, the majority of females with Turner syndrome do not have significant intellectual impairment and live independent adult lives, and hence this condition is rated as mild. However, the syndrome involves cardiac problems and infertility, which are not trivial symptoms.

Despite these limitations, the analysis gave a striking replication of the findings on neurological conditions [1], namely that, when prevalence is taken into account, the number of publications on rare conditions is greatly in excess of that for common conditions. At the extremes of the distribution considered here, between 1985 and 2009 there were 428 publications on Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, which affects an estimated 57 children in the UK, compared with 340 publications on speech sound disorder, which affects over 1 million. However, these two extremes suggest a reason why this is so: more research is done on more severe conditions. Speech sound disorder can be marked and persistent, but it is usually a relatively mild condition that is often transient and may have little impact on a child's social or educational prospects, whereas Lesch-Nyhan syndrome has severe neurological and cognitive consequences, including self-mutilation as a striking symptom, and is associated with death from renal failure or hypotonia in childhood or young adulthood. Overall, it was possible to show that a high proportion of variance in number of publications could be accounted for in terms of severity.

Furthermore, the amount of research on a given condition will in part depend on the disciplines involved in investigating it. Given the large number of identified publications, it was not possible to classify the discipline of each one, but a rough index was obtained to estimate the proportion of publications that involved genetic investigations. Not surprisingly, these were more common for single-gene disorders, most of which were rare. The amount of genetic research on a disorder was also a significant independent predictor of publication index.

There were some intriguing exceptions where severity failed to predict research activity, which can be seen as outliers in Figure 1. Within the conditions with presumed multifactorial etiology, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder fell within the range of predicted research, with Tourette syndrome slightly above predicted levels. However, the publication indices for dyslexia, dyscalculia, developmental coordination disorder and speech sound disorder fell well below prediction. Dyslexia and SLI are comparable to ADHD in prevalence and severity, yet the number of publications for dyslexia was 4 times lower than for ADHD and that for SLI was 16 times lower than ADHD. It is also interesting to note that there were three times as many studies on developmental dyslexia as on SLI, and nearly ten times as many as on speech sound disorder, although these conditions are similar in terms of rated severity and prevalence. It is perhaps relevant that these latter two conditions posed particular problems when searching for publications, because of the variable terminology used to refer to cases, suggesting that diagnostic uncertainty might be a factor leading to low research rates. This is a field where there is considerable debate about how to diagnose and categorise cases, whether there are disorders that are distinct from normal variation, and where the same terminology that is used to refer to a disorder is also used to refer to symptoms in other disorders. Even though both disorders feature in the diagnostic classifications of ICD-10 [8] and DSM-IV [9], few researchers adopted definitions or nomenclature from the diagnostic manuals.

Another intriguing contrast is between Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome, both caused by sex chromosome aneuploidies, and both affecting fertility. Table 3 indicates that there were nearly two times as many publications on Turner syndrome as on Klinefelter syndrome, even though Klinefelter syndrome is more than three times as common. Here the discrepancy is likely to relate to the ease of identification of affected individuals. The prevalence rates for Klinefelter syndrome are derived from prenatal and/or newborn surveys, but because the phenotype is not striking, many affected individuals are not identified in childhood. In contrast, the physical phenotype is far more obvious in Turner syndrome. This kind of explanation could also account for the dearth of studies on XYY and XXX trisomies; the majority of affected individuals are not identified because the phenotype is mild [10].

Even after taking into account severity and rates of genetic research, prevalence still was a significant predictor, with higher rates of publication for the rarer disorders. In considering reasons for the higher publication ratios in rare vs. common diseases, Al-Shahi et al.[1] noted that if the publication ratio for stroke were equal to that of variant CreutzfeldtJakob disease, clinicians and researchers interested in stroke would have had to read about 10 000 papers per week! One can turn this logic on its head and argue that if rare disorders had a publication index comparable to that for common disorders, there would be too few papers to give a critical mass of evidence in the area. For instance, if we extrapolate from the publication index for SLI (0.13 papers per 100 affected children over the 25 year period), for rare conditions where the national number of affected cases runs into hundreds rather than thousands, there would be no effective research literature. For the even rarer 'orphan' conditions with only a handful of affected individuals, lack of research is recognised as a serious problem [11]. The current analysis indicates that research activity on these disorders would have to occur at a rate well in excess of that predicted by extrapolation from more common disorders, in order to have a critical mass of publications and build research capacity.

The data reported here also suggest a positive effect of critical mass, insofar as the rate of growth in research on a disorder was related to the number of publications recorded in the first time interval, 1985-1989. This is compatible with the idea that a field develops by skilled researchers training their students and postdocs, who are likely to then study the same condition. If each mentor trains several others, then growth will be exponential rather than linear. Nevertheless, there were two conditions - ADHD and autism spectrum disorder - where the growth in research was unexpectedly high. For autism, there are two factors that could be implicated: first, broadening of the diagnostic criteria has led to a dramatic increase in diagnosis [12], and second, research funding has been directed to this area, for instance, by the Combating Autism Act passed in 2006 by the United States Congress, which authorized nearly 1 billion dollars over five years to combat autism and related disorders. For the more classic forms of autism, both prevalence and severity are comparable to Down syndrome, yet funding for autism is six times greater, and the slope showing increase of NIH funding over time is dramatically higher than for any other condition. It seems likely that government initiatives play a large role in explaining the extraordinary rise of publications in autism, though there are in addition several private foundations that provide substantial funding for autism research.

The other condition showing a very high increase in publications over time is ADHD, again with an associated high level of NIH funding. ADHD is comparable in prevalence and severity to SLI and dyslexia, and the proportion of genetic research on ADHD is relatively low, yet it attracts 19 to 21 times as much funding as these two conditions. Figure 2 suggests an explanation in terms of the professional disciplines with primary responsibility for these conditions. ADHD, like autism, is funded through several NIH institutes, but primarily by NIMH, suggesting most researchers in this field are psychiatrists. Dyslexia is funded mainly through NICHD and is the domain of psychologists, whereas SLI is funded mainly through NIDCD and is investigated principally by speech-language pathologists. This analysis suggests that inequities between professional disciplines in access to research training and funding may do a disservice to children who are affected by common yet under-researched neurodevelopmental disorders.

In summary, it is misleading to focus only on prevalence when comparing research activity for different conditions, as this suggests a massive excess of research on rare disorders. If severity is taken into account, the excess reduces considerably, although it is still present. This may, however, have to do with critical mass of research: there have to be proportionately more publications per affected individual for rare than common disorders, to ensure there is a body of work to build on. Nevertheless, even among conditions of similar frequency and severity there are some intriguing discrepancies in levels of research activity. It is suggested that these may have to do with extent of involvement of genetic researchers, specific initiatives in research funding, and lack of research funding in some disciplines working with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Prisca Middlemiss and Courtenay Frazier Norbury for advice and comments on this paper, and to Andrew Whitehouse for reviewing the manuscript. Also, many thanks to those who assisted with ratings of severity: Gillian Baird, Charles Hulme, Paul Hutchins, Anne O'Hare, Daniel Pine, Emily Simonoff, David Skuse, Margaret Snowling, and Anita Thapar.

Author Contributions

Analyzed the data: DB. Wrote the paper: DB.

References

1. 4. Rutter M, Bishop D, Pine D, Scott S, Stevenson J, et al., editors. (2008) Rutter's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Oxford: Blackwell.

2. 5. Udwin O, Dennis J (1995) Psychological and behavioural phenotypes in genetically determined syndromes: a review of research findings. In: O'Brien G, Yule W, editors. Behavioural phenotypes. London: Mac Keith Press. pp. 90-208.

3. 6. Office for National Statistics (2008) Mid-2008 Estimates of Household Population for England and Wales (experimental). http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/.

4. 7. Harris J (2008) Brain disorders and their effect on psychopathology. In: Rutter M, Bishop D, Pine D, Scott S, Stevenson J, Taylor E, Thapar A, editors. Rutter's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Oxford: Blackwell. pp. 459-73.

5. 8. World Health Organization (1993) The ICD-10 classification for mental and behavioural disorders: Diagnostic criteria for research. Geneva: WHO.

6. 9. American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.

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Which Neurodevelopmental Disorders Get Researched and Why?

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Aim There are substantial differences in the amount of research concerned with different disorders. This paper considers why.

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Open Access Paper about Neurodivergence in Healthcare

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Open Access Paper about Neurodivergence in Healthcare

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Considerations for leadership

There are a multitude of considerations for leaders whose workforce includes neurodivergent individuals, which will increase with the rising number of neurodivergent staff and necessary inclusive practices. These challenges may include the recognised lack of general awareness of neurodivergence both by employers and fellow employees, which can be addressed by the provision of education and training. 3 15 There will be a requirement for leaders to be sensitive to, and facilitative of, accommodations necessary for their neurodivergent workforce. Furthermore, leaders will be required to advocate and set benchmarks for neuroinclusion by developing and sustaining policies and practices to ensure neurodivergent staff are supported and protected. 3 This will also include the need for leaders to ensure a commitment to the inclusion of neurodivergence within organisational EDI agendas. Such challenges will pose demands for leaders striving for compassionate and inclusive practice, who will need to enable positive cultural and environmental changes within healthcare organisations, to ensure neuroinclusion is supported and maintained within the workplace. This article will explore potential solutions for these leadership challenges.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

However, the research base highlights not only a potential lack of understanding about neurodivergence in general within the workforce, but a dearth of guidance on how to support or accommodate those who are neurodivergent. Indeed, it was reported in May 2022 that employment tribunals relating to neurodivergence were up by a third in just 1 year. 17 Furthermore, a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development details that only 1 in 10 organisations consider neurodivergence in their people management practices. 6 As such, given the relatively high prevalence of neurodivergence within the population, it appears some organisations may be failing to address the needs of their neurodivergent workforce.

Neurodivergence: disability or competitive advantage?

Neurodivergence can be considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means that organisations have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments within the workplace and an individual's role, to remove or minimise any potential disadvantage. This was demonstrated in the case of Sherbourne v N Power 18 where an occupational health team stated that although the claimant had not yet received a diagnosis of autism, it was likely that he would receive one, and thus be considered disabled under the Equality Act. The respondent was found to have indirectly discriminated against the claimant on the grounds of his disability, in addition to failing to make reasonable adjustments. 18 This highlights organisations' responsibilities to their employees, in addition to how discrimination can occur prior to diagnosis. However, JC v Gordonstoun Schools Ltd reminds us that the effects of neurodivergence must be considered on a case-by-case basis. 19 This appeal considered a student with attention deficit hyperactivty disorder (ADHD) who had been expelled from school, where the appellant argued that her daughter was disabled, and therefore, her expulsion amounted to unlawful discrimination. However, the tribunal found that her ADHD did not 'substantially and adversely affect her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities', thus was not considered a disability. 19

While neurodivergence could be perceived as a disability within some neurotypical workplace environments, like all disabilities there are still capabilities and strengths to be acknowledged. The relative strengths of some neurodivergent conditions compared with their perceived limitations are presented in figure 1. Appreciating neurodivergent individuals' abilities, challenges and broader ranges in functioning, will help not only to encourage self-determination but also enable supportive accommodations. 20

When considering such neurodivergent strengths, it is not surprising that these are now often viewed as a competitive advantage within the workplace. This approach is apparent in proactive talent management strategies in industries such as business, finance and technology and is increasingly recognised by large corporations such as Microsoft, Ford and Ernst & Young. 21 Targeted inclusion programmes and encouraging accommodations for differently abled employees, enables their unique talents and abilities to be used further in the workplace. This has the benefit of boosting productivity, innovation and quality improvement on a macro level, while improving the management abilities of the individual leaders of these organisations. 21

Intersectionality and neurodivergence

Intersectionality can be defined as the dynamic overlap and 'intersection' of multiple social characteristics such as gender, race, sexual orientation, class and disability, which collectively form an individual's overall identity, an identity which may be subject to unique forms of discrimination or privilege. 24 As such, intersectionality may play a crucial role in drawing attention to the distinct experiences of marginalised groups, with social factors influencing the identification, classification and assistance given to individuals who may be neurodivergent.

It has been demonstrated that intersectionality impacts on multiple facets of managing neurodivergence, such as standardised assessment methods potentially possessing intersectional bias, and the misattribution of particular traits to gender or social/cultural customs among certain ethnicities, rather than a developmental neurominority. 3 25 For example, the recognised practice of averting eye contact when communicating with individuals of authority within Afro-Caribbean cultures, can also be a behaviour exhibited in autism. Furthermore, data identify that the prevalence of LGBTQ+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, plus) is known to be higher in the neurodivergent community, where coexistence of minority characteristics can interplay to further compound negative impacts. 3 25 26

Indeed, intersectionality can potentiate disadvantage for certain neurodivergent communities, with individuals of non-white ethnic groups, for example, who may also be female, being at greater risk of being underdiagnosed and undersupported, when compared with their white, middle-class, male, cisgender counterparts, from whom socially constructed 'norms' have been derived. Thus, the importance of intersectionality is clear, with neurodivergent people of colour, women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ experiencing compound adverse effects regarding a range of outcomes. 3 As such, leaders should advocate for these cohorts to be represented when designing workplace accommodations, policy and programmes, to reduce the impact of additional structural inequalities related to the intersection of race, sexuality and gender, when providing support for those with neurodivergent needs. 3 25

Neurodivergence and social justice

Embedded in the concept of social justice is the philosophy that all individuals should have access to opportunities irrespective of difference or group membership, however, it also reminds us that some groups within our society continue to face injustices and barriers because of their differences. 27 Indeed, a central principal of social justice is the removal of such barriers (be they systemic, physical or attitudinal) so that all may experience their lives unencumbered by their differences or abilities. Within the workplace, these barriers are numerous for those who are neurodivergent and may limit employability, realisation of potential or full/active participation. 3 8 15

This concern for social justice within the workforce compels us to be vigilant and should raise critical questions for healthcare leaders. Organisations should provide supportive accommodations that meet the need of those who are neurodivergent, to overcome those unfair social norms and environments which may benefit the neurotypical and hinder the neuroatypical. Moreover, in purposefully enabling a neurodivergent workforce, comes with it the responsibility to understand and support these individuals within the workplace. 6 7 11

Previous research has highlighted that the academic literature is lacking in contextualised, evidence-based practical advice for employers and employees, 7 11 however, guidance from the business sector is more abundant. 6 As such, approaches to promote inclusion of neurodivergent individuals in our healthcare workforce regarding recruitment, retention and reasonable adjustments are discussed below.

Recruitment and retention

Inclusive recruitment processes must exist to provide opportunities for staff from a range of backgrounds. Many recruitment processes are orientated towards neurotypical minds, and therefore, may unintentionally exclude neurodivergent talent. This can include issues such as job descriptions/advertisements, unempathic interviewers or even the employer's onboarding process. 6

Employing organisations should include a positive declaration that they are open both to accepting candidates with different styles of thinking and to discuss reasonable workplace adjustments for those who are neurodivergent. 6 Candidate filtering tools that focus on removing unconscious bias should be considered and applicants should be offered opportunities throughout the hiring process to disclose they are neurodivergent, as this can facilitate positive discussion on potential adjustments, but there is no obligation for candidates to make such disclosures. 6 It is important to be cognisant that some employees may fear potential consequences of disclosure, such as disparate treatment in hiring, workplace interactions and career advancement, as well as concerns about being treated or viewed differently from others. 15 An appropriate response is critical should an applicant choose to make any such disclosure and this should, therefore, be incorporated into interviewer briefing and employer training. 6

Interviews can often be a test of social competence which may be challenging for those who are neurodivergent. An ill-informed or unempathic interviewer may make negative judgements on an applicant's suitability for a role, which further highlights the importance of training in neurodivergence awareness and inclusion. Alternative assessment methods to interviews could be used, but where conventional interviews still occur, interviewers should ask direct and specific questions and avoid placing unnecessary time pressures on applicants. Moreover, it is important to be considerate of unconventional body language and/or differing styles of social interaction, which may be the result of an individual's neurodivergence. 6

Reasonable adjustments and accommodations

Although the Equality Act 2010 stipulates that employers have a duty to make 'reasonable adjustments' to support people with disabilities in the workplace, it is deemed good practice to consider this for any employee. Many accommodations are inexpensive and can produce benefits including increased employee productivity, morale and retention. 29 McDowall et al 3 provide a clear framework for the explanation of both formal adjustments (an additional feature of employment) and informal accommodations (available to all), with categorisation into 'environmental', 'assistive technology' and 'coaching', as described below. However, it is interesting to note that their survey review of 990 UK employees identified that only 29.9% of those with neurodivergence reported having formal adjustments in place. 3 It is also important to acknowledge, however, that some employees may not feel comfortable to disclose their neurodivergence, while others may not be aware they have a specific neurotype. 15

Given the growing trend towards working from home, especially within the post-pandemic landscape, the specific support needs of those with neurodivergence working remotely are currently poorly evidenced and understood. 30 Indeed, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic must be acknowledged, with research detailing a multitude of psychological and environmental challenges for the neurodivergent community. 31 Many neurodivergent individuals may have benefited from working remotely, however evidence has identified significant challenges for some including video conferencing issues, problems working in the home environment and disruption to routine. 30 32 Furthermore, it must be acknowledged that those adjustments which may be successful onsite may not be successful for remote working, highlighting how accommodating neurodivergence within the workplace is a dynamic rather than static process. 32 Moreover, in time of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been suggested that the many policy responses may offer opportunities to advance social justice, by addressing persisting inequities and making workplaces more inclusive of neurodivergence. This includes offering communication alternatives, removing on-site workplace stressors, promoting online communications and a cultural shift towards more flexible individual working arrangements. 30 32 Indeed, post-pandemic working has highlighted how tailor-made support or accommodations should be implemented considering individual circumstances and characteristics, including the heterogeneity of neurominority conditions.

Assistive technology: This may include adjustments and tools such as: mind-mapping software, specialist spell-checkers, dual screen or reading stand, software to support organisation/time management, coloured overlays/material printed on coloured paper, font size change of reading materials and specialist training to use technological adjustments. 3 Other practical strategies can include software tools for staff who wish to undertake screening to identify workplace strengths and challenges. These allow individually tailored plans and adjustments to be formulated, providing support based on weaknesses, irrespective of diagnosis. Similarly, employers can implement software packages, such as speech-to-text or text-to-speech software, as inclusion tools to help those who may have difficulty with text and reading. This assistive digital technology can instantly support neurodivergent employees and can also be useful for those with low literacy skills or English as a second language. A recent workforce survey highlighted that 43% of employees with disabilities do not feel comfortable asking for workplace adjustments, 33 however, strategies such as these (which can be made available to all staff), will not only support the entire workforce, but also remove the need for anyone to identify as neurodivergent if they do not feel able or willing to do so.

Coaching: Neurodivergent employees may find it useful to have additional support from Human Resources, specialist coaches and other vocational support assistance, as well as family and external mentors. Adjustments may include specialist work strategy coaching for: memory issues, organisational issues, time management issues, literacy, numeracy, communication and well-being. 3 Employee resource groups and support networks can advocate the reality and benefits of neurodivergence within the workplace. It is good practice to have information on such groups clearly signposted, including information at the onboarding process, on the staff intranet and on the job vacancies section of the organisation's webpage. 6

Other supportive mechanisms: While evidence is scarce in the academic literature related to inclusive approaches to neurodivergence within the healthcare workplace, there are examples of individual hospital trusts or organisations employing innovative supportive approaches. These include schemes such as a 'Neurodivergence Staff Network Group' and 'Differently-Abled Buddy System'. Staff network groups bring together those who have experience of, or an interest in neurodivergence, to discuss experiences, plan future activities/events and develop policy and strategy to better meet the needs of the neurodivergent workforce. The 'differently-abled scheme' allows new neurodivergent staff to buddy-up with an established member of staff who is also differently-abled. These are strategies which can be enabled within any workplace and are used to build and maintain confidence for neurodivergent staff and facilitate supportive allies and systems for inclusion. Furthermore, they encourage openness about neurodivergence, enabling individuals to feel more supported in discussing individual needs and seeking appropriate adjustments.

