Neurodiversity- do we want to take an average approach?

Neurodiversity- are you average?

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."

said Eleanor Roosevelt

When we design education and employment systems we usually design them for an average person (this usually = man). But what does that really mean and who misses out all together?

What are we referring to? Which popultion? Which gender? We have also changed over time.

For example a 2016?study?showed that Iranian men have seen the biggest change in height over the last century, gaining about 6.7 inches (17 centimeters). In 2013, Lamm, a graphic artist built different average avatars. Different measures in different countries.

Anthropo?comes from the Greek word meaning “human.”?

Metry?comes from the word “metron,” which means “measure.”

How tall you are may be based on your genetics and also other factors such as nutrition. The?World Health Organization (WHO) describes how malnutrition?affects every country and can impact both height and weight. There are specific conditions that cause excess growth hormone ( coming from the pituitary gland) such as acromegaly that can result in increased height. At the other end of the scale there are genetic conditions such as achondroplasia?that affects bone growth and Turner syndrome?(Monosomy X).

Our classrooms, workplaces and homes have been designed usually for a mythical average person. ?Le Corbusier developed his proportional system?Le Modulor?in the 1940s, the great architect had in mind a handsome British policeman.?In a post second World War homes were designed for a 6 foot man. One city that designed with women in mind was Aspern in Austria.“Gender mainstreaming” is the practice of ensuring women and men are accounted for equally in policy, legislation and resource allocation. Proposed in 1985, it was?enshrined?as the UN’s global strategy for gender equality in 1995, but Vienna had adopted it years earlier.

Why is this important when we consider neurodiversity. The way we operate our lessons and exams in school, and our recruitment processes and working practices has really been designed to fit a specific 'shape' person - this mythical average. The closer you are to these dimensions in the way you fit, work, process information etc then the better you will do in that society... if you read, speak, respond at speed, walk and have some digital skills ( for work) and writing skills for school you will do OK. You are closer to this average,

How average are YOU in reality? What skills are you really good at? What skills are you less good at?

• Sporty but not good at maths
• Good communication but not very good at getting it down on paper
• Creative but not sporty
• Great at maths but not so good at communicating orally.....

Albert Einstein said:

“I am not more gifted than the average human being. If you know anything about history, you would know that is so--what hard times I had in studying and the fact that I do not have a memory like some other people do… I am just more curious than the average person and I will not give up on a problem until I have found the proper solution. This is one of my greatest satisfactions in life--solving problems--and the harder they are, the more satisfaction do I get out of them. Maybe you could consider me a bit more patient in continuing with my problem than is the average human being. Now, if you understand what I have just told you, you see that it is not a matter of being more gifted but a matter of being more curious and maybe more patient until you solve a problem.”

In this brave new digital era we need to move from wanting to be average to embracing diversity of thinking.I think we don't really want to become average people - we want curious people who do not accept that average is ever that interesting. In order to move the dial forward you need your outliers. We need education and employment to embrace this and consider how we support each person being their best rather than trying to fit us into a system that was built for a mythical man!

**I am taking a break next week- trying to chill for a few