It must be noted, however, that reasonable adjustments are not the only solution for enabling positive recruitment and retention. The management of neurodivergent staff within the workplace not only requires accommodations, but also necessitates enabling a psychologically safe environment, line management resourcing and ensuring long-term career satisfaction. 3

Patient consent for publication

Not applicable.

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Neurodivergence and the healthcare workforce: a hidden facet within equality, diversity and inclusion?

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Current pressures within healthcare systems, alongside persistent global workforce shortages, have led to an increased focus on effective recruitment and retention of healthcare staff. Workforce strategies clearly identify the relationship between organisational culture and recruitment/retention, highlighting the need to develop compassionate, fair and inclusive working environments where all staff can thrive, regardless of their individual differences.

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Autism affects the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. It is considered a spectrum condition. While autistic people share some similar characteristics, they are also all different from each other. The autism spectrum isn't linear from high to low but varies, just as one person might vary from another.

Some autistic people are able to live relatively independent lives but others may face additional challenges. Some autistic people have learning disabilities, which means their support needs are different.

Watch young people explain what it's really like being autistic and how you can support autistic people.

How does autism affect people?

Autism is a hidden or invisible disability. You can't see if someone is autistic just by looking at them and some people might not have been diagnosed when you meet them. There are some behaviours and ways of communication that an autistic person may use but these aren't universal as every autistic person is different.

The characteristics of autism vary from one person to another, but there are four main areas of difference.

Social interaction

Autistic people may find socialising and social interactions difficult. There are lots of unwritten rules that we use when talking to someone else, and these rules aren't always the same. Autistic people can find these rules difficult to remember or confusing because they aren't always applied in the same way. This means autistic people often find it difficult to understand other people's intentions and express their own feelings.

Social interactions can often be tiring for autistic people and difficulties 'reading' other people can lead to loneliness and isolation. Autistic people don't lack the skills to interact with other people, they simply need more information and support to socialise with others.

Social imagination

Autistic people can find it harder to understand abstract concepts. For example, they can struggle to understand another person's point of view - or if they know it in theory, they may still struggle to imagine what it might be.

Differences in social imagination can make it harder for autistic people to cope with new, unfamiliar or unexpected situations. As a result many autistic people like to know what is going to happen in advance and have set routines for the activities they do. They can also have routines and repetition around things they like such as clothes, food, hobbies and conversations.

Many autistic people also have intense and highly focused interests from an early age. These interests and hobbies often provide them with lots of enjoyment and can be a huge source of joy.

Social communication

When you talk to another person, you listen to what they are saying, look at the actions they make with their face and body and think of what to say in response. Autistic people find it a lot harder to interpret both spoken language and body language, which can make communication more difficult. There are so many aspects of communication to take in at once, it can sometimes be too much for an autistic person to process all of this information and also respond.

Some autistic people have little or no speech or delayed language development - or they communicate in a different way - using pictures, sounds or gestures for example. This doesn't mean that they don't understand what is being said, often an autistic person can take in more information than they give out, this creates a disparity in what someone understands and what they communicate.

Autistic people can take instructions very literally and struggle to understand things like sarcasm or irony.

Sensory differences

Autistic people process sensory information differently and this can impact how they interact with the environment and their ability to interact with other people.

An autistic person can be 'under' or 'over' sensitive in any of the senses - including sight, hearing and balance. This means sounds, lights, touch and smells can be painful or very uncomfortable.

To reduce discomfort, some autistic people may wear sunglasses indoors or wear ear defenders - or prefer not to be touched or only eat specific foods.

Further information and support

The Ambitious about Autism Youth Council Members describe what it's like to be autistic in their own words.

Read our top tips for communicating effectively with autistic people.
The National Autistic Society Contact, the charity for families with disabled children The Council for Disabled Children

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Autism affects the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. It is considered a spectrum condition. While autistic people share some similar characteristics, they are also all different from each other. The autism spectrum isn't linear from high to low but varies, just as one person might vary from another.

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LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity: the links between neurodivergence and being LGBTQ+

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Higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+ - this article explores the links between neurodiversity and being LGBTQ+.

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A Deeper Look into Intersectionality and Neurodiversity - Uptimize

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Neurodiversity is not limited to individuals of a specific gender, color, or ethnicity, instead, it is commonly intersectional in nature.

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Enhancing Cultural Capability and Workplace Wellbeing

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Autistica is a charity which funds and campaigns for research to understand the causes of autism, improve diagnosis, and develop evidence-based interventions.

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Welcome to DLD and Me! Spreading the word about Developmental Language Disorder Latest Articles What is Developmental Language Disorder? DLD is a brain difference that makes talking and listening difficult. DLD affects about 2

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Information on the Neurodiversity Employment Index

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Information on the Neurodiversity Employment Index

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To make change, we need to be able to measure what we are trying to change. That's why we are creating the NDEI® (Neurodiversity Employers Index). The NDEI® is the only gold-standard evidence-based neuroinclusion tool that captures every stage of the employment journey, and both diversity & inclusion.

Other diversity and inclusion measures like this already exist for gender and ethnicity, but, until now, nothing exists for neurodiversity.

Our Index provides organisations with a clear roadmap for change.

The process

We are using robust scientific methodology to develop and test the Index. It is being co-developed with neurodivergent people and employers to ensure it addresses their needs and is practical and useful for organisations. The content is based on previous research with both groups.

April 2023: Pilot testing with neurodivergent and neurotypical people and organisations

September 2023: Validating the NDEI®

February 2024: Public launch of the NDEI®

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The Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index | Autistica

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Creating a neurodiversity inclusion index for employers to support neurodiverse teams

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We represent a group of over 700 autistic medical doctors with a shared vision. We believe that autistic doctors bring a variety of strengths to healthcare, including an array of benefits for autistic patients.

Our History

Our History

Our History

We first began as a peer support group with seven members back in April 2019. Our ethos remains true to these routes, and we continue to provide free peer support and a safe space for our members.

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Do you identify as autistic and have a medical degree?

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A network for UK-based Neurodivergent Speech and Language Therapy Professionals.

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I can EMBRACE who I am;
or I can REJECT who I am

I can see myself having SUPER POWERS;
or I can see myself having SYMPTOMS

I can TAME my Kryptonites;
or I can DROWN in my challenges

I can CHERISH my uniqueness;
or DISOWN my peculiarities

I can UTILIZE my cognitive abilities;
or let my sensitivities OVERPOWER me

I can see what is GREAT about who I am;
or I can LOATHE who I am

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Embrace Autism | The ultimate autism resource

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Embrace Autism is THE place to find research & experience-based autism content for personal elucidation & empowerment. By autistic people, for autistic people.

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Monotropism is a theory of autism developed by autistic people, initially by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson. Monotropic minds tend to have their attention pulled more strongly towards a smaller number of interests at any given time, leaving fewer resources for other processes.

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ADHDadultUK | The UK's leading adult ADHD charity - Evidence-based information about adult ADHD

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ADHDadultUK - The UK's adult ADHD charity

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A registered charity set up to support adults with ADHD in the UK, through resources, The ADHD Adults podcast and links to evidence.

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Mutual Aid and Human-Centered Learning for Neurodivergent and Disabled People

Real Help Against the Onslaught

We exist for the direct support and mutual aid of neurodivergent and disabled people.
We, Stimpunks

🧭 Our Mission: Real Help Against the Onslaught

What does that mean?

Easy Read Version of Our Mission Statements

Stimpunks is a community created by and for neurodivergent and disabled people.

We offer support and assistance to each other.

We provide grants to creators within our community.

We offer opportunities for learning and growth.

We conduct research that focuses on the needs and experiences of neurodivergent and disabled people.

We pay fair wages to members of our community.

We believe in the abilities and potential of all individuals.

We believe in the right to make decisions for oneself.

Being disabled in a society that favors able-bodied individuals is challenging.

We provide real help to combat these challenges.

We believe that providing direct support to individuals is the best way to help neurodivergent and disabled people overcome barriers and thrive.

AI Disclosure: The summary above was created with the help of Elephas AI Assistant.

The above is an "accordion". It expands when you click or tap it. Try it out now to read our mission statements in an easy read format with one idea presented per line.

What is "mutual aid"?

Mutual aid is a form of political participation where people care for each other and work to change political conditions.

It involves building relationships, networks of reciprocity, and autonomy from the state.

Mutual aid can include things like ride sharing, disaster response, and food distribution.

It is not charity, but rather an active cultivation of liberatory skills, practices, and solidarity.

Mutual aid projects meet survival needs and build shared understanding.

They mobilize people, expand solidarity, and build movements.

Mutual aid projects are participatory and solve problems through collective action.

Autistic communities are embracing ideas of mutual aid and collective care.

Mutual aid groups aim to fill gaps in services left by the government.

Disabled love and care is different from non-disabled interactions.

Mutual aid is based on a sense of human solidarity and the recognition of the force borrowed from practicing mutual aid.

Kropotkin's ideas on mutual aid are relevant and being rediscovered by new generations of social movements.

Mutual aid should be a foundational concept in social revolutionary projects.

Mutual aid is collective coordination to meet each other's needs, usually from an awareness that the systems we have in place are not going to meet them. Those systems, in fact, have often created the crisis, or are making things worse.

We see examples of mutual aid in every single social movement, whether it's people raising money for workers on strike, setting up a ridesharing system during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, putting drinking water in the desert for migrants crossing the border, training each other in emergency medicine because ambulance response time in poor neighborhoods is too slow, raising money to pay for abortions for those who can't afford them, or coordinating letter-writing to prisoners. These are mutual aid projects. They directly meet people's survival needs, and are based on a shared understanding that the conditions in which we are made to live are unjust.

Three Key Elements of Mutual Aid

1. Mutual aid projects work to meet survival needs and build shared understanding about why people do not have what they need.

2. Mutual aid projects mobilize people, expand solidarity, and build movements.

3. Mutual aid projects are participatory, solving problems through collective action rather than waiting for saviors.

Mutual Aid (Oct 27, 2020 edition) | Open Library

What is mutual aid?

"Solidarity, not charity."

Interdependence, understanding and support

Gives opportunity to help & care for other in on our own terms and within our own capacities

Direct support in a community within a community

It's much easier to practice asking, offering, receiving, and declining among people who "get it"!

Collective Community Care: Dreaming of Futures in Autistic Mutual Aid

Increasingly, autistic communities have been exposed to ideas of disability justice, interdependence, access intimacy, collective/community care, and mutual aid. Care collectives, spoon shares, and other community care groups by and for disabled people, racialized people, LGBTQ2IA+ people (and people at this intersection) are growing in number. Is there a future for autistic spaces to also act as spaces of intentional mutual aid?

Moving from a rights-based perspective to a justice-based one necessitates a look at our care systems and re-envisioning how our communities function to ensure no one is left behind.
Collective Community Care: Dreaming of Futures in Autistic Mutual Aid, Autscape: 2020 Presentations

Non-disabled people in my life don't know how to love me like disabled people do. I'm so thankful for all my disabled friends who know how to provide care, rest, support and love. Disabled love is critically different from my other interactions with the world. 1/4

I really wish non-disabled people could learn to love in the same caring modalities. Love looks like remembering my food intolerances. Love looks like saying "that sucks" when I complain. Love looks like calling to check in and telling me stories. 2/4

Love looks like someone bustling around at home doing everyday things that wanted to call just to be with me across time and space. Love looks like not trying to fix everything and just allowing bad days to be bad. Love looks accepting my need to isolate as much as possible. 3/4

Love looks like spaces for shared grief. Love looks like celebrating our mere existence and survival in a world so set on eradicating us. Love is everywhere in disabled communities. 4/4
Originally tweeted by Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD (@Nicole_Lee_Sch) on April 15, 2022.

What is "human-centered learning"?

Stimpunks Learning Space offers community and space for passion-based, human-centered learning with purpose. Our learners collaborate on distributed, multi-age, cross-disciplinary teams with a neurodiverse array of creatives doing work that impacts community. Via equity, access, empathy, and inclusivity, we create anti-ableist space compatible with neurodiversity, the social model of disability, and all types of bodyminds. We create space for the neurodivergent and disabled people most ill-served by " empty pedagogy, behaviorism, and the rejection of equity ".

Stimpunks was forged in the quest for survival and educational inclusion. We had to roll our own education, because even the "all means all" of public education failed to include us. We've learned a lot along the way and present to you Stimpunks Space as the synthesis of our forced interdisciplinary learning. That learning connected us with neurodiversity communities, disability communities, educators, doctors, nurses, autism researchers, sociologists, tech workers, care workers, social workers, and a long list of others. We wove together the aspects of these disciplines that were compatible with our community of neurodivergent and disabled people into a human-centered pedagogy and philosophy. We left out the stuff incompatible with and harmful to us, such as all forms of behaviorism. We built a learning space that works for us using a zero-based design approach.

A human-centered education:

Build human-centered classrooms around four values:

Learning is rooted in purpose-finding and community relevance.

Social justice is the cornerstone to educational success.

Dehumanizing practices do not belong in schools.

Learners are respectful toward each others innate human worth.

What is the Human Restoration Project?

Cultivate purpose-driven classrooms by promoting experiential learning & community connection.

Research supports what teachers intuitively understand: that students ask fewer questions the longer they remain in school and engagement steadily declines over time.

"Promoting curiosity in children, especially those from environments of economic disadvantage, may be an important, underrecognized way to address the achievement gap. Promoting curiosity is a foundation for early learning that we should be emphasizing more when we look at academic achievement."

At the same time, rates of depression and anxiety have steadily increased to become among the most diagnosed mental health disorders in children. Kids who feel isolated from school and their community frequently drop out turn to self-harm and self-medication through alcohol and drugs.

Purpose-finding, on the other hand, has been linked to prosocial outcomes and healthier lifestyles, and is inherently tied to positive identity and self-worth. By directly participating in building a better society and reflecting on the experience, students gain valuable insight into their identity in relation to the world around them.
A Human-Centered Education: Cultivates Purpose-Driven Classrooms - YouTube

What is "human-centered research"?

It turns out that there is an emerging research framework-activist research-that is inclusive of multiple disciplines including educational research (Cushman, 1999; DeMeulenaere & Cann, 2013; Fine & Vanderslice, 1992; Knight, 2000; Malone, 2006; Nygreen, 2006), anthropology (Hale, 2006; Speed, 2006; Urla, & Helepololei, 2014) social movements and other social science research fields (Chatterton, Fuller, & Routledge, 2007; Choudry, 2014). A review of the theoretical frameworks, methodologies, findings, ethical issues, and challenges has allowed me to identify three characteristics that delineate activist researcher from other types of research: (1) combination of knowledge production and transformative action; (2) systematic multi-level collaboration; and (3) challenges to power.

The most salient characteristic of activist research is the belief that it must go farther than knowledge production; it must create transformative action. Knowledge production is the epitome of all research, even for studies that seek to expose inequities and call out oppressive systems and structures, but activist research goes further by committing to bringing about change with and for the participants (DeMulenaere & Cann, 2013; Hale, 2001, Fine & Vanderslice, 1992; Nygreen, 2006). Who is changed and how they are changed is a key aspect of activist research. DeMulenaere and Cann note that critical research is not necessarily activist research if it fails to include social transformative change, "at the spaces and sites of research..." (p. 557, 2013). They stress that if the only change that takes place is through reading of the published findings, then the study would not be considered activist research.

Hale contends that researchers who engage in cultural critique are committed to the research institution while activist researchers have dual commitments to the people and their political struggle and the academy (2006, p. 100). And it is this dual commitment that transforms the methodology beginning with the research topic and ending with the production of knowledge that is not only useful but transformative (Hale, 2001). Thus, activist research is an emerging research framework that shifts the focus from traditional knowledge production to commitment to working with others to produce transformative change. Traditional research methods such as ethnography, action research, and feminist research are situated within an activist research framework, leaving the means intact, but striving to change the ends.
From Theorizing in the Ivory Tower to Creating Change with the People: Activist Research as a Framework for Collaborative Action

We believe that participatory research should always be the baseline of any autism research project, whoever it is led by. We agree that it is important to value the voice of the 'other' as a primary source of knowledge production rather than a secondary source within the context of power structures around epistemology.
Doing it differently: emancipatory autism studies within a neurodiverse academic space

For research to be considered emancipatory, it is not sufficient that the research process and production are emancipatory, but dissemination of the research findings should also fulfil this function. Considering the dissemination of research findings, and that the findings themselves are produced in an 'accessible' format, should be a concern of any researcher who is doing emancipatory research.
Doing it differently: emancipatory autism studies within a neurodiverse academic space

Concerns have also been raised about the quality and rigour of autism research. For example, researchers have highlighted key omissions in the reporting of research, such as failures to declare conflicts of interest (Bottema-Beutel & Crowley, 2021) or the presence of adverse events (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021). Concerns have also extended to the low standards underlying evidence-based practice (Bottema-Beutel, 2023) as well as replication failures (Gernsbacher & Yergeau, 2019). As Dawson and Fletcher-Watson (2021, p.1) note, the standards of research quality and ethics have not been applied to autism research to the extent that they should, which has "profoundly impacted how autistics are regarded and treated".

Two potential solutions have been proposed in relation to these aforementioned issues. The first solution regards greater involvement of the autistic and broader autism communities in research: in identifying research priorities, in deciding the design and conduct of research, in analysing and interpreting research findings, and in disseminating research more broadly (e.g., Pellicano et al., 2014). In essence, this solution involves shifting the traditional power balance in research from autism researchers to the autistic and broader autism communities. Participatory approaches such as these are thought to lead to better quality research that is more easily translated into practice (Balazs & Morello-Frosch, 2013; Forsythe et al., 2019).

The second solution regards greater openness and transparency in the reporting of research (Hobson, Poole, Pearson & Fletcher-Watson, 2022). Open research is an umbrella term for several practices, underpinned by a desire for the products and processes of research to be accessible to those outside of the original research team (Munafo et al., 2017). Open scientific practices are closely aligned with efforts to improve research reproducibility, and reduce the risk of grey research practices, such as hypothesising after results are known (HARKing; Kerr, 1998), and over-analysing data (" p-hacking"; Simmons et al., 2011).

In this paper, we discuss how combining participatory and open research practices may go some way toward addressing key issues inherent within autism research. First, we define both open research and participatory research. Then, we outline three key principles for autism researchers striving to make their work more open and participatory: (1) the need for adequate expertise and infrastructure to facilitate high quality research, (2) the need for a greater degree of accessibility at all stages of the research process, and (3) the need to foster trusting relationships between the autistic and research communities. Throughout this paper, we draw on examples from literature both within and outside the autism research field, and we conclude with reflections on how this may foster an autism research culture that better serves the autistic and broader autism communities.
PsyArXiv Preprints | Towards Reproducible and Respectful Autism Research: Combining Open and Participatory Autism Research Practices

Accordions labelled "What is..." provide definitions, context, and further reading.

"The Sphere of Humanity" is a symbol of our community of neurodivergent and disabled people. It speaks both to our alienation due to our differences and to the fundamental and beautiful interdependence of all earthlings.

It is time to celebrate our interdependence!

🔦 Welcome to this house. We find our people.

This website is an encyclopedia of disability and difference.

Learn about yourself.

Learn about your family.

Learn about your friends, co-workers, patients, and students.

We offer validation for thirsty souls yearning to be seen, heard, and understood.

We offer words on your behalf, ones which call out to include you.

We offer community and belonging.
We, Stimpunks

Often you don't realize how lonely and frightened you've been the whole time, until you find your people.

I believe all persons with Autism need the opportunity to become friends with other Autistic people. Without this contact we feel alien to this world. We feel lonely. Feeling like an alien is a slow death. It's sadness, self-hate, it's continuously striving to be someone we're not. It's waking up each day and functioning in falsehood (French, 1993).
Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking

Until one day... you find a whole world of people who understand.
The internet has allowed autistic people- who might be shut in their homes, unable to speak aloud, or unable to travel independently- to mingle with each other, share experiences, and talk about our lives to people who feel the same way.
We were no longer alone. 7 Cool Aspects of Autistic Culture " NeuroClastic

AutisticSciencePerson

In Te Reo Māori the word for Autistic ways of being is Takiwātanga, which means "in their own space and time". Most Autists are not born into healthy Autistic families. We have to co-create our Autistic families in our own space and time.
A communal definition of Autistic ways of being

Until one day... you find a whole world of people who understand.
The internet has allowed autistic people- who might be shut in their homes, unable to speak aloud, or unable to travel independently- to mingle with each other, share experiences, and talk about our lives to people who feel the same way.
We were no longer alone. 7 Cool Aspects of Autistic Culture " NeuroClastic

How can we cultivate spaces where everyone has that soaring sense of inclusion, where we can have difficult and meaningful conversations?
Because everyone deserves the shelter and embrace of crip space, to find their people and set down roots in a place they can call home.
"The Beauty of Spaces Created for and by Disabled People" by s.e. smith in "Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century"

Omega hai foleet

We use accordions to expand on a topic without interrupting the main flow. Click/tap this accordion to learn about the importance of finding community.

👏🧷⏰ Stimpunks in a Minute

Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front.
PUNK SUBCULTURE - WIKIPEDIA

Stimpunks Foundation challenges the typical approach to helping people who are neurodivergent or disabled.
We know what it is like to live with barriers and what it means to not fit in and have to forge our own community.
Stimpunks knows that neurodivergent and disabled people have human needs, not special needs.

We offer a humane approach to help our community thrive.

One in four U.S. adults have a disability. However, our community receives only 2% of US grant funding, and only 19% of us are employed. We can't just let that be the truth. We have to challenge the norm and change the narrative around people who are neurodivergent or disabled.

Stimpunks Foundation seeks to do just that with our four pillars.

📓🧐 Our Pillars ⛑️🧰

The place where we belong does not exist.

We will build it.

James Baldwin via Gayatri Sethi in Unbelonging

Staying alive is a lot of work for a disabled person in an ableist society. We provide real help against the onslaught through mutual aid. We believe that direct support to individuals is the most effective approach to alleviating the barriers and challenges that prevent neurodivergent and disabled people from thriving.

We pay creators to create. We buy space to breathe and make. Creativity is a vital force that drives positive change in society. We provide financial support to creators across various fields, including art, advocacy, research, and beyond. We aim to enable creators to fully immerse themselves in their work. We recognize the importance of investing in the creative process and the impact it can have on communities and individuals.

Learn More About Our Pillars

Stimpunks Foundation sponsors and employs neurodivergent and disabled creators and amplifies their work to our clients and throughout society. We exist for the direct support and mutual aid of neurodivergent and disabled people.

We complement mutual aid to creators with learning spaces for creators. Stimpunks Foundation serves neurodivergent and disabled people unserved by public and private schools. Via equity, access, empathy, and inclusivity, we build community learning space respectful of all types of bodyminds.

We pursue passion-based, human-centered learning compatible with neurodiversity and the social model of disability. We create paths to equity and access for our learners. We create Cavendish space of peer respite and collaborative niche construction where we can find relief from an intense world designed against us.

Our research initiative focuses on the sweet spot of digital sociology, neurodiversity studies, disability studies, and syncretism, in the open. We want to improve the scientific experience for the disabled and the neurodivergent by restoring the humanities. We want to bring voice into empirical constructs and translate voice into academic comprehension.

We also help businesses and organizations increase their knowledge and practice of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by analyzing company practices and coaching leaders to dismantle ableism in their spaces. According to the Harvard Business Review, "There are more than one billion people worldwide - around 15% of the population - living with a disability. As workers, they can ease talent shortages and add to the organizational diversity that drives better decision-making and innovation." Neurodiversity-friendly forms of collaboration hold the potential to transform pathologically competitive and toxic teams and cultures into highly collaborative teams and larger cultural units that work together easier and with more success.

Our additional services include digital and physical accessibility audits, sensitivity reads, and other offerings that focus on increasing DEI in the workplace. Client services are how we live our mission to employ neurodivergent and disabled people as well as how we raise capital for grantmaking.

❤️ Keep on Livin'

Our pillars are how we serve our loved people so we can keep on living through the onslaught.

We provide real help against the onslaught.

I would like to honour all the autistic people who survive the care system somehow.

All those who survive extreme 'therapy'.

All those who are brought to their knees, reading hellish descriptions of their loved people.

And all who did not survive this onslaught.
Ann Memmott

We serve our loved people so we can keep on living through the onslaught.

Look up to the sky, sky, sky
Take back your own tonight You'll find more than you see It's time now, now,get ready

This is your time, this is your life and This is your time, this is your life and This is your time, this is your life and This is your time, this is your life and

You gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
Gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
You gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
Gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
You gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
Gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)
You gotta keep on (Keep on livin!) Gotta keep on (Keep on livin!)Keep On Livin' by Le Tigre

We use music all over our website to help us tell our stories. "Keep On Livin'" is a song by and for trauma survivors. It's the theme song for our mission.

🔔 Our "Moment of Obligation"

Stimpunks was created to forge the way for educational inclusion and to give our community the means to thrive. We as a disabled and neurodivergent run organization had to roll our own education, because even the "all means all" of public education failed to include us and those we serve. We had to create our own care systems, because " we realized that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us." "Responsibility for the survival of entire communities lies with us."

In other words...

One Idea Per Line

Stimpunks was created to advocate for educational inclusion and empower our community.

As a disabled and neurodivergent organization, we had to create our own education because public and private education did not include us.

We had to establish our own care systems because we recognized that the only ones who consistently work for our liberation are ourselves.

We believe that responsibility for the survival of entire communities lies with us.

One Paragraph Summary
Stimpunks is a disabled and neurodivergent-run organization that was created to address the lack of educational inclusion and support for their community. They have developed their own educational programs and care systems to ensure that the needs of disabled and neurodivergent individuals are met. Inspired by the Combahee River Collective, Stimpunks emphasizes the importance of self-care and self-determination, recognizing that the responsibility for the well-being and liberation of their community lies with the community itself. Their goal is to empower their community to thrive and advocate for their rights and inclusion in society.
Five Paragraph Summary
Stimpunks is an organization that was created with the aim of promoting educational inclusion and providing support for the disabled and neurodivergent community. The founders of Stimpunks, who are themselves disabled and neurodivergent, recognized the lack of inclusivity in public and private education systems and decided to take matters into their own hands.

One of the ways Stimpunks addresses this issue is by offering their own educational programs. They have developed courses that cater to the specific needs and learning styles of disabled and neurodivergent individuals. By creating their own education, Stimpunks ensures that the content is accessible and relevant to their community.

In addition to education, Stimpunks also focuses on creating care systems that meet the needs of their community. They understand that the responsibility for the well-being and liberation of the disabled and neurodivergent community lies with the community itself. They have taken inspiration from the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist organization, which emphasized the importance of self-care and self-determination.

Stimpunks recognizes that traditional systems often fail to adequately support marginalized communities, and they have taken it upon themselves to fill this gap. By creating their own education and care systems, they are empowering their community to thrive and take control of their own destinies.

Stimpunks' approach is not limited to education and care alone. They also advocate for the rights and inclusion of disabled and neurodivergent individuals in society at large. Through their work, Stimpunks aims to challenge the existing systems and create a more inclusive and equitable world for all.

AI Disclosure: The summaries above were created with the help of Elephas AI Assistant.

Accordions labelled "In other words..." explain things in different ways, including easy read, one idea per line, and plain language summaries.

Elevate care as infrastructure.

We need a counterculture of care.

The philosophers Joan Tronto and Berenice Fisher lay out five key elements of care...virtues to be developed if you wanted to APPLY an ethics of care to things in your life. Think of this as a sort of HOW TO manual for moral maturity UNDER an ethics of care. These virtues IN ORDER are:

Attentiveness

Responsibility

Competence

Responsiveness

Plurality

Episode #168 - Introduction to an Ethics of Care â€" Philosophize This!
Episode #168 -Transcript â€" Philosophize This!

The activities that constitute care are crucial for human life. We defined care in this way: Care is "a species activity that includes everything that we do to maintain, continue, and repair our "world' so that we can live in it as well as possible. That world includes our bodies, our selves, and our environment, all of which we seek to interweave in a complex, life-sustaining web" (Fisher and Tronto, 1990, p. 40).

Several aspects of this definition of care are noteworthy: First, we describe care as a "species activity," a philosophical term we use because it suggests that how people care for one another is one of the features that make people human. Second, we describe care as an action, as a practice, not as a set of principles or rules. Third, our notion of care contains a standard, but a flexible one: We care so that we can live in the world as well as possible. The understanding of what will be good care depends upon the way of life, the set of values and conditions, of the people engaged in the caring practice.

Furthermore, caring is a process that can occur in a variety of institutions and settings.

Care is found in the household, in services and goods sold in the market, in the workings of bureaucratic organizations in contemporary life. Care is not restricted to the traditional realm of mother's work, to welfare agencies, or to hired domestic servants but is found in all of these realms. Indeed, concerns about care permeate our daily lives, the institutions in the modern marketplace, the corridors of government. Because we tend to follow the traditional division of the world into public and private spheres and to think of caring as an aspect of private life, care is usually associated with activities of the household. As a result, caring is greatly undervalued in our culture- in the assumption that caring is somehow "women's work," in perceptions of caring occupations, in the wages and salaries paid to workers engaged in provision of care, in the assumption that care is menial. One of the central tasks for people interested in care is to change the overall public value associated with care. When our public values and priorities reflect the role that care actually plays in our lives, our world will be organized quite differently.
An Ethic of Care on JSTOR

Let's organize our lives around love and care Let's write each other letters and call it prayer Let's congregate in the place that isn't anywhere At the temple of broken dreams

"Bread and roses" are what the humans involved in care-the patient and the clinician-want from healthcare.

Over this summer both of us read Rebecca Solnit's latest book, Orwell's Roses,1 which she was inspired to write when she discovered that George Orwell had not only written the bleakest and most powerful portrayals of the totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century,2 but had also planted rose bushes, costing him sixpence each from Woolworths. This apparent contradiction between the bleak worldview and the hopeful act of gardening, reminded Solnit of the political slogan "Bread and Roses" which seems to have emerged in the US around 1910 and was used by women campaigning for votes for women and for workers' rights. Describing the power of the slogan, Solnit wrote:
"Bread fed the body, roses fed something subtler: not just hearts, but imaginations, psyches, senses, identities. It was a pretty slogan but a fierce argument that more than survival and bodily well-being were needed and were being demanded as a right. It was equally an argument against the idea that everything that human beings need can be reduced to quantifiable, tangible goods and conditions. Roses in these declarations stood for the way that human beings are complex, desires are irreducible, that what sustains us is often subtle and elusive."
"Bread and roses" are what the humans involved in care-the patient and the clinician-want from healthcare. Bread is sustenance and therefore life; roses are courage and hope, curiosity and joy, and all that makes a life worth living. Bread is biology; roses are biography. Bread is transactional and technocratic; roses are relational. Bread is science; roses are care, kindness and love.

"Bread and roses" can also describe how healthcare can support care. With apologies to those who bake their own loaves, the parallel here is with the industrial production of bread, so that bread represents the bureaucratic processes that make healthcare efficient and safe, preventing waste and error through standardisation, regulation, and training. Baking bread is like the technologies and innovations that make unhurried conversations and continuity of care possible and feasible, that reduce diagnostic errors, and detect and correct harms early and reliably. Attending to the bread makes sure healthcare retains the potential to attend to the object of care, to the bodies and minds, the fears and feelings of individual patients, and to create the conditions for careful and kind care to emerge.

Roses represent what makes life worth living, all that is good in human relationships, and the stories we use to make sense of our desperate situations and of what is possible with treatment. Roses are what gives us comfort in the face of failure, pain, decay, and death, that is, in the face of living. Attending to roses brings the subject of care into sharp relief so that the scars of injustice, racism, inequity, and violence can be made visible alongside the scars of disease. Roses, like careful and kind care,3 speak of hope-our work of planting and creating conditions of light, soil, and water makes it possible that a flower will appear in the future. Just like roses, care cannot be summoned or coaxed, but must emerge from the right conditions.
Responding to the crisis of care | The BMJ

How to respond to this crisis of care?

Here, Orwell himself holds the clue. The discovery that Orwell had planted those roses led Solnit to reassess his novel 1984. Within all the greyness and cruelty and oppression, there is this great truth:

"What mattered were individual relationships, and that a completely helpless gesture, an embrace, a tear, a word spoken to a dying man, could have value in itself." 2

All the joy, all the roses of health, even in these dire times, exist within relationships, between patients and professionals, and between healthcare colleagues; and in the sure knowledge that all these helpless gestures have value in themselves.

It turns out that the subversive, almost revolutionary thing to do within contemporary healthcare is to build, quietly and unobtrusively, these crucial relationships. We now know that continuity of care, within a unique dyad of patient and doctor, delays disease and prolongs lives5 and thereby supplies bread, but it does so by simultaneously giving us the roses of joy, trust, curiosity, care, kindness, and solidarity. A life worth living tends to last longer.

In fact, care, like love, is abundant and self-sustaining, a potential of everyone. Trained and celebrated, caring is a demanding human capability that swells with the satisfaction of having opted to run towards the pain, that replenishes with the smile and the gratitude with which we evaluate our effectiveness, that regenerates when the care, and love, returns to care givers when they, invariably, must become care receivers. Care, like roses, gives meaning to living. We must cultivate care.

In fighting our way out of this healthcare crisis, in working for careful and kind care for all, we must follow the suffragettes and demand "bread and roses."
Responding to the crisis of care | The BMJ

We gotta really try, Try so hard to get by, And where are we going to?

Don't wanna be free of hope
And I'm at the end of my rope
It's so tough just to be alive
When I feel like the living dead

I'm givin' it up so plain
I'm livin' my life in vain
And where am I going to?
I gotta really try
Try so hard to get by
And where am I going to?

Flip on your TV
And try to make sense out of that
If we were all in the movies
Maybe we wouldn't be so bored

We're givin' it up so plain
We're livin' our lives in vain
And where are we going to?
We gotta really try
Try so hard to get by
And where are we going to?

Life in Vain by Daniel Johnston

Do you know why we have the sunflowers?

Do you know why we have the sunflowers? It's not because Vincent van Gogh suffered. It's because Vincent van Gogh had a brother who loved him. Through all the pain, he had a tether, a connection to the world. And that is the focus of the story we need. Connection.
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette

Being bipolar is a constant system of checks and balances. These days I fight against needing my medication adjusted a lot, against depression and anxiety, mania and hypomania. I still end up flying some days, sometimes for days at a time, because as time goes on, the body changes and you have to adjust to new needs, new doses, new medication.

Coping mechanisms change, life situations go ways you never expected, mania and depression rear their ugly heads. But the day I went on medication was one of the greatest days of my life, because it was the day my creative spark stopped becoming an excuse to keep putting up with an illness that was killing me.
DISABILITY VISIBILITY: FIRST PERSON STORIES FROM THE 21ST CENTURY

Stimpunks exists because our systems effectively don't.

📖 Our Story: Challenging the Norm and Changing the Narrative

Scrollytelling is the fusion of scrolling and storytelling: a way to dynamically tell long-form stories as the user scrolls.
Scrollytelling: How to Transform Your Long-Form Content | Elementor

Art, music, poetry, and prose from our community of neurodivergent and disabled people await.

Join us in challenging the norm and changing the narrative by reframing our states of being.

Let's challenge the norm and change the narrative.

We're going to rewrite the narratives.
Autistic Hoya - A blog by Lydia X. Z. Brown: The neurodiversity movements needs its shoes off, and fists up.

The neurodiversity movements needs its shoes off, and fists up.

We have protests to stage, driven by the fuel of our righteous anger. We have speeches to make, written from the soaring pleas of our individual and collective trauma, and our wildest dreams of joy and freedom and love. We have cultural narratives to rewrite because they really do hate us and they really will kill us, and if we're going to rewrite the narratives, then there's no reason to hold ourselves back from our most radical and defiant rewritings. We have autistic children who need us to support them as architects of their own liberation against the schools and clinicians and institutions and police and prosecutors who would crush and destroy them.

We're going to need our anger and our public celebrations of stimming and our complicated, imperfect, messy selves for this long and hard road, because we need all of us, and all of our tactics and strategies, to keep a movement going and ultimately, to win.
Autistic Hoya - A blog by Lydia X. Z. Brown: The neurodiversity movements needs its shoes off, and fists up.

My kids have been kicked out of many, many places for being different-just like I was.

The question is simple: Is there room for disabled kids at a piano school? On a swim team? In most classrooms?

The answer, right now, seems to be no.
Catapult | The World Doesn't Bend for Disabled Kids (or Disabled Parents)

I, Victoria Lin Tanner, am just one of many people who discovered, after a lifetime of struggle, that I am autistic. This book is about my journey of self-discovery. It is also a scream into the cold, black void where no help is to be found for people like me. Autistic children become autistic adults, so why is there no support for us? I am here to shine a glaring spotlight on the ways that society has failed autistic adults. For many of the 5 million+ autistic Americans, and ~75 million worldwide, life would be made far more manageable and frankly, happier, if our struggles were supported in meaningful ways rather than through #autismawareness retweets and puzzle piece merchandise.
We are here, we are angry, and we are only going to get louder. Autistic adults are not okay. Autistic Adults Are Not Okay - Victoria Lin Tanner, Autistic Adults Not Okay, Autistic Visibility Project

We are not okay. I say this with the utmost compassion. You have inherent value, no matter how often your invisible labor goes unnoticed and unrewarded. You deserve to live, to rest, and to be noticed. It's a sad fact of life that we autistics have had to do the lion's share of our own advocating, but those who don't understand our struggle are simply not motivated enough to push for change. We cannot allow the majority voice to be that of cure-mongerers speaking over us. So, get louder. Get angrier. This is our movement, and we need more than visibility. We need accessible and meaningful support.
Autistic Adults Are Not Okay - by Lin Tanner, Victoria

🌱 It is time to celebrate our interdependence. The parts we need to survive are scattered All amongst us.

Stimpunks is a treasure trove of everything important to the neurodivergent and disabled community.
Feedback from a reader

We challenge the norm and change the narrative with our scrollytelling by first recognizing that "the parts we need to survive are scattered All amongst us."

On this website, we curate the treasures of neurodivergent and disabled cultures.

We weave a colorful cloth of community relationships, voices, knowledge, and skills.

This website isn't one voice. It is many. It is a chorus of interdependence.

It is time to celebrate our interdependence! The Myth of Independence: How The Social Model of Disability Exposes Society's Double Standards " NeuroClastic

This swatch of rainbow woven cloth evokes our biopsychosocial complexity, our diversity, and our interdependence. It evokes the adaptive interdependence of body, mind, and culture.

evoke = to make someone remember something or feel an emotion

biopsychosocial = biological + psychological + social = to understand a person's medical condition it is not simply the biological factors to consider, but also the psychological and social factors

interdependence = our survival is bound up together, we are interconnected and what we do impacts others

What would it mean to weave a colorful, durable cloth of individuals' and communities' relationships, knowledge and skills?

I am fighting for an interdependence that embraces need and tells the truth: no one does it on their own and the myth of independence is just that, a myth.

Interdependence acknowledges that our survival is bound up together, that we are interconnected and what you do impacts others. If this pandemic has done nothing else, it has illuminated how horrible our society is at valuing and practicing interdependence. Interdependence is the only way out of most of the most pressing issues we face today. If we do not understand that we are interdependent with the planet we as a species will not survive.
You Are Not Entitled To Our Deaths: COVID, Abled Supremacy & Interdependence

Abled culture teaches you to act as if you are independent, to buy into the myth of independence. Reject this. Embrace interdependence and know it is the only way we will be able to end this pandemic. Know that if we center disabled people, first and foremost those who are high risk, it will help everyone.
You Are Not Entitled To Our Deaths: COVID, Abled Supremacy & Interdependence

This work is about shifting how we understand access, moving away from the individualized and independence-framed notions of access put forth by the disability rights movement and, instead, working to view access as collective and interdependent.

With disability justice, we want to move away from the"myth of independence," t hat everyone can and should be able to do everything on their own. I am not fighting for independence, as much of the disability rights movement rallies behind. I am fighting for an interdependence that embraces need and tells the truth: no one does it on their own and the myth of independence is just that, a myth.
Changing the Framework: Disability Justice | Leaving Evidence

It is from being disabled that I heave learned about the dangerous and privileged "myth of independence" and embraced the power of interdependence. The myth of independence being of course, that somehow we can and should be able to do everything on our own without any help from anyone. This requires such a high level of privilege and even then, it is still a myth. Whose oppression and exploitation must exist for your "independence?"

We believe and swallow ableist notions that people should be "independent," that we would never want to have to have a nurse, or not be able to drive, or not be able to see, or hear. We believe that we should be able to do things on our own and push our selves (and the law) hard to ensure that we can. We believe ableist heteronormative ideas that families should function as independent little spheres. That I should just focus on MY family and make sure MY family is fed, clothed and provided for; that MY family inherits MY wealth; that families should not be dependent on the state or anyone else; that they should be "able-bodied," essentially. We believe the ableist heteronormative racist classist myth that marriage, "independence" as sanctified through the state, is what we want because it allows us to be more "independent," more "equal" to those who operate as if they are independent-That somehow, this makes us more "able."

And to be clear, I do not desire independence, as much of the disability rights movement rallies behind. I am not fighting for independence. I desire community and movements that are collectively interdependent.

As a disabled person, I am dependant on other people in order to survive in this ableist society; I am interdependent in order to shift and queer ableism into something that can be kneaded, molded and added to the many tools we will need to transform the world. Being physically disabled and having mobility needs that are considered "special," means that I often need people to help me carry things, push my wheelchair, park my car, or lend me an arm to lean on when I walk. It means that much of my accessibility depends on the person I'm with and the relationship I have with them. Because most accessibility is done through relationships, many disabled people must learn the keen art of maintaining a relationship in order to maintain their level of accessibility. It is an exhausting task and something that we have had to master and execute seamlessly, in many of the same ways we have all had to master how to navigate and survive white supremacy, heterosexism, our families, economic exploitation, violence and trauma. This is also one of the main conditions which allow for disabled people to be victims of violence and sexual assault.
Interdependence (exerpts from several talks) | Leaving Evidence

Everyone is causally interconnected with, interdependent with, and fundamentally the same as all other humans.

...the eco-system arises from and responds to the multiple ways in which everyone is causally interconnected with, interdependent with, and fundamentally the same as all other humans, and literary representations of these various types of solidarity, their inherence in human nature, and their benefits to people who recognize and embrace them can help students incorporate these principles into their mental models of human nature and thus both recognize and enact them more productively in their personal, professional, and civic lives.

The most obviously systemic form of interconnectedness is existential: we all depend on other humans for our very existence and survival -that is, for the production and distribution of our food, clothing, and shelter, not to mention the complex technologies that we in the postindustrial world have come to rely on. We are dependent on the work of countless other individuals at every moment in our lives, and we simply could not exist without their direct and indirect contributions to our lives.
Literature, Social Wisdom, and Global Justice: Developing Systems Thinking

'Rebellion' is not enough. We need to build new systems from the ground up, right now.

And it means grounding this effort in completely new frame of orientation, one in which human beings are inherently interconnected, and inter-embedded within the earth; where we are not atomistically separated from the reality in which we find ourselves as technocratic overlords, but are co-creators of that reality as individuated parts of a continuum of being.
Escaping extinction through paradigm shift

The parts we need to survive are scattered All amongst us. Tinu Abayomi-Paul

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🌊 Bodymind Break

Before we continue, let's take a bodymind break.

bodymind = a term used to challenge the idea the body and mind are experienced separately

The swells and textures of nature follow patterns that resonate with the human body through its ability to hear sound. Enjoy a sonic tribute to one of nature's most wonderful experiences, the sound of the ocean's waves. The swells are specially timed to encourage the body to breathe more slowly and more deeply. The sound spectrum is full and is matched to the powerful release of deep sound energy of the Earth's beautiful shores.

Take a moment to breathe. Take a moment to affirm your bodymind.

Some ways to affirm your bodymind and support nervous system regulation:

Press play for ocean waves.

We're not minds riding around in bodies, we're bodyminds.

Neurodiversity, simply put, is the diversity among human minds. For 15 years or so after the term was coined, it was common for people to speak of neurodiversity as ''diversity among brains.'' There still are plenty of people who talk about it that way. I think this is a mistake; it''s an overly reductionist and essentialist definition that's decades behind present-day understandings of how human bodyminds work.

Mind is an embodied phenomenon. The mind is encoded in the brain as ever-changing webs of neural connectivity. The brain is part of the body, interconnected with the rest of the body by a vast network of nerves. The activity of the mind and body creates changes in the brain; changes in the brain affect both mind and embodiment. Mind, brain, and embodiment are intricately entwined in a single complex system. We're not minds riding around in bodies, we're bodyminds.

A lot of people hear neuro and they think, brain. But the prefix neuro doesn't mean brain, it means nerve. The neuro in neurodiversity is most usefully understood as a convenient shorthand for the functionality of the whole bodymind and the way the nervous system weaves together cognition and embodiment. So neurodiversity refers to the diversity among minds, or among bodyminds.

In terms of scholarship, discourse, and praxis, there are two basic ways to approach the biopsychosocial phenomenon of neurodiversity. Sometime around 2010, I started referring to these two approaches as the pathology paradigm and the neurodiversity paradigm.
Toward a Neuroqueer Future: An Interview with Nick Walker | Autism in Adulthood

So much of my perception of my autistic self is embodied.

As indicated by the title, the first essential term for this book is bodymind. Bodymind is a materialist feminist disability studies concept from Margaret Price that refers to the enmeshment of the mind and body, which are typically understood as interacting and connected, yet distinct entities due to the Cartesian dualism of Western philosophy ("The Bodymind Problem and the Possibilities of Pain" 270). The term bodymind insists on the inextricability of mind and body and highlights how processes within our being impact one another in such a way that the notion of a physical versus mental process is difficult, if not impossible to clearly discern in most cases (269). Price argues that bodymind cannot be simply a rhetorical stand-in for the phrase "mind and body"; rather, it must do theoretical work as a disability studies term. Bodymind is an essential concept in chapter 3 in my discussion of hyperempathy, a nonrealist disability that is both mental and physical in origin and manifestation. Bodymind generally, however, is an important and theoretically useful term to use in analyzing speculative fiction as the nonrealist possibilities of human and nonhuman subjects, such as the werewolves discussed in chapter 4, often highlight the imbrication of mind and body, sometimes in extreme or explicitly apparent ways that do not exist in our reality.

In addition to the utility of the term bodymind in discussions of speculative fiction, I also use this term because of its theoretical utility in discussions of race and (dis)ability. For example, bodymind is particularly useful in discussing the toll racism takes on people of color. As more research reveals the ways experiences and histories of oppression impact us mentally, physically, and even on a cellular level, the term bodymind can help highlight the relationship of nonphysical experiences of oppression-psychic stress-and overall well-being. While this research is emergent, people of color and women have long challenged their association with pure embodiment and the degradation of the body as unable to produce knowledge through a rejection of the mind/body divide. Bodymind provides, therefore, a politically and theoretically useful term in discussing (dis)ability in black women's speculative fiction and more.
Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction - Dr. Sami Schalk

We urgently need a society that's better at letting people get the rest they need.

Nothing in this culture wants us to have rest. Wants us to have ease. Wants us to have care. The softness was stolen. Our dreamspace has been stolen. Our space to just be has been stolen.
Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry.

Our collective rest will save us.
Tricia Hersey

As you listen to ocean waves, imagine you are at the coast watching this friendly solarpunk behemoth.

Artist Statement

When the ancient ones awaken to help out humanity with their climate problem.

This was a piece I've been wanting to do for ages and @stimpunks helped me make this a reality! So thank you so much for this commission! All of my neurospicy friends should definitely check out Stimpunks and give them a follow!

I just wanted an excuse to blend Solarpunk with fantasy art really.

The idea is that an environmental research facility was unwittingly built upon the back of a sleeping earth colossus due to the unique flora and fauna of the area, only for the colossus to suddenly awaken. The behemoth made an agreement with the scientists that they may stay on its back, but only on the condition that they treat the isolated ecosystem with respect and that their research will help heal nature and bring about a world where humans and nature live in harmony again.

The research facility itself is constructed from entirely sustainable materials and is a blend of iron-age and modern architecture. The scientists must stick to strict limestone paths so not to erode any of the earthy areas. Some locations cannot be accessed by foot and are therefore drone-only. The entire facility is powered by those airborne turbines (I probably added more than there needed to be but they look pretty haha).

Here's some concept art for the colossus. I made him a lot less grumpy in the final piece. He has six legs on account of him being extremely front-heavy and he has little tiptoeing ungulate feet. I also worked a lot of fossil motifs into his design, plus I imagine the wooden structures that make his antlers are so ancient that they have started to petrify. I want this creature to feel truly ancient. His face is also inspired by "the green man" a little bit.
Kaya's Kosmos on Tumblr: Solarpunk Colossus.

Ultimately Solarpunk envisions a world that might be slower, but more intentional. One that ties humanity closely to the natural world.

A future with a human face and dirt behind its ears.

Ultimately Solarpunk envisions a world that might be slower, but more intentional. One that ties humanity closely to the natural world.

A future with a human face and dirt behind its ears.
How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now (ft. @Andrewism)

This is Solarpunk. Finding the appropriate technologies to build aesthetically stimulating and liveable dwellings that tie us tightly with the landscape.
How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now (ft. @Andrewism) - YouTube

Solarpunk is a movement in speculative fiction, art, fashion and activism that seeks to answer and embody the question "what does a sustainable civilization look like, and how can we get there?" The aesthetics of solarpunk merge the practical with the beautiful, the well-designed with the green and wild, the bright and colorful with the earthy and solid. Solarpunk can be utopian, just optimistic, or concerned with the struggles en route to a better world - but never dystopian. As our world roils with calamity, we need solutions, not warnings. Solutions to live comfortably without fossil fuels, to equitably manage scarcity and share abundance, to be kinder to each other and to the planet we share. At once a vision of the future, a thoughtful provocation, and an achievable lifestyle.
SOLARPUNK : A REFERENCE GUIDE. The below was compiled by... | by Jay Springett | Solarpunks | Medium

But what if we imagined something different? What if we imagined worlds where nature, humanity, and technology not only coexist, but thrive together. Worlds that are rich with the greens and blues of abundance. Utopias? Maybe, but certainly utopias worth striving for.

This is what Solarpunk is all about. A burgeoning genre of art and a movement that casts off the dystopian, technology-heavy futurism of cyberpunk and instead tries to build a world wherein people not only live well, but also live well with the natural world.

Solarpunk is an exercise in imagination, but it is also a call to action. There are very real Solarpunk solutions that already exist or are currently feasible that can start to bring about a Solarpunk future today. And today, we'll look at the viability of some of these solutions and answer the question: how can we build a Solarpunk world right now?

Solarpunk is high and low tech: Before we dive into the promising tools that might aid our quest for a Solarpunk world, we first need to understand the role of technology in the Solarpunk community. As we will soon see, technology doesn't exist in a vacuum.
How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now (ft. @Andrewism) - YouTube

For those out of the loop, solarpunk is on a bit of a spectrum, from pure aesthetic hopeful imagining to actually building our collective futures here and now.

Solarpunk aims to look beyond the limitations of capitalism and beyond the rift between humanity and nature. Most importantly, it's a project and vision of liberation that we co-create for our unique local conditions, ecosystems, and needs, as we work towards a better society.

Solarpunk isn't something to be imposed from above, through capitalist ventures or state projects. It's grassroots, and must incorporate the voices, experiences, and inputs of a wide range of people.
How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future (ft. @OurChangingClimate) - YouTube

And in the late 2000s, the concept of "solarpunk" emerged. YouTube channel Our Changing Climate with Andrewism published an overview of Solarpunk: "Ultimately Solarpunk envisions a world that might be slower, but more intentional. One that ties humanity closely to the natural world." As Andrewism put in the replies: "A future with a human face and dirt behind its ears."

But if solarpunk is the future with humanity put back in, achieving it means taking control of that future from economic, social, & political forces that seem to be on autopilot to self-destruction, utterly divorced from human desires & human intervention. One path we've imagined already, and its grimy survivalist individualism was the defining feature of Reagan-era science fiction classics. However, in its radical reimagination of economic & social structures, solarpunk resists the nihilism & doomerism of the grim dehumanized technological dystopias that dominate the worlds of Blade Runner, Robocop, & William Gibson's Neuromancer.

Do we have the willingness to challenge the predominant social, economic, & political structures & systems that need to be challenged? To change the very nature of humanity's relationship to the planet? What role does education play in all of this?
Fighting Back Against the Future | Human Restoration Project | Nick Covington Chris McNutt

Solarpunk is a lot of things. Its definitions are still growing, but at its heart, is always about one thing: a vision of a possible future where humanity nature and technology live in harmony beyond the human centric.

Solarpunk worlds are a green, sustainable, and socially just for everyone.
How Solarpunk Fiction Envisions a Better Tomorrow | Video Essay - YouTube

Solarpunk gives us the permission to imagine differently.

Solarpunk gives us the permission to imagine differently; to resist Giroux's "dead zone of imagination."

Imagining a better future isn't naivety, it's essential for a thriving world

We must preserve in the face of everything a positive outlook toward organizing surviving, and building anew or risk becoming stagnant.

Individual actions snowball and propagate through systems, and each act of service, each pushback, each classroom decision can fundamentally build a better future.

It's up to us to make that tomorrow a reality.
Fighting Back Against the Future: Imagining a Solarpunk Education - YouTube

I would call our work to change the world "science fictional behavior"-being concerned with the way our actions and beliefs now, today, will shape the future, tomorrow, the next generations.

We are excited by what we can create, we believe it is possible to create the next world.

We believe.
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds

🐇🕳️🌈 Down the Rabbit Hole: We've Got Space for You

We design for and encourage skimming, so skim-scroll on down and see what grabs your attention.

How We Try to Make This Website More ADHD-Friendly

In this video, Jessica discusses how she made her book more ADHD friendly.

We attempt all of these things on our website at stimpunks.org.

Lots of whitespace.

Every page/screen has something breaking up the text. Break up text with pull quotes, blocks, bullets, bolding, backgrounds, images.

Add attention getters like selective bolding and pull quotes.

Write in conversational style.

Organize so you don't have to read it.

Flip open right to your struggle. Allow people to pick up and go right to what they need.

Format is the same for every chapter.

Make it so people can just read the headers.

Make it engaging and visual.

Add in jokes and feelings.

Put everything in one book so folks have one place to go.

How I Made My Book ADHD-Friendly 🧠📘 - YouTube

What would you do to make our scrollytelling style on stimpunks.org more ADHD-friendly?

A page of neat and tidy typed text in long paragraphs is the least memorable format known.

Our Storytelling Conventions

We love hyperlinks and use them extensively. We consider them a kindness to the reader and a potent weapon in the fight against disinformation. Many of our links lead to our expansive glossary.

We love Stimpunks, their Glossary is a rich source of information presented through an affirming lens. Be more Punk! 🤘🏻✊🏾 https://stimpunks.org/glossary-list/#h-all-glossary-entries
Pebble Autism on X

We use block quotations ( blockquote) heavily. We quote our favorite passages and sources with hyperlinks signposting back to the original work.

We also heavily use " accordions ". Accordions contain more in depth information on a topic that you can reveal at your own pace.

We often break paragraphs of text down into bulleted lists that present one idea per line in plain language.

To listen to our web pages:

Many, but not all, pages on our website provide AI-generated audio of the text.

Press play near the top of each page.

Or click/tap the floating headphones icon on the bottom right of the screen.

We respect ear-reading.

We provide content hierarchy, visual hierarchy, and tables of contents.

We group related elements together in color blocks.

We are iterating toward " digital stories" and " Web-Based Conceptual Portmanteau ".
Consume this content to the depth and breadth of your preference in whatever way and order works for you.
This website is a living document that you can contribute to under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA license. Send us your suggestions and favorite quotes and resources.

We provide "Main Takeaways" on many pages. Main takeaways are presented with one idea per line in a bulleted list format. If you don't have time or energy to read an entire page, reading just the main takeaways will give you what you most need to know.

Readers on the web scan for information, rather than reading everything line-by-line. Chunking your content into smaller sections, called out by larger headings, helps them find the information they're searching for.

When I'm trying to find something quickly, there's nothing more intimidating than jumping onto a site with a giant wall of unbroken content.
Show, Don't Tell | CSS-Tricks - CSS-Tricks

Where possible, break down paragraphs into lists. Lists make scanning easier!
Show, Don't Tell | CSS-Tricks - CSS-Tricks
Our Rules for Scrollytelling

Accordions expand/infodump on a topic without interrupting the main flow.

Accordions labelled "What is..." provide definitions, context, and further reading.

Accordions labelled "In other words..." explain things in different ways, including easy read, one idea per line, and plain language summaries.

One line inline definitions are offered.

Explanatory items are grouped into "What does this mean?" blocks.

Related items are grouped together on a colored background with a group title. This makes it easier to tell what's in a group and skim past it.

Pick colors for groups based on colors in included media, if any.

Pick colors for groups of accordions based on themes like rainbow.

Lots of whitespace.

Every page/screen has something breaking up the text.

Selective bolding of key sentences facilitates skimming.

A table of contents is provided near the top of each page.

Headings are used approximately every 5 screens (on a laptop) or less.

20 headings max.

Put a "coming up" table of contents after 10 headings.

Consider putting a "Bodymind Break" section after 10 headings.

Spacers are used as pause points, fermata.

Spacers are used before headings to accentuate the break.

Long scrollytelling stories signpost to what's ahead.

Break up text with pull quotes, blocks, bullets, bolding, backgrounds, images.

Use lists to present one idea per line.

Make it so people can just read the headers, table of contents and get the gist of the page/section.

Make it engaging and visual.

Write in a conversational style.

Add in jokes and feelings.

There's more about our scrollytelling conventions in our explainer at " 📚🌈♿️ An Encyclopedia of Disability and Difference "

Content on our website is structured in a multimedia, multi-modality, scrollytelling style where the main concepts are presented at the top of the page in plainer language, with more academic language and further detail provided as you scroll down. Read to the depth you're comfortable with. If you don't have time to rabbit hole an entire page or section, read what you can knowing that you got the main ideas up front.

"Down the rabbit hole" = getting deep into something or ending up somewhere strange
Consume this content to the depth and breadth of your preference in whatever way and order works for you.

In other words...

The content on our website is designed to be engaging and accessible to a wide range of readers. We have adopted a multimedia, multi-modality, scrollytelling style, which means that information is presented in a visually appealing and interactive manner.

When you visit our website, you will notice that the main concepts are presented at the top of the page using simpler language. This allows you to quickly grasp the key ideas without getting overwhelmed by technical jargon. As you scroll down, you will find more detailed explanations and academic language for those who want to delve deeper into the topic.

We understand that everyone has different preferences when it comes to consuming content. That's why we encourage you to read at your own pace and to the depth that you feel comfortable with. If you don't have the time to explore an entire page or section, you can still gain a good understanding by focusing on the main ideas presented at the beginning.

We want you to have a flexible and customizable experience on our website. Feel free to consume the content in any way and order that works best for you. Whether you prefer to skim through the main points or dive into the nitty-gritty details, our goal is to provide you with valuable information in a format that suits your needs.

AI Disclosure: The summary above was created with the help of Elephas AI Assistant.

Accordions labelled "In other words..." explain things in different ways, including easy read, one idea per line, and plain language summaries.

Let's scroll.
Let's infodump. Let's share knowledge and information, together.

It is also quite acceptable in autistic culture to "infodump" on a topic whenever it happens to come up. To autists, the sharing of knowledge and information is always welcome.

INFO DUMPING

Talking alot about a topic in great detail

Telling someone about a special interest

A way of building a connection with someone

Sharing extensive knowledge about a topic

A way to initiate an interaction

Longer conversational turns

Overlapping speech during the conversation

Showing someone how much you know about a subject

Sharing excitement about a topic

Neurodivergent people who use speech love to info-dump and is a valid way of sharing information. The feeling of being so passionate about something can feel so exhilarating. To a neurotypical person this is often labelled as: poor turn-taking, social deficits, interrupting, lack of reciprocity, ignores social cues, repetitive, verbose, lack of awareness of social conventions.

It's all about perception. If we re-frame these 'deficits' and view them through a neurodiversity lens, we can acknowledge that autistic communication is just a different way of communicating.
Communication Features | AutisticSLT

We use accordions to infodump on a topic without interrupting the main flow.

Stimpunks provide joy in every page, link, and exploration. An excellent place and space to deep dive.
Lisa Chapman (Speech and Language Therapist) of CommonSenseSLT, author of Humanising Care

Journey down our rabbit hole.

We've got space for you.

Down the rabbit hole: If it exists, you can reasonably assume there will be an autistic person to whom that thing is the subject of intense obsession and time spent.

The reality is that if it exists, you can reasonably assume there will be an autistic person to whom that thing is the subject of intense obsession and time spent, from blankets to drain covers (both of these are special interests of people in my acquaintance) and pretty much anything in between. When engaging in a special interest, autistic people are typically calmer, more relaxed, happier and more focused than they would otherwise be - for many, it is a form of release or even self-medication: a well-timed foray into a special interest can stave off meltdown and be a generally extremely positive force in an autistic person's life.
Learning From Autistic Teachers (pp. 30-31)

Many people with autism are stressed individuals who find the world a confusing place (Vermeulen, 2013). So how does someone with autism achieve a sense of flow? McDonnell & Milton (2014) have argued that many repetitive activities may achieve a flow state. One obvious area where flow can be achieved is when engaging in special interests. Special interests allow people to become absorbed in an area that gives them specialist knowledge and a sense of achievement. In addition, certain repetitive tasks can help people achieve a flow like state of mind. These tasks can become absorbing and are an important part of people's lives. The next time you see an individual with autism engaging in a repetitive task (like stacking Lego or playing a computer game), remember that these are not in themselves negative activities, they may well be reducing stress.

If you want to improve your supports to people with autism from a stress perspective, a useful tool is to identify flow states for that person and try to develop a flow plan. Remember, the next time you see a person repeating seemingly meaningless behaviours, do not assume that this is always unpleasant for them - it might be a flow state, and beneficial for reducing stress.
What is 'flow'?

Official autism criteria say that "special interests" are defined by either intensity or unusualness; what this doesn't capture though is the way of interacting with them, which is mainly through accumulating information in order to dissect and understand, categorise and explore.
- Fochti (@fochti) June 5, 2022

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I am just having a night exploring Stimpunks! I can't keep up with you, your site is just a huge rabbit warren of amazingness, I love it!
Feedback from a reader

It feels like a rabbit warren of underground tunnels and caves where people meet, mainly through online social media platforms. The continuous physical growth of these spaces where people are connecting is slowly creating ripples and heading into real family spaces and showing a genuine need for change in our education system as more and more children are showing how the current frameworks are just not meeting needs and resulting in school attendance difficulties and mental health concerns.
Caverns, Pleats and Folds. The potential to neuroqueer is inside... | by MoreRealms | Medium

The Autistic Rhizome = an interconnected network of knowledge exchange and mutual aid and support

Autistic Rhizome

A growing and evolving network of Autistic communities with no hierarchy or dependence on anothers existence.

Each person forms an integral part and is connected by a flow of energy that not only runs through and between individuals and communities but enables new connections to form. It is a place of safety, support and deep understanding.

The Autistic rhizome creates new energy through the sharing and evolution of ideas which permeates and ripples through into wider society.
@Autis tic Realms

Rhizome: as conceptualised in the work of Deleuze and Guatarri. A network with no single point of origin. No part of the network depends upon the existence of another. I have introduced the idea of this in the context of community here.
Neuro-anarchy and the rise of the Autistic Rhizome - DGH Neurodivergent Consultancy

On discord, there is a growing network of communities. I have lovingly dubbed this collective The Autistic Rhizome. They are an interconnected network of knowledge exchange, and mutual aid and support that have displaced the hierarchical nature of advocate/follower relationships.

We are equal in these spaces.

This doesn't mean that all knowledge shared is useful in advancing the neurodiversity movement. Like any knowledge, some is good, some is bad, most is somewhere in the middle.

This growing network consists of communities that do not depend on each other to exist, but are still enriched by their interconnection. There is no starting or end point. There is no advancing through communities based on levels of knowledge. They just simply exist, and people come and go as they please.
Neuro-anarchy and the rise of the Autistic Rhizome - DGH Neurodivergent Consultancy

Deleuze and Guattari described this kind of thinking as 'Rhyzomatic.'

A rhyzome isn't like a tree, it doesn't have subordinate parts emerging from a core trunk. A rhizome is a root system of pure connections.

How the things connect is how they are defined. By the same logic, how they are disconnected is how they are defined.

Deleuze differed from the poststructuralists like Derrida and Foucault in that he was a Monist. All of it is connected, all of it is one, and the connections and lack of connections between the things, are what define them as things. This is an Ontology of Difference.
Spider-Verse, Identity Politics, Leftist Infighting, and the Oppression Olympics - YouTube

There is a deep yearning for people to feel understood, for their strengths to be celebrated and for their difficulties to be acknowledged. There seems to be a growing number of neurodivergent people seeking support and a growing number of neurodiversity-affirming, neurodivergent-led charities, organisations, and groups emerging to help people who have previously been marginalised and left feeling alone.

Many of the new organisations, groups and online spaces that are evolving are proving to be a wonderful coming together of different minds, a collective response to the long-standing unmet needs of neurodivergent people. They are an example of the internal experiences of neurodivergent people being acknowledged and represented in the community with shared experiences, empathy and understanding. This coming together and uniting through shared experiences and theories such as monotropism could be seen as being like a collective flow state; a combined energy of mutual understanding created by accepting and validating each other's similarities and also differences.
Monotropism & Collective Flow. Exploring the philosophy of Deleuze &... | by MoreRealms | Oct, 2023 | Medium

Our collective flow from within the neurodivergent community is rhizomatically evolving and starting to branch outside the autistic community. Interest is growing that was not here even six months ago; webinars and training sessions are popping up over the internet, and new writing is being shared all the time.

I believe we need to embrace this flow and channel it into productive research and enable the inner experiences of neurodivergent people to drive the research so it is more meaningful for everyone. Neurodiversity is where potential and possibilities lie. Everyone has an integral and equally important role in creating and contributing to our community flow state and in the possibilities that may bring.
Monotropism & Collective Flow. Exploring the philosophy of Deleuze &... | by MoreRealms | Oct, 2023 | Medium

Here's what is coming up on our scrollytelling journey.

Coming Up

Some of the things you'll encounter on your journey...

cat massages

sick, dope, fire art

lots of music

sassy dances

wolpertingers

bunnybadgers

bunny buns

rainbow dragons

Zelda maps

flowerpunks

punkflowers

fractals

hamster + lion = hamlion, rawr squeak

a rainbow shrimp visualizer

punk attitude

the first rule of punk

punky reggae parties

screams into the void

celebrations of interdependence

the entwined nature of queer and neurodivergent people

the entwined nature of queer and neurodivergent liberation

words that have the power to change attitudes

political and cultural connection with the neurodiversity and disability rights movements

🖼️ Our Ways of Being

Reframe these states of being that have been labelled deficiencies or pathologies as human differences.
Normal Sucks: Author Jonathan Mooney on How Schools Fail Kids with Learning Differences

Reframing is essential to all our pillars. Reframe yourself and others. This is hard and important work necessary to all other work. Challenge the norm, and change the narrative.

We Reframe

We reframe out of the confines of the medical model and pathology paradigm and into the respectfully connected expanse of the biopsychosocial model and the Neurodiversity paradigm. We reframe from deficit ideology to structural ideology.
We, Stimpunks

What does that mean?

In other words...

One Idea Per Line

We shift away from the medical model and pathology paradigm.

We embrace the biopsychosocial model and Neurodiversity paradigm.

We move away from focusing solely on deficits.

We adopt a more holistic approach that considers social structures and systems.

We prioritize respectful connections.

One Paragraph Summary

We are changing the way we think about medical conditions and disabilities. Instead of focusing on what is wrong with someone, we are looking at the whole person and how their biology, psychology, and social environment all play a role in their well-being. We are also recognizing and celebrating the unique strengths and perspectives of people with different ways of thinking and processing information. Instead of blaming individuals for their challenges, we are acknowledging that societal structures and systems can create barriers for them. By addressing these barriers, we hope to create a more fair and supportive society for everyone, regardless of their differences. This new way of thinking will help us understand, accept, and empower individuals with diverse neurological experiences.

Four Paragraph Summary

We reframe out of the confines of the medical model and pathology paradigm and into the respectfully connected expanse of the biopsychosocial model and the Neurodiversity paradigm. We reframe from deficit ideology to structural ideology. In this shift, we move away from viewing individuals solely through a medical lens, focusing on their perceived deficits and pathologies. Instead, we embrace a more inclusive and holistic approach, known as the biopsychosocial model. This model recognizes the interconnectedness of biological, psychological, and social factors in shaping an individual's well-being.

Furthermore, we adopt the Neurodiversity paradigm, which celebrates and values the diverse ways in which individuals' brains function. Rather than pathologizing differences, we acknowledge and respect the unique strengths and perspectives that neurodivergent individuals bring to society.

As we reframe our thinking, we also transition from a deficit ideology to a structural ideology. Rather than solely blaming individuals for their challenges, we recognize the impact of societal structures and systems that may hinder their full participation and inclusion. By addressing these structural barriers, we aim to create a more equitable and supportive environment for all individuals, regardless of their neurodivergence.

In embracing this new framework, we strive to foster understanding, acceptance, and empowerment for individuals across the neurodiversity spectrum. By shifting our perspective and adopting these inclusive paradigms, we can create a more compassionate and inclusive society for everyone.

AI Disclosure: The summaries above were created with the help of Elephas AI Assistant.

Accordions labelled "In other words..." explain things in different ways, including easy read, one idea per line, and plain language summaries.

What is "framing"?

Frames are mental structures that shape the way we see the world. As a result, they shape the goals we seek, the plans we make, the way we act, and what counts as a good or bad outcome of our actions. In politics our frames shape our social policies and the institutions we form to carry out policies. To change our frames is to change all of this. Reframing is social change.
The ALL NEW Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

When we successfully reframe public discourse, we change the way the public sees the world. We change what counts as common sense. Because language activates frames, new language is required for new frames. Thinking differently requires speaking differently.
The ALL NEW Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

We also know frames through language. All words are defined relative to conceptual frames. When you hear a word, its frame is activated in your brain.

Yes, in your brain. As the title of this book shows, even when you negate a frame, you activate the frame. If I tell you, "Don't think of an elephant!," you'll think of an elephant.

Though I found this out first in the study of cognitive linguistics, it has begun to be confirmed by neuroscience. When a macaque monkey grasps an object, a certain group of neurons in the monkey's ventral premotor cortex (which choreographs actions, but does not directly move the body) are activated. When the monkey is trained not to grasp the object, most of those neurons are inhibited (they turn off), but a portion of the same neurons used in grasping still turn on. That is, to actively not grasp requires thinking of what grasping would be.

Not only does negating a frame activate that frame, but the more it is activated, the stronger it gets. The moral for political discourse is clear: When you argue against someone on the other side using their language and their frames, you are activating their frames, strengthening their frames in those who hear you, and undermining your own views. For progressives, this means avoiding the use of conservative language and the frames that the language activates. It means that you should say what you believe using your language, not theirs.
The ALL NEW Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

I used to tell my students that ideology never announces itself as ideology. It naturalizes itself like the air we breath. It doesn't acknowledge that it is a way of looking at the word; it proceeds as if it is the only way of looking at the world. At its most effective, it renders itself unassailable: just the way things are. Not an opinion, not the result of centuries of implicit and explicit messaging, not a means of upholding a power structure. It just is.
the shame is ours

For me this space of radical openness is a margin a profound edge. Locating oneself there is difficult yet necessary. It is not a "safe" place. One is always at risk. One needs a community of resistance.

Living as we did on the edge we developed a particular way of seeing reality. We looked both from the outside in and from the inside out. We focused our attention on the centre as well as on the margin. We understood both.
Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness, bell hooks

What is the "pathology paradigm"?

The pathology paradigm ultimately boils down to just two fundamental assumptions:

1. There is one "right," "normal," or "healthy" way for human brains and human minds to be configured and to function (or one relatively narrow "normal" range into which the configuration and functioning of human brains and minds ought to fall).

2. If your neurological configuration and functioning (and, as a result, your ways of thinking and behaving) diverge substantially from the dominant standard of "normal," then there is Something Wrong With You.

It is these two assumptions that define the pathology paradigm. Different groups and individuals build upon these assumptions in very different ways, with varying degrees of rationality, absurdity, fearfulness, or compassion - but as long as they share those two basic assumptions, they're still operating within the pathology paradigm (just as ancient Mayan astronomers and 13th Century Islamic astronomers had vastly different conceptions of the cosmos, yet both operated within the geocentric paradigm).
THROW AWAY THE MASTER'S TOOLS: LIBERATING OURSELVES FROM THE PATHOLOGY PARADIGM * NEUROQUEER

What is the "neurodiversity paradigm"?

The neurodiversity paradigm is a specific perspective on neurodiversity - a perspective or approach that boils down to these fundamental principles:

1.) Neurodiversity is a natural and valuable form of human diversity.

2.) The idea that there is one "normal" or "healthy" type of brain or mind, or one "right" style of neurocognitive functioning, is a culturally constructed fiction, no more valid (and no more conducive to a healthy society or to the overall well-being of humanity) than the idea that there is one "normal" or "right" ethnicity, gender, or culture.

3.) The social dynamics that manifest in regard to neurodiversity are similar to the social dynamics that manifest in regard to other forms of human diversity (e.g., diversity of ethnicity, gender, or culture). These dynamics include the dynamics of social power inequalities, and also the dynamics by which diversity, when embraced, acts as a source of creative potential.
What It Doesn't Mean:
The neurodiversity paradigm provides a philosophical foundation for the activism of the Neurodiversity Movement, but the two aren't the same. For instance, there are people working on developing inclusive education strategies based on the neurodiversity paradigm, who don't identify as social justice activists or as part of the Neurodiversity Movement.
Example of Correct Usage:"Those who have embraced the neurodiversity paradigm, and who truly understand it, do not use pathologizing terms like 'disorder' to describe neurocognitive variants like autism."NEURODIVERSITY: SOME BASIC TERMS & DEFINITIONS * NEUROQUEER

What is "respectful connection"?

The notion of Neurodiversity can allow you to embrace your child for who they are, and it can empower you to look for respectful solutions to everyday problems. It can also help you to raise your child to feel empowered and content in their own skin. Respectfully Connected | Neurodiversity Paradigm Parenting FAQs

Instead of intensive speech therapy - we use a wonderful mash-up of communication including AAC, pictures scribbled on notepads, songs, scripts, and lots of patience and time. Instead of sticker charts and time outs, or behavior therapy - we give hugs, we listen, solve problems together, and understand and respect that neurodivergent children need time to develop some skills Instead of physical therapy - we climb rocks and trees, take risks with our bodies, are carried all day if we are tired, don't wear shoes, paint and draw, play with lego and stickers, and eat with our fingers. Instead of being told to shush, or be still- we stim, and mummies are joyful when they watch us move in beautiful ways. Respectfully Connected | #HowWeDo Respectful Parenting and Support

Be patient. Autistic children are just as sensitive to frustration and disappointment in those around them as non-autistic children, and just like other children, if that frustration and disappointment is coming from caregivers, it's soul-crushing.

Presume competence. Begin any new learning adventure from a point of aspiration rather than deficit. Children know when you don't believe in them and it affects their progress. Instead, assume they're capable; they'll usually surprise you. If you're concerned, start small and build toward a goal.

Meet them at their level. Try to adapt to the issues they're struggling with, as well as their strengths and special interests. When possible, avoid a one-size-fits all approach to curriculum and activities.

Treat challenges as opportunities. Each issue - whether it's related to impulse control, a learning challenge, or a problem behavior - represents an opportunity for growth and accomplishment. Moreover, when you overcome one issue, you're building infrastructure to overcome others.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. For many parents, school can be a black box. Send home quick notes about the day's events. Ask to hear what's happening at home. Establish communication with people outside the classroom, including at-home therapists, grandparents, babysitters, etc. Encourage parents to come in to observe the classroom. In short, create a continuous feedback loop so all members of the caregiver team are sharing ideas and insights, and reinforcing tactics and strategies.

Seek inclusion. This one's a two-way street: not only do autistic children benefit from exposure to their non-autistic peers, those peers will get an invaluable life lesson in acceptance and neurodiversity. The point is to expose our kids to the world, and to expose the world to our kids.

Embrace the obsession. Look for ways to turn an otherwise obsessive interest into a bridge mechanism, a way to connect with your students. Rather than constantly trying to redirect, find ways to incorporate and generalize interests into classroom activities and lessons.

Create a calm oasis. Anxiety, sensory overload and focus issues affect many kids (and adults!), but are particularly pronounced in autistic children. By looking for ways to reduce noise, visual clutter and other distracting stimuli, your kids will be less anxious and better able to focus.

Let them stim! Some parents want help extinguishing their child's self-stimulatory behaviors, whether it's hand-flapping, toe-walking, or any number of other "stimmy" things autistic kids do. Most of this concern comes from a fear of social stigma. Self-stimulatory behaviors, however, are soothing, relaxing, and even joy-inducing. They help kids cope during times of stress or uncertainty. You can help your kids by encouraging parents to understand what these behaviors are and how they help.

Encourage play and creativity. Autistic children benefit from imaginative play and creative exercises just like their non-autistic peers, misconceptions aside. I shudder when I think about the schools who focus only on deficits and trying to "fix" our kids without letting them have the fun they so richly deserve. Imaginative play is a social skill, and the kids love it.

A parent's advice to a teacher of autistic kids

I just want to do what is best for my child. Can this notion of Neurodiversity help me do that?
Yes, absolutely! The notion of Neurodiversity can allow you to embrace your child for who they are, and it can empower you to look for respectful solutions to everyday problems. It can also help you to raise your child to feel empowered and content in their own skin.
Do you think I am ableist? I thought I was helping my child...
Yes, I think you're ableist. I think most of us are ableist (even if we are ourselves disabled), and because the social climate is ableist, it takes a lot to question ourselves. They way to be respectful is not about being perfect, but we can question our own ableism so as not to let it interfere with our children and their rights.
That is hard for me to hear. I didn't think I was ableist and it hurts to be told I am.
That's fair enough. However, if you want to do what is best for your child you will need to move past that in order to begin to shed this ableism from your everyday reactions and choices.
How does it feel to be autistic?
That is really complex and difficult to answer. I cannot explain that in as much depth as would give you a good knowledge of it, however there are so many autistic writers you can look to for guidance on that. If you are asking me to to describe how I experience life, as compared to how you experience life, this is a huge question.
Is there a quick way to understand all this?
No, not really. The hardest part is challenging yourself and dominant social assumptions. It is a long road but the great thing is that you're already on it. You've started; because you're questioning yourself.
Respectfully Connected | Neurodiversity Paradigm Parenting FAQs

1. Learn from autistic people

2. Tell your child they are autistic

3. Say NO to all things stressful & harmful

4. Slow down your life

6. Value your child's interests

7. Respect stimming

8. Honour & support all communication

9. Minimise therapy, increase accommodations & supports

10. Explore your own neurocognitive differences
Respectfully Connected | 10 'Autism Interventions' for Families Embracing the Neurodiversity Paradigm

Meeting our children where they are doesn't mean giving up on them. It means seeing them as a whole person, broadening their access to communication, helping them figuring out their unique learning styles, helping them figuring out their sensory profile, and putting accommodations in place. When we work with our children instead of against them, instead of trying to fix them, we end up with happier children. And that is a goal worth striving for.
Meghan Ashburn, I Will Die On This Hill

Applying ABA in therapeutic practice is entirely unacceptable to us. Therapist Neurodiversity Collective does things differently:

Zero ABA, including positive reinforcement

Zero desensitization, tolerance, or extinction targets or approaches

Zero neuronormative goals (masking of sensory systems, monotropic interests systems, anxiety)

Zero training neurotypical social skills

We are trauma-informed and respectful of sensory systems, diversity in social intelligence, autistic learning styles, including monotropic interest systems.

We take the research framework from developmental and relationship-based therapy models, use our knowledge of client and caregiver perspectives (no goals for masking, eye contact, whole body listening, appearing neurotypical, etc.), and apply our clinical background to implement therapy practices which are respectful, culturally competent, trauma-sensitive and empathetic.
Non-ABA Evidence Based Practice | Therapist Neurodiversity Collective

We presume competence.

We believe that AAC has no prerequisites.

We respect sensory differences.

We respect body autonomy.

Most importantly, we continually learn from our neurodivergent mentors as to what therapy approaches and methodologies are respectful and uphold human rights and self-determination.
Non-ABA Evidence Based Practice | Therapist Neurodiversity Collective

The target of intervention is not autistic children, but their social and physical environments. Autistic children [need to be] supported in families and communities to develop as unique and valued human beings, without conforming to the developmental trajectory of their neurotypical peers.
Briannon Lee

What is the "biopsychosocial model"?

Within the biopsychosocial model of neurodiversity, understanding work-related intervention and treatment becomes more about adjusting the fit between the person and their environment than about treating a disorder. Critical review of the extant biopsychosocial research supports the social model proposition that the individual is not disabled, but the environment is disabling.

Exclusion rates point to an economic, social and moral imperative to improve outcome-based research, from which we can advise practition-ers and individuals on which adjustments improve inclusion, within a biopsychosocial model.

A reductive, medical paradigm of research is incongruent with the legal status of neurominorities as protected conditions in most developed countries, to which organizations must adjust.

The aim of occupational accommodations for neurominorities is to access the strengths of the spiky profile and palliate the struggles.
Neurodiversity at work: a biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults | British Medical Bulletin | Oxford Academic

The Biopsychosocial model was first conceptualised by George Engel in 1977, suggesting that to understand a person's medical condition it is not simply the biological factors to consider, but also the psychological and social factors 1.

Bio (physiological pathology)

Psycho (thoughts emotions and behaviours such as psychological distress, fear/avoidance beliefs, current coping methods and attribution)

Social (socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural factors suchs as work issues, family circumstances and benefits/economics)
Biopsychosocial Model - Physiopedia

Autistic People Recognize Challenges Associated with Autism
Despite viewing autism as central to identity, autistic participants in the study by Kapp et al. (2013) did not differ from non-autistic participants in negative emotions toward autism or in the perceived importance of supports to help autistic people gain adaptive skills. This overlap between the neurodiversity movement and the medical model indicates a more nuanced perspective on disability than the standard social model wherein impairments are believed to arise solely from societal factors. The perspective of autism endorsed by many members of the neurodiversity movement is more consistent with a biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) of autism, wherein internal differences interact with social factors to create challenges associated with autism (Kapp, 2013). For example, an autistic researcher pointed out that reduced theory of mind, which has been postulated to be a core deficit within autistic people ( Baron-Cohen et al., 1995), is not an impairment that resides within autistic people but rather a mutual difficulty relating, as neurotypical people also face often unacknowledged challenges understanding the minds of autistic people ( Milton, 2012). Further evidence that autistic adults' perceptions of autism align with a biopsychosocial model arises from research demonstrating that some autistic adults recognize that autistic traits interfere with employment and socialization, and attempt to pass as "normal" (Griffith et al., 2012).

These findings provide support for the importance of listening to autistic people and becoming more familiar with their experiences in order to address and counter stigma. Indeed, people aware of the neurodiversity movement are more likely to view autism as a positive identity that does not need a cure ( Kapp et al., 2013). Although superficially surprising, our finding that numerically more autistic participants supported (55%), rather than opposed (26%), the medical model in their definitions of autism is consistent with prior research demonstrating overlap between the medical model and the neurodiversity movement in terms of shared recognition of challenges associated with autism (Kapp et al., 2013), which is consistent with a biopsychosocial model of autism (Kapp, 2013).
Frontiers | Whose Expertise Is It? Evidence for Autistic Adults as Critical Autism Experts

What is "deficit ideology"?

What is "structural ideology"?

This is equity literacy: having the knowledge that a commitment to equity requires us to ask these questions and then having the will to ask them. There is no path to equity literacy that does not include the adoption of a structural ideology because there is no way to cultivate equity through an ideological standpoint, like deficit or grit ideology, that is formulated to discourage direct responses to inequity.
Poverty and the ideological imperative: a call to unhook from deficit and grit ideology and to strive for structural ideology in teacher education: Journal of Education for Teaching: Vol 42, No 4

'Everybody works hard?' one student asked timidly. 'There must be more to the story than hard work?' another proposed.
With this we began our exploration on socioeconomically based educational outcome disparities and how to eliminate them.
Poverty and the ideological imperative: a call to unhook from deficit and grit ideology and to strive for structural ideology in teacher education: Journal of Education for Teaching: Vol 42, No 4

In this article I explore the educational equity implications of three popular ideological positions that drive teachers' and teacher educators'understandings of, and responses to, poverty and economic injustice in schools: deficit ideology, grit ideology, and structural ideology. The educator's ideological position, I illustrate, determines their understandings of conditions such as socio-economic-based outcome disparities. Those understandings, in turn, determine the extent to which the strategies they can imagine have the potential to eliminate or mitigate those disparities. I then argue that teacher education for equity and economic justice must equip pre- and in-service educators with a structural ideology of poverty and economic injustice, based on a sophisticated understanding of relationships between structural inequalities and educational outcome disparities, rather than a deficit or grit ideology, both of which obscure structural inequalities and, as a result, render educators ill-equipped to enact equitable and just teaching, leadership and advocacy.

'Everybody works hard?'one student asked timidly.'There must be more to the story than hard work?' another proposed.

With this we began our exploration on socioeconomically based educational outcome disparities and how to eliminate them.

In this essay, I draw on the principles of equity literacy (Gorski 2016a; Gorski and Swalwell 2015; Swalwell 2011) in order to demonstrate what my students and I began to uncover in class that day. The students were not lacking desire to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create equitable learning environments for their future students. nor, thanks to their more methods-oriented coursework, were they short on practical strategies or ideas for solving the 'achievement gap'. The trouble, instead, was that a majority of the students had been socialised to fundamentally misunderstand poverty and its impact on educational outcome disparities. as a result, despite good intentions, the strategies they were capable of imagining - trendy instructional interventions, the cultivation of grit in students experiencing poverty, programmes designed to encourage higher levels of parent involvement by economically marginalised families - sidestepped completely the causes of the disparities they felt desperate to redress. The trouble was not dispositional or practical. Instead it was ideological, borne of faulty belief systems that, if not reshaped, would undermine their potentials to be the equitable teachers they hoped to be.

With this in mind, my purpose is to argue that when it comes to issues surrounding poverty and economic justice the preparation of teachers must be first and foremost an ideological endeavour, focused on adjusting fundamental understandings not only about educational outcome disparities but also about poverty itself. I will argue that it is only through the cultivation of what I call a structural ideology of poverty and economic justice that teachers become equity literate (Gorski 2013), capable of imagining the sorts of solutions that pose a genuine threat to the existence of class inequity in their classrooms and schools. After a brief clarification of my case for the importance of ideology, I begin by describing deficit ideology, the dominant ideological position about poverty that is informed in the US and elsewhere by the myth of meritocracy (Mcnamee and Miller 2009), and its increasingly popular ideological offshoot, grit ideology (Gorski 2016b). after explicating these ideological positions and how they mis- direct interpretations of poverty and its implications, I describe structural ideology, an ideological position through which educators understand educational outcome disparities in the context of structural injustice and the unequal distribution of access and opportunity that underlies poverty (Gorski 2016a). I end by sharing three self-reflective questions designed to help me assess the extent to which my teacher education practice reflect the structural view.

On the other end of the continuum are people who tend to understand poverty and issues such as the family involvement disparity as logical, if unjust, outcomes of economic injustice, exploitation, and inequity. adherents to a structural ideology (Gorski 2016b), they are likely to define gaps in in-school family involvement as interrelated with the inequities with which people experiencing poverty contend. So, recognising people experiencing poverty as targets, rather than causes, of these unjust conditions, they might understand lower rates of in-school involvement as a symptom of in-school and out-of-school conditions that limit their abilities to participate at the same rates as their wealthier peers. These conditions, such as families' lack of access to transportation or schools' practices of scheduling opportunities for in-school involvement in ways that make them less accessible to people who work evenings (as economically marginalised people are more likely than their wealthier peers to do) are rendered invisible by the deficit view.
Poverty and the ideological imperative: a call to unhook from deficit and grit ideology and to strive for structural ideology in teacher education: Journal of Education for Teaching: Vol 42, No 4

StimPunks has a great, up-to-date glossary that reflects the breadth and richness of this global neurodivergent community. It captures a reflection of the autistic, neurodivergent and disabled culture and language used within these communities. It is a beautiful display of acceptance, belonging and connecting (NATP). An example of this is their page Five Neurodivergent Love Locutions (Stimpunks, 2022), where they expanded on Myth's (@neurowonderful) original Twitter/ X post:
"The five neurodivergent love languages: info-dumping, parallel play, support swapping, Please Crush My Soul Back Into My Body, and "I found this cool rock/button/leaf/etc and thought you would like it" (Myth, 2021).
These examples show the different ways many autistic people create a sense of belonging by sharing stories and developing friendships online, as these spaces are often not available or accessible elsewhere. It is through these online spaces that I have grown to feel more accepted and continue to un-learn and re-learn more authentic ways of being with the support of other neurodivergent people who 'get it'.
Autistic Community: Connections & Becoming

I have grown to feel more accepted and continue to un-learn and re-learn more authentic ways of being with the support of other neurodivergent people who 'get it'.
Autistic Community: Connections & Becoming

Learn about our authentic ways of being.

Autistic ways of being are human neurological variants that can not be understood without the social model of disability.

Autistic ways of being are human neurological variants that can not be understood without the social model of disability.

If you are wondering whether you are Autistic, spend time amongst Autistic people, online and offline. If you notice you relate to these people much better than to others, if they make you feel safe, and if they understand you, you have arrived. A communal definition of Autistic ways of being

Autistic people / Autists must take ownership of the label in the same way that other minorities describe their experience and define their identity. Pathologisation of Autistic ways of being is a social power game that removes agency from Autistic people. Our suicide and mental health statistics are the result of discrimination and not a "feature" of being Autistic.
A communal definition of Autistic ways of being

All Autistic people experience the human social world significantly different from typical individuals. The difference in Autistic social cognition is best described in terms of a heightened level of conscious processing of raw information signals from the environment, and an absence or a significantly reduced level of subconscious filtering of social information.

Autistic children tend to take longer to learn how to decode non-verbal signals from the social world, in particular signals related to abstract cultural concepts related to the negotiation of social status.

Many Autistic people are also hyper- and/or hypo-sensitive to certain sensory inputs from the physical environment. This further complicates social communication in noisy and distracting environments. With respect to Autistic sensory sensitivity there are huge differences between Autists. Some Autists may be bothered or impaired by a broad range of different stimuli, whereas others are only impacted by very specific stimuli.

Individually unique cognitive Autistic lenses result in individually unique usage patterns of the human brain, and often in unique levels of expertise and creativity within specific domains of interest and in related Autistic inertia and perseverance.

Autistic inertia is similar to Newton's inertia, in that not only do Autistic people have difficulty starting things, but they also have difficulty in stopping things. Inertia can allow Autists to hyperfocus for long periods of time, but it also manifests as a feeling of paralysis and a severe loss of energy when needing to switch from one task to the next.

Autistic neurology shapes the human experience of the world across multiple social dimensions, including social motivations, social interactions, the way of developing trust, and the way of making friends.
A communal definition of Autistic ways of being

Every autistic person experiences autism differently, but there are some things that many of us have in common.

1. We think differently. We may have very strong interests in things other people don't understand or seem to care about. We might be great problem-solvers, or pay close attention to detail. It might take us longer to think about things. We might have trouble with executive functioning, like figuring out how to start and finish a task, moving on to a new task, or making decisions.
Routines are important for many autistic people. It can be hard for us to deal with surprises or unexpected changes. When we get overwhelmed, we might not be able to process our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, which can make us lose control of our body.

2. We process our senses differently. We might be extra sensitive to things like bright lights or loud sounds. We might have trouble understanding what we hear or what our senses tell us. We might not notice if we are in pain or hungry. We might do the same movement over and over again. This is called "stimming," and it helps us regulate our senses. For example, we might rock back and forth, play with our hands, or hum.

3. We move differently. We might have trouble with fine motor skills or coordination. It can feel like our minds and bodies are disconnected. It can be hard for us to start or stop moving. Speech can be extra hard because it requires a lot of coordination. We might not be able to control how loud our voices are, or we might not be able to speak at all-even though we can understand what other people say.

4. We communicate differently. We might talk using echolalia (repeating things we have heard before), or by scripting out what we want to say. Some autistic people use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to communicate. For example, we may communicate by typing on a computer, spelling on a letter board, or pointing to pictures on an iPad. Some people may also communicate with behavior or the way we act. Not every autistic person can talk, but we all have important things to say.

5. We socialize differently. Some of us might not understand or follow social rules that non-autistic people made up. We might be more direct than other people. Eye contact might make us uncomfortable. We might have a hard time controlling our body language or facial expressions, which can confuse non-autistic people or make it hard to socialize.
Some of us might not be able to guess how people feel. This doesn't mean we don't care how people feel! We just need people to tell us how they feel so we don't have to guess. Some autistic people are extra sensitive to other people's feelings.

6. We might need help with daily living. It can take a lot of energy to live in a society built for non-autistic people. We may not have the energy to do some things in our daily lives. Or, parts of being autistic can make doing those things too hard. We may need help with things like cooking, doing our jobs, or going out. We might be able to do things on our own sometimes, but need help other times. We might need to take more breaks so we can recover our energy.

Not every autistic person will relate to all of these things. There are lots of different ways to be autistic. That is okay!
About Autism - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Autism + environment = outcome. Understanding the sensing and perceptual world of autistic people is central to understanding autism.

I have written elsewhere about what I refer to as 'the golden equation' - which is:
Autism + environment = outcome
What this means in an anxiety context is that it is the combination of the child and the environment that causes the outcome (anxiety), not 'just' being autistic in and of itself. This is both horribly depressing but also a positive. It's horribly depressing because it demonstrates just how wrong we are currently getting things, but positive in that there are all sorts of things we can do to change environmental situations to subsequently alleviate the anxiety.
Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Guide for Autistic Wellbeing, Dr Luke Beardon

ADHD (Kinetic Cognitive Style) is not a damaged or defective nervous system. It is a nervous system that works well using its own set of rules.

ADHD or what I prefer to call Kinetic Cognitive Style (KCS) is another good example. (Nick Walker coined this alternative term.) The name ADHD implies that Kinetics like me have a deficit of attention, which could be the case as seen from a certain perspective. On the other hand, a better, more invariantly consistent perspective is that Kinetics distribute their attention differently. New research seems to point out that KCS was present at least as far back as the days in which humans lived in hunter-gatherer societies. In a sense, being a Kinetic in the days that humans were nomads would have been a great advantage. As hunters they would have noticed any changes in their surroundings more easily, and they would have been more active and ready for the hunt. In modern society it is seen as a disorder, but this again is more of a value judgment than a scientific fact.
Bias: From Normalization to Neurodiversity - Neurodivergencia Latina

First thing and this really is probably the most important thing that defines the syndrome is the cognitive component of ADHD: an interest-based nervous system.
So ADHD is a genetic neurological brain based difficulty with getting engaged as the situation demands.

People with ADHD are able to get engaged and have their performance, their mood, their energy level, determined by the momentary sense of four things:

Interest (Fascination)

Challenge or Competitiveness

Novelty (Creativity)

Urgency (Usually a deadline)

Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks: RSD, Hyperarousal, More (w/ Dr. William Dodson)

The most important feature is that attention is not deficit, it is inconsistent.
"Look back over your entire life; if you have been able to get engaged and stay engaged with literally any task of your life, have you ever found something you couldn't do?"

A person with ADHD will answer, "No. If I can get started and stay in the flow, I can do anything.
Omnipotential People with ADHD are omnipotential. It's not an exaggeration, it's true. They really can do anything. Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks: RSD, Hyperarousal, More (w/ Dr. William Dodson)

Performance is usually the only aspect that most people look for.

Boredom and lack of engagement is almost physically painful to people with an ADHD nervous system.

When bored, ADHDers are irritable, negativistic, tense,
argumentative, and have no energy to do anything.

ADDers will do almost anything to relieve this dysphoria. Self-medication. Stimulus seeking. "Pick a fight."

When engaged, ADHDers are instantly energetic, positive, and social.

This shifting of mood and energy is often misinterpreted as Bipolar Disorder.

Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks: RSD, Hyperarousal, More (w/ Dr. William Dodson)

People who have ADHD nervous systems lead intense passionate lives. Their highs are higher, their lows are lower, all of their emotions are much more intense.

At all points in the life cycle, people who have an ADHD nervous system lead intense, passionate lives.

They feel more in every way than do Neurotypicals.

Consequently, everyone with ADHD but especially children are always at risk of being overwhelmed from within.
An ADHD Guide to Emotional Dysregulation and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (w/ William Dodson, M.D.)

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short-failing to meet their own high standards or others' expectations.
How ADHD Ignites Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

We have a couple of theme songs for KCS/DREAD/ADHD in our community: Guided by Angels by Amyl and the Sniffers and Monkey Mind by The Bobby Lees.

Guided by angels
But they're not heavenly
They're on my body
And they guide me heavenly
The angels guide me heavenly, heavenly
Energy, good energy and bad energy
I've got plenty of energy
It's my currency
I spend, protect my energy, currency

Guided by Angels by Amyl and the Sniffers

Monkey Mind
It's just my monkey mind
Monkey Mind
It's just my

I take him out, and then I sit him down
I look him in the eye, and say no more
monkeying around
Now you look-y here, you gonna leave me
alone
Cause there's no room here for a little
monkey in my home

Monkey Mind
It's just my monkey mind
Monkey Mind
It's just my
That monkey mind, he likes to eat himself alive
Think he's done, and then he takes another bite
Now see, I gotta learn to be kind
To my monkey mind, cause he'll be with me till I die

Monkey Mind
It's just my monkey mind
Monkey just my

Monkey Mind by The Bobby Lees

Redefining Autism Science with Monotropism and the Double Empathy Problem

If we are right, then monotropism is one of the key ideas required for making sense of autism, along with the double empathy problem and neurodiversity. Monotropism makes sense of many autistic experiences at the individual level. The double empathy problem explains the misunderstandings that occur between people who process the world differently, often mistaken for a lack of empathy on the autistic side. Neurodiversity describes the place of autistic people and other ' neurominorities ' in society.
Monotropism - Welcome

Monotropism and the Double Empathy Problem are two of the biggest and most important things to happen to autism research. In the previous two issues of the Guide to the NeurodiVerse, " From an Ivory Tower Built on Sand to Open, Participatory, Emancipatory, Activist Research" and " Mental Health and Epistemic Justice ", we tackled some bad trends in autism science. Here, we celebrate two trends that get it right.

Monotropism is a theory of autism developed by autistic people, initially by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson.

Monotropic minds tend to have their attention pulled more strongly towards a smaller number of interests at any given time, leaving fewer resources for other processes. We argue that this can explain nearly all of the features commonly associated with autism, directly or indirectly. However, you do not need to accept it as a general theory of autism in order for it to be a useful description of common autistic experiences and how to work with them.
Welcome - Monotropism

These two videos, totaling less than 10 minutes, are wonderful ways to get in touch with modern autism science.

Understanding monotropism and the double empathy problem will help you get things right, instead of wrong, when interacting with autistic people.

If an autistic person is pulled out of monotropic flow too quickly, it causes our sensory systems to disregulate.

This in turn triggers us into emotional dysregulation, and we quickly find ourselves in a state ranging from uncomfortable, to grumpy, to angry, or even triggered into a meltdown or a shutdown.

This reaction is also often classed as challenging behavior when really it is an expression of distress caused by the behavior of those around us.

How you can get things wrong:

Not preparing for transition

Too many instructions

Speaking too quickly

Not allowing processing time

Using demanding language

Using rewards or punishments

Poor sensory environments

Poor communication environments

Making assumptions

A lack of insightful and informed staff reflection

An introduction to monotropism - YouTube

⛺️ We Are a NeurodiVenture

NeurodiVenture : an inclusive non- hierarchical organisation operated by neurodivergent people that provides a safe and nurturing environment for divergent thinking, creativity, exploration, and collaborative niche construction.
NeurodiVentures | Autistic Collaboration

We are a NeurodiVenture and a Teal organization running on:

We Run On

The NeurodiVenture Operating Model

We do it in a trauma and neurodiversity informed way using polyvagal theory and the neuroscience of community.

NeurodiVentures create safe spaces for groups of autistic and otherwise neurodivergent to share knowledge, to cultivate collective intelligence, and to offer their gifts to the world in the form of genuinely innovative and unique services.
The Beauty of Collaboration at Human Scale: Timeless patterns of human limitations

By definition, the main purpose of existence of a NeurodiVenture is the creation of a psychologically safe and egalitarian communal space for neurodivergent people.
The Beauty of Collaboration at Human Scale: Timeless patterns of human limitations

What does that mean?

In other words...

One Idea Per Line

NeurodiVenture is an organization run by neurodivergent people.

It provides a safe and nurturing environment for divergent thinking, creativity, exploration, and collaborative niche construction.

It is inclusive and non-hierarchical.

It operates on principles such as the advice process, psychological safety, self-determination theory, the prosocial framework, mutual trust, collaborative niche construction, open source, restorative practices, and transformative justice.

It is trauma and neurodiversity informed, using polyvagal theory and the neuroscience of community.

NeurodiVentures create safe spaces for groups of autistic and neurodivergent individuals.

These spaces allow for sharing knowledge, cultivating collective intelligence, and offering unique and innovative services to the world.

One Paragraph Summary
NeurodiVenture is an organization that is run by neurodivergent people. It aims to create a safe and supportive environment for different ways of thinking, creativity, exploration, and working together on specific interests. They use various methods and theories, such as the advice process, psychological safety, self-determination theory, prosocial framework, mutual trust, collaborative niche construction, open source, restorative practices, transformative justice, trauma-informed approaches, and neurodiversity-informed approaches. The goal is to provide a space where autistic and other neurodivergent individuals can come together, share knowledge, and use their unique skills and talents to create innovative and valuable services for the world.
Extended Summary
NeurodiVenture is an organization that is operated by neurodivergent individuals and aims to create a safe and nurturing environment for divergent thinking, creativity, exploration, and collaborative niche construction. It is an inclusive organization that values the contributions and perspectives of neurodivergent people.

The organization follows the principles of Teal organizations, which emphasize self-management and distributed decision-making. They use the advice process, where decisions are made by seeking advice from those who will be affected by the decision, rather than relying on a hierarchical structure.

Psychological safety is a key aspect of NeurodiVenture, ensuring that individuals feel safe to express themselves and share their ideas without fear of judgment or criticism. This fosters an environment that encourages open communication and collaboration.

The organization also follows the principles of self-determination theory, which focuses on supporting individuals' autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This means that individuals have the freedom to make choices, develop their skills, and build meaningful relationships within the organization.

NeurodiVenture operates within the prosocial framework, which promotes behaviors that benefit others and society as a whole. This framework encourages cooperation, empathy, and compassion among members of the organization.

Mutual trust is another important aspect of NeurodiVenture. Trust is built through open and honest communication, reliability, and respect for each other's perspectives and contributions.

Collaborative niche construction is a concept that involves creating and shaping environments that align with the unique strengths and abilities of neurodivergent individuals. This allows them to contribute their innovative and unique services to the world.

The organization also embraces open source principles, which means that knowledge, information, and resources are shared openly and freely. This fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

Restorative practices and transformative justice are approaches used by NeurodiVenture to address conflicts and restore relationships within the organization. These approaches focus on repairing harm, building understanding, and promoting healing.

NeurodiVenture takes a trauma-informed and neurodiversity-informed approach, recognizing and accommodating the unique needs and experiences of individuals who have experienced trauma or who are neurodivergent. This ensures that the organization is sensitive to their needs and provides a supportive environment.

Polyvagal theory and the neuroscience of community are used to understand and support the social and emotional well-being of individuals within NeurodiVenture. These theories provide insights into how the nervous system responds to social interactions and how to create environments that promote connection and belonging.

Overall, NeurodiVenture is a collaborative and inclusive organization that values the contributions of neurodivergent individuals. It provides a safe and nurturing environment for them to share their knowledge, cultivate collective intelligence, and offer innovative and unique services to the world.

AI Disclosure: The summaries above were created with the help of Elephas AI Assistant.

We're co-creating Autistic collaboration at human scale.

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🌈♿️ Mutual Aid and Human-Centered Learning for Neurodivergent and Disabled People

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Real Help Against the OnslaughtWe exist for the direct support and mutual aid of neurodivergent and disabled people. We, Stimpunks 🧭 Our Mission: Real Help Against the Onslaught Stimpunks is created by and for neurodivergent and disabled people. We provide mutual aid, creator grants, learning opportunities, human-centered research, and living wages for our community.

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How to support neurodivergent employees and create a neuroinclusive workplace

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By recognising the strengths of neurodivergent individuals, employers can create a neurodiverse and neuroinclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

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Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace

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Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace

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Home | Engage with Developmental Language Disorder

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The DLD Project | Developmental Language Disorder Information, Resources & Training

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The DLD Project provides evidence-based Developmental Language Disorder information, resources, and training in Australia.

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Research Paper on Neurodiversity Affirming Practice in HE

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Research Paper on Neurodiversity Affirming Practice in HE

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Abstract

The neurodiversity paradigm challenges pathologising accounts of neurodevelopmental differences, including autism, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD) and others. From a neurodiversity perspective, these differences in the way people perceive, learn about and interact with the world are conceptualised as naturally occurring cognitive variation, akin to biodiversity in the natural environment, which may bring unique strengths and challenges for individuals. An implication of this approach is that interventions designed to create contexts in which neurodivergent people can thrive are needed, in addition to those that seek to ameliorate individual-level difficulties. In this conceptual review, we consider how higher education can offer a context in which cognitive diversity can be noticed, welcomed and accepted with warmth. In universities, neurodiversity is one dimension of difference within an increasingly diverse student population, which overlaps - but is not synonymous - with disability. We argue that improving experience and outcomes for neurodivergent students should be a priority for universities aiming to produce graduates equipped to tackle the complex problems of contemporary society. Drawing on the foundational principles of compassion-focused psychological therapies, we consider how compassion can be enacted within interpersonal interaction, curriculum design, and leadership culture in universities. We apply the insights of double empathy theory to the problem of overcoming barriers of difference in the classroom. Finally, we make recommendations for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and strengths-based pedagogical approaches, which create a fit-for-purpose educational environment for the widest possible range of learners. This realignment with the neurodiversity paradigm offers an antidote to bolt-on provisions for students who differ from the neuro-normative, and might enable neurodivergent thinkers to flourish within and beyond higher education.

Keywords: neurodiversity, higher education, compassion, double empathy, Universal Design for Learning

1. Introduction

In recent years, widening access to higher education in the United Kingdom and globally has created a larger, more diverse student population ( Calderon, 2018; Higher Education Statistics Agency [HESA], 2022). Neurodiversity is a dimension of difference that has received relatively little attention in the higher education pedagogical literature, despite there being increasing numbers of neurodivergent students attending university internationally ( Pino and Mortari, 2014; Bakker et al., 2019). Neurodiversity can be understood as naturally occurring variation in the ways that humans perceive, experience and interact with the world, encompassing neurodevelopmental differences such as autism, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD), dyscalculia, and developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) (see Dwyer, 2022 for a discussion of more or less inclusive definitions of neurodiversity). Robust data on outcomes for neurodivergent students in higher education are not currently available; however, existing studies indicate that wellbeing and employment outcomes tend to be poorer in this population in comparison with their peers ( Anderson et al., 2017; Allen and Coney, 2019; Bayeh, 2022).

In this conceptual analysis, we draw on psychological understandings and applications of compassion to consider how universities can support neurodivergent thinkers to thrive. Cognitive diversity is essential in the search for solutions to the complex problems facing the world ( Sulik et al., 2021), and therefore universities must prioritise improved outcomes for neurodivergent students. We propose that this can be achieved by adopting compassionate pedagogies, including universal design for learning and strengths-based approaches ( Gibbs, 2017; Elsherif et al., 2022). Neurodivergent students, like all students, deserve fit-for-purpose learning experiences, and should not hold responsibility for educating their educators about their differences. The structures and policy context of higher education can act as a disincentive to personalised learning and teaching ( Waddington, 2017). Nonetheless, compassion-informed pedagogy, in which educators actively recognise the particular struggles that students face and seek to mitigate them, can be transformative for neurodivergent learners.

2. Neurodivergent students at university

Obtaining a clear picture of outcomes for neurodivergent students at university is complex, not least because many do not disclose their diagnosis, and others may not have a formal diagnosis when they commence their studies ( McLeod et al., 2019; Clouder et al., 2020). Evidence to date, which often relates specifically to autism, dyslexia and/or ADHD, suggests that academic attainment can be good, if students are well supported to complete their studies ( Richardson, 2009; Fabri and Andrews, 2016; Richardson, 2017). However, attrition rates are relatively high in this population, with poor mental health being just one of many contributing reasons ( Van Hees et al., 2015; Ghisi et al., 2016; Griffiths et al., 2019).

It is not difficult to imagine some of the contextual factors that underpin poor retention of neurodivergent students, some of which are discussed here. First, the 'hidden curriculum' at university - that is, the unwritten, and sometimes unintentional, institutional expectations of how students will behave, study, and interact, which are not explicitly taught - tends to exclude minoritised groups from reaching their potential ( Sulaimani and Gut, 2019). Second, neurodivergent students often come to university with a negative schema of education following their experiences at school ( Lithari, 2019; Mesa and Hamilton, 2022a, b). Experiences of non-accepting environments in earlier education can have long-lasting impacts, and can contribute to a negative sense of self, affected wellbeing and reduced quality of life for older students and adults ( Hong et al., 2016). Third, considering some of the specific challenges for neurodivergent students, the near total reliance on written forms of assessment in many degree programmes is a disproportionate barrier for dyslexic students ( Jacobs et al., 2022). ADHDers may find managing independent self-study and processing critical feedback particularly difficult (for an overview of rejection sensitivity in ADHD, see Bedrossian, 2021). For autistic students, achieving a sense of belonging in the university community may be a key challenge: social situations can be overwhelming but unavoidable, and socialising in different ways with peers can attract bullying or result in feelings of loneliness ( Bauminger et al., 2003; Gurbuz et al., 2019). Students often mask their differences, by suppressing natural neurodivergent responses and/or learning and imitating 'neurotypical behaviours' in an attempt to avoid negative responses from others. Masking difference can lead to exhaustion and burnout, disconnection from one's identity, and psychological distress ( Pearson and Rose, 2021).

We suggest that current educational contexts largely illustrate a conditional view of an acceptable student, i.e., a student is acceptable only when fitting to a neurotypical standard. Difference is often construed as negative, and only rarely understood as demonstrating novelty, originality or excellence in academia. For many neurodivergent students, experiences of personal confusion, navigation of multiple identities and labels through which to view themselves, and experiences of bullying and marginalisation, are all threats to holding a robust, compassionate view of the self within a university environment. Understandably, students often assume high personal responsibility for trying to make a success of their education. Many neurodivergent students describe having to act as self-advocates in order make others understand their difference, which can contribute to disenfranchisement from university communities ( Fabri and Andrews, 2016; Elias and White, 2018).

3. Contextual approaches to neurodiversity

Research into autism and other neurodevelopmental differences is undergoing a paradigm shift, away from medical models and towards neurodiversity approaches ( Dwyer, 2022; Pellicano and den Houting, 2022; for alternative perspectives and critiques of the neurodiversity paradigm, see Nelson, 2020; Singer et al., 2022). One key limitation of the medical paradigm in this field is its narrow focus on the individual as the unit of study, with the aim of identifying and ameliorating deficits. In contrast, research from a neurodiversity perspective foregrounds the person-in-context; impairment at the individual level is acknowledged where it exists, but harm associated with impairment is seen as a function of the interaction between the person and their environment ( Singer, 2017; Chapman, 2021). For instance, hyperactivity may be harmful for a child in a school with strict rules on sitting still in class, but harmless for that same child participating in an outdoor education class. It follows that interventions targeting the contexts in which neurodivergent people live, study and work are needed, in addition to existing interventions aimed at improving skills (or, more controversially, modifying behaviours) in individuals. Higher education is one such context, where structures, processes and pedagogies can be designed to be more inclusive for neurodivergent students and staff.

The social environment is central to any educational setting: learning depends on the interactions that take place between the student, their peers, academic and professional staff. Here the double empathy problem ( Milton, 2012) is pertinent. The double empathy problem refers to the reciprocal deficits in understanding that can occur between people who hold different norms and expectations of each other. Where communication preferences and sensory sensitivities vary across neurotypes, this problem can be particularly pervasive. A growing body of experimental research supports the premises of the double empathy problem; for example, neurotypical people are quick to form negative impressions of autistic people on the basis of scant information ( Sasson et al., 2017). Furthermore, certain types of communication, including information sharing, can be more successful within same-neurotype than cross-neurotype pairs ( Crompton et al., 2020). When people see the world from different perspectives, insight and compassion into each other's difference is more helpful than assuming that one experience is normative, while the other deviates from the norm.

In order to overcome double empathy barriers in the classroom, as educators we must reflect critically on our assumptions and practice. This could mean consciously avoiding the interpretation of students' behaviour from a default neuro-normative perspective. What could be the underlying reasons for a student keeping their eyes closed in class, or taking their seat at the last moment rather than queueing or conversing with peers? It could involve examining where our own knowledge of neurodiversity comes from and critically assessing the potentially stigmatising assumptions that we hold. Carefully considering the language that we use when discussing difference can be powerful in creating a more neurodiversity-inclusive learning environment. Avoiding the language of pathology (e.g., symptoms, comorbidities, high/low functioning) in favour of more neutral alternatives (e.g., characteristics, co-occurring considerations, individual abilities or support needs) is a simple modification that can have a meaningful impact on students' sense of place in the classroom, and in turn, how the education community of peers and staff make sense of difference ( Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021). There is good evidence, at least in the Anglophone world, that many autistic people prefer identity-first language (e.g., autistic student) over person-first language (e.g., student with autism), which can imply that the autism is separable from the person ( Kenny et al., 2015; Taboas et al., 2022; see Buijsman et al., 2022 for different terminology preferences in a Dutch sample). Analogous identity-first terminology for other neurodevelopmental differences is not yet clear or settled, but the language of neurodiversity is constantly evolving. Initiating open dialogue with neurodivergent students about their language preferences can help to mitigate the double empathy problem in the classroom.

Unfortunately, in order to access educational support at university via disability services, students often have to use the terminology of the medical model, emphasising their diagnosis and deficit and downplaying their strengths. Negotiating this dual reality is a current tension for many neurodivergent students, which signals the need for change towards universal design approaches. Implementing the insights of the neurodiversity paradigm in universities means going beyond simple adaptations or add-ons to current practice ( Petty et al., 2023). Currently the onus is too often on neurominority students to find a longer way around to meet neuro-normative expectations. To transform practice, learning and teaching must be designed for a neurodiverse student body, and learning contexts created in which neurodivergent students are seen, understood and enabled to thrive. Here, educators can harness the potential of compassionate pedagogy.

4. Learning from applications of compassion in other fields

Various definitions of compassion exist in the psychological and philosophical literatures. Most share two key components: (1) the propensity to notice suffering in oneself and others ( all others, regardless of minority status) without negative judgement and (2) the motivation to act to prevent or alleviate suffering ( Halifax, 2012; Gilbert, 2019). Nussbaum (2001) emphasises both its cognitive, evaluative nature and its teachability; we learn compassion through experience with diverse others (in real-world interactions and in simulated, fictional social worlds) and subsequent reflection on those experiences. In Nussbaum's conceptualisation, a prerequisite for compassionate responses to another's humanity is the acknowledgement of one's own human vulnerability.

Concepts of compassionate others, compassionate memories and compassionate spaces underpin many psychological therapeutic practices, notably within compassion-focused therapy ( Gilbert, 2007). For example, a client experiencing high anxiety and shame might be encouraged to explore early memories of these emotions, to notice where judgements and expectations from others caused a sense of threat, while working therapeutically to harness the soothing potential of compassion. This work might encompass memories from early education of being seen as 'naughty' or 'stupid.' Neurodivergent clients in particular may recall being told that they are not behaving like their peers, that they are not trying hard enough, or may have had their failings repeatedly highlighted by educators. Familiar stories are of not fitting in at school and not being 'good enough' as they are. Cumulative past experiences evoking feelings of threat and shame incentivise masking behaviour (e.g., suppressing stimming, forcing eye contact, copying others' behaviours) which is increasingly recognised as a driver of poor mental health in neurodivergent people ( Miller et al., 2021).

For a person to feel compassion for self and others, they need access to compassionate memories, i.e., memories of an interpersonal interaction with another who is warm, non-judgmental, sensitive to and tolerant of differences. They also need access to 'safe spaces,' places of welcome, belonging and enjoyment ( Lucre and Clapton, 2020). These are experienced and consequently become expected. Such memories may be difficult for neurodivergent individuals to bring to mind, given the dominant societal frameworks of deficit and exclusion ( Botha et al., 2020). Within psychological therapy there is an increasing focus on encouraging the individual to thrive with difference, without intending to treat or reduce the expressions of neurodiversity ( McVey et al., 2021); compassion-focused therapies are increasingly indicated for neurodivergent clients ( Robinson, 2018). This approach can serve as a useful model for education.

Important tenets of compassion in psychological therapy include warmth from the self to the self, and warmth from others ( Gilbert and Bailey, 2000). In contrast, an attack and counter-attack dynamic can be at play for neurodivergent students, whereby feeling misunderstood causes them to respond with annoyance or withdrawal from the education system. 'Winning,' or asserting their learning needs, for the more proactive students will not necessarily resolve the difficulties according to concepts of compassion, because warmth and support are missing. Furthermore, self-compassion requires a desire to grow, to look forward with hope for success and to build on positive attributes of the self. Neurodivergent students' self-belief and ambitions for employment post-graduation are often challenged by negative experiences of academic discrimination ( Cheriyan et al., 2021). Within schools and universities, where being neurodivergent often makes you a more 'troublesome' student, thriving is typically curtailed, with negative implications for future hopefulness. Implementing concepts from the foundational underpinnings of compassion-focused therapy ( Gilbert, 2007) in educational contexts holds promise, if institutions can establish a shared intention to include all students and recognise the mutual benefits that arise from doing so.

We can borrow practical recommendations from other sectors, which are revising their ways of working collaboratively with neurodivergent clients, to develop the quality of our interactions in higher education. Maddox et al. (2020) have drawn attention to the barriers and facilitators to therapeutic working that tend to be put in place by clinicians, care coordinators and service managers within healthcare settings. Their recommendations for clinicians working with autistic clients include: clearly explaining what clients can expect and what is expected of them; establishing mutual understanding of what is being spoken and what is being implied; providing structure for in-person sessions and independent tasks; and considering ways to limit time spent in crowded, brightly lit, or noisy spaces, such as waiting rooms. Considerations for different neurodivergent client groups include the use of planned breaks and switching between tasks to avoid prolonged attentional demand or too-challenging stretches of high-priority work ( Young, 2012). These good practice guidelines from healthcare can often be transferred to the classroom, allowing the unwritten curriculum to be minimised so that students can learn.

In healthcare contexts, compassionate interactions have been shown to calm, but not sedate patients. Adopting a compassionate approach does not make appointments longer and may reduce long-term patient costs, such as fewer onward referrals and better medication adherence ( Trzeciak et al., 2019). If we can adopt similar principles in education, we might expect students to be more relaxed and better engaged, to have less need for supplementary study skills or wellbeing support from universities, to reach closer-to-potential academic achievement and onwards employment. These intentions are currently speculative, awaiting more investment in research.

5. Conceptualising compassion in educational contexts

Educators have a unique opportunity to cultivate compassion within the learning environments that we create. (Note that we advocate for universal compassion, rather than compassion specifically for a minority.) However, the development of compassion and other 'intellectual virtues' receive limited recognition as legitimate learning goals in the current higher education climate ( Maxwell, 2017). Instead, utilitarian values of competition, choice, independence, value for money and individual achievement dominate in many countries ( Sauntson and Morrish, 2010). Waddington (2018, p. 87) argues that, in an era of marketisation, contemporary university cultures in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are often characterised by "subtle, but powerful, competition and striving for prestige and dominance ... [stifling] the conditions in which compassionate pedagogy can survive and flourish." Creating the conditions for a compassionate learning environment can therefore be highly challenging for educators charged with meeting an array of market-driven targets.

Notwithstanding this unconducive context in the sector, students, and especially those in minoritised groups, flourish in learning environments in which they feel that they belong and are valued. Similarly, educators are empowered to create compassionate learning environments where there is a compassionate leadership culture in universities ( Belak and Waddington, 2021). Studies within other organisational cultures have characterised compassionate leaders as: attending to and listening with interest; seeking to understand challenges; empathising; and acting to remove obstacles and obtain resources where they are needed ( West and Chowla, 2017). If these behaviours can be enacted by university leaders, a culture is established which values and supports compassionate pedagogies, to the benefit of students and staff.

Hao (2011, p. 92) characterises compassionate pedagogy as underpinned by "a commitment that allows educators to criticise institutional and classroom practices that ideologically place underserved students at disadvantaged positions, while at the same time be self-reflexive of their actions through compassion as a daily commitment." Social, pedagogical and physical aspects of the learning environment can place neurodivergent students at a disadvantage, which often goes unnoticed. A common theme in the educational experiences of these students is anxiety, triggered by uncertainty of what is required of them in the learning situation, interactions with others inside and outside of the classroom, fear of failure, managing time, perfectionism, and additional causes of stress and fatigue not shared by their peers (e.g., sensory stress), among many other factors ( Gurbuz et al., 2019; Clouder et al., 2020). It is important to note that anxiety is not a characteristic of neurodivergence per se, but rather a likely outcome of cumulative experiences, including marginalisation and stigma, through the lifespan. Additionally, employment struggles, financial hardship and co-occurring mental health conditions are vulnerability experiences that differ between neurodivergent and neurotypical peers ( Griffiths et al., 2019). When neurodivergence contributes to students feeling anxious in the classroom, learning potential and engagement is seriously curtailed. There are negative implications for attendance, joining in when present in the classroom, sharing activities with peers, and for all measures of academic attainment ( LeDoux, 1998; Jones et al., 2019).

Anxiety is in essence a response to threat. In educational contexts, threat can come from pedagogical and organisational practices that encourage students to dwell on their failings, to feel disappointed in themselves, and to doubt their futures (mirroring the threats to self-compassion as conceptualised in compassion-focused therapy; Gilbert et al., 2004). Conversely, education has the capacity to transform the lives of those who have experienced discrimination and oppression ( Freire, 2006). A learning environment where difference is accepted and where each student can contribute and find a sense of belonging can reduce threat, foster self-compassion, and elicit more compassionate responses from others. These experiences build banks of compassionate memories of the self in education.

6. What would compassionate pedagogy for neurodivergent students look like?

Implementing the principles of compassion in higher education settings is more complex than in the context of one-to-one therapy. Educators have to balance the needs and interests of multiple stakeholders; staff workloads are perennially high, and institutional structures and processes tend to be inflexible. Nonetheless, if the challenges posed by the neurodiversity paradigm can be framed as an opportunity to rethink and improve pedagogical practice, this is likely to be to the benefit of all students. In making the following recommendations, we draw on the expertise of neurodiverse, multi-stakeholder teams of students, colleagues and authors (e.g., Spaeth and Pearson, 2021; Dwyer et al., 2022; Elsherif et al., 2022; Farrant et al., 2022).

There is a clear role for university senior leadership teams in improving experience and outcomes for neurodivergent students. Including neurodiversity as a dimension of difference in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) reviews and initiatives is an important starting point ( Dwyer et al., 2022). Any campus-wide review, investment and enhancement activity should be driven by neurodivergent staff and students in collaboration with neurotypical allies. Since experiences of discrimination, stigma and bullying contribute to poor educational outcomes for neurodivergent students, investment in university-wide training in neurodiversity is warranted to the same extent as other campus-wide EDI training. Representation matters for student belonging and aspiration; human resource leaders can therefore ensure that hiring practices are neurodiversity-inclusive, and that neurodivergent staff in the university community are appropriately supported to fulfil their roles and progress to leadership positions. In planning for the development of campus estates, leaders can consider the sensory environment (e.g., adjustable lighting, seating selections, noise and heat levels, accessibility of quiet spaces to all members of the university community). Leaders in professional service roles can design student support services that are joined up, transparent to access and simple to navigate to reduce the self-advocacy burden on students. Providing services based on need, rather than disability diagnosis is recommended, and neurodiversity-affirming mental health support services are particularly important ( McVey et al., 2021; Chapman and Botha, 2022; Petty et al., 2023). Finally, investment in transition support programmes into and out of university can impact retention of, and graduate outcomes for, neurodivergent students ( Moriño and Biagiotti, 2022).

For academic staff working directly with students in the classroom, a compassion-informed approach requires that we notice distress (e.g., in relation to sensory stress or high anxiety), actively listen to neurodivergent students, are curious and empathic in our response (mindful of implicit biases and double empathy barriers), and work together with students to allow them to feel that they belong in, and can contribute to, the learning community. It is important that educators are alert to the possibility that neurodivergent students may be masking differences or difficulties, and provide alternative ways for them to communicate their needs to maximise their learning. Useful questions for educators to ask include: How much choice is there for students to demonstrate a range of skills and capabilities? How is this student learning about themselves in a way that is not deficit- or problem- focused? How is their experience in this class contributing to an accumulation of safe and positive memories of themselves in education?

In addition to noticing distress, compassionate educators notice strengths and can harness these to scaffold students' engagement and learning. For example, a student with strong attention to detail might be assigned a role of leading on the data analysis of a research project, monitoring adherence to checklists, protocols or assessment briefs, or finalising presentation materials in a group project. Building in flexibility to assessment schedules could, for example, allow a student with high social anxiety but strong information technology skills to demonstrate their learning in an animated video as an alternative choice to a live presentation in front of an audience. Diversification of assessment types through the course of a programme of study provides all students with opportunities to excel. While narrowly prescribed ways of working are still common in many jobs, increasingly employers are recognising the value of hiring neurodiverse teams and accommodating communication differences ( Krzeminska et al., 2019). Universities can do the same. Similarly, allowing for a variety of communication channels between staff and students (e.g., class discussion forums, direct messages or text-chat, in-person tutorials) accommodates communication differences and allows all students to feel part of a learning community. Students should be empowered to make personal choices about their studies that are enabled by the education infrastructure.

Designing learning to reduce anxiety would involve minimising ambiguity at all levels: ensuring materials are available in advance, utilising exemplars where appropriate, and responding empathetically to requests for clarification, as misunderstandings will almost certainly be a shared responsibility. Expectations of students would be made clear and fully explicit, for example by agreeing a class contract at the beginning of a course of study, which can be particularly helpful in reducing hidden curriculum barriers for neurodivergent students. Regularly highlighting the relevance of course content to learning outcomes (i.e., constructive alignment; Biggs, 1996) supports engagement and management of 'information overload.' As educators we can continuously reflect on the accessibility of our own communication, aiming for maximum clarity, concision and informativeness. Where non-literal language such as metaphor or sarcasm is used, are we providing alternative ways for students to access meaning? Are we allowing adequate time for students to process verbal instructions in the classroom, and/or supplementing with written instructions?

Important concepts of compassion include self-care, empathy and distress tolerance ( Gilbert, 2007). We can learn from research that has explored ways in which neurodivergent people have described their fit-for purpose, personal ways of coping with stress and distress ( Young, 2012; Bearss et al., 2016; Petty et al., 2022). To increase tolerance of distress, is a student able to modify sensory stimuli as the norm, for instance by wearing ear covers? If the physical classroom environment causes sensory stress, is there scope for students to complete tasks in a quieter environment and use online networking to check in through the class? Attendance at in-person classes is often lower in neurodivergent than other student groups for a variety of reasons; self-care might require a student to temporarily withdraw from interactions with other people. Hybrid or blended delivery could be effective in allowing students to continue to access their courses during such periods ( Singh et al., 2021). More important, perhaps, is to meet students where they are in terms of attendance and increase accessibility of classroom learning in consultation with them. This could include reducing attentional demands by presenting information in small chunks, building in regular breaks, finding opportunities for movement where possible, or modifying seating arrangements ( Honeybourne, 2018). These recommendations reflect personal accounts of coping with distress from neurodivergent people; their implementation may reduce disadvantages associated with being in a neurominority, while maintaining the ability to receive education.

7. Universal design for learning

Many of the recommendations in the preceding section align with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL; Rose et al., 2006; CAST, 2018). Fundamentally, UDL is an antidote to bolt-on provisions for students 'with issues,' who are not always well served by overworked staff and systems ( Williams, 2019). Current support tends to operate on a 'disability services' model: assess and diagnose the student; individualise a learning support plan; add in adjustments to core teaching. This model is, perhaps unintentionally, underpinned by deficit thinking. Funding-specific support relies on diagnostic labels, necessitates onerous and lengthy processes, and places an onus on the student to advocate for accommodations. While seeking support for learning, a process which can take several months, a neurodivergent student is likely to experience a poor person-context fit at university, and may escalate from one source of support to the next while appropriate interventions are not available ( Lightner et al., 2012). It is important to note that, within these structural constraints, individualised support via disability services can be compassionate and neurodiversity-affirmative.

As an alternative to bolt-on accommodations, we propose UDL as a compassionate pedagogy. A UDL approach to curriculum design embeds flexibility and choice in order to make learning accessible to the widest possible range of students. Within this framework, information is represented in multiple modalities (e.g., verbal explanations, visual diagrams, written text); students are enabled to express their knowledge in alternative ways (e.g., opt to prepare a written report or an oral presentation); and student engagement is scaffolded (e.g., supporting self-regulation and persistence by giving students autonomy, varying challenge level, choice, and creating a safe learning environment) ( Boothe et al., 2018). The evidence base for the effectiveness of UDL for student outcomes is in its infancy. Existing research suggest that UDL is an effective methodology for improving the learning process for all; students undertaking UDL courses report higher satisfaction, greater engagement, and reduced barriers to learning ( Capp, 2017; Soek et al., 2018). Whether effects transfer to improved attainment and reduced attrition is still to be determined.

If curricula are proactively designed for - and in consultation with - diverse learners, it is possible to move away from the reliance on students disclosing their diagnosis and having to self-advocate for individualised support for learning. Such an approach enables universities to become more neurodiversity-inclusive, while reducing demands on over-stretched student support services.

8. Employability and post-university

Before concluding, it is worth considering one of the many impactful outputs of accessible and compassionate pedagogic practice; that is, a carry-forward of positive academic experiences in terms of student self-esteem, hopefulness and preparedness for the workplace ( Kuriyan et al., 2013; Cheriyan et al., 2021). These conditions occur when students find their place and their strengths in educational settings. Importantly, employers are starting to see the competitive advantage of a neurodiverse workforce and to consider ways to make workplaces more inclusive ( Kirby and Smith, 2021). Overlapping with the application of UDL in education, the following examples of recommended good practice are from accounts of successful employment of a neurodiverse workforce. Recommendations for employers include: offering flexible working hours where possible, considering choice of seating in the workplace, allocating tasks based on employee strengths, explicitly welcoming neurodiversity in the workforce through recruitment and hiring processes, and naming a contact person for consistency and clarity of communication ( Gordon and Fabiano, 2019; Maras et al., 2021; Remington et al., 2022).

Nonetheless, the current disappointing reality for the majority of neurodivergent students is to expect lower likelihood of graduating, accessing postgraduate education, finding appropriate employment that matches their skills and abilities, and enjoying stability in employment ( Scott et al., 2015; Gordon and Fabiano, 2019; Moriño and Biagiotti, 2022). Success in employment builds on an accumulation of positive past experiences, in education and previous employment. In this respect, 'employability' holds onto the coattails of educational practices. The techniques discussed through this paper provide ways in which educators can help neurodivergent students to transition their identity to the workplace, notably at a time of anxiety and when delving into a difficult-to-imagine future ( Vincent, 2019). There are ample opportunities to transfer learning of good practice from education through to employment.

9. Discussion and conclusion

Universities and other higher education institutions ought to be an ideal context for neurodivergent flourishing. Studying at post-secondary level allows for increased independence, autonomy and self-advocacy, for example through the opportunity to follow passions and subjects of focused interest; choice over how, when and where to do independent study; increased flexibility of routines; and opportunities to establish new peer groups around shared interests, all within a relatively safe space. On average, university settings likely exhibit greater tolerance of difference than other contexts, both preceding and following higher education. Universities can therefore play an important role in promoting lifelong wellbeing, holistic identity development and skill learning for neurodivergent students. Collectively, day-to-day experiences of interpersonal interactions that model sensitivity, tolerance and kindness, as opposed to misunderstanding and negative judgement, can be personally transformative and lead to improved employment outcomes.

However, we know that not all neurodivergent students thrive at university, and the barriers to thriving are complex. Many experience high anxiety about exposing their difference, within systems and processes that highlight deficit and put the onus on the student to obtain support. The hidden curriculum can disproportionately exclude neurodivergent students. High demands on language, literacy, numeracy, executive functioning and social interaction in university courses pose specific challenges for individuals, depending on their profile of strength and difficulty. Pedagogical practices that are not designed for cognitive diversity inhibit students from developing a sense of competence and belonging in the learning community. Some neurodivergent students may also require enhanced support to successfully negotiate the transition from home to university, extracurricular aspects of campus life, and the transition from post-secondary education to the workplace, but such support is not universally available. In combination, these barriers can prove overwhelming, with implications for attrition, wellbeing and graduate outcomes.

The neurodiversity paradigm moves the focus for change to contexts, in contrast to the historically dominant medical model assumption that interventions should target deficits in the individual. This shift is beginning to play out in therapeutic, healthcare and educational settings, but there is more work to do. The challenges of educating a neurodiverse student body (and embodying a neurodiverse staff team, through recruitment and mentoring) can be reframed as an opportunity to transform practice. Educators and educational leaders can proactively design courses and systems that are neurodiversity-affirming and neurodiversity-inclusive. At present, pockets of good practice in universities tend to occur serendipitously, rather than as a result of strategic planning. Considering neurodiversity as a dimension of EDI that overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, disability would be an important step towards making university communities more inclusive for their neurodivergent members.

In this article, we have argued that the concept of compassion, as applied in psychological therapies, offers a useful template for educators working with neurodiverse student populations. In practice, this could mean noticing students' distress in the classroom and acting to alleviate it, harnessing individual strengths to increase students' sense of competence, and implementing principles of UDL to increase flexibility in how students access course content and demonstrate their learning. These strategies can help neurodivergent students to build a positive schema of self-in-education, which can feed forward to post-university settings and reduce the harmful impetus to mask difference. Society benefits from cognitive diversity in myriad ways; we call on university leaders and educators to act to make higher education a more compassionate context for neurodiversity.

Author contributions

LH conceptualised and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. SP contributed to conceptualisation and wrote sections of the manuscript. Both authors contributed to manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: A conceptual analysis

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The neurodiversity paradigm challenges pathologising accounts of neurodevelopmental differences, including autism, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD) and others. From a neurodiversity perspective, these ...

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On an internal presentation of autism and why it’s often missed.

A must read for both parents and education, health and social care professionals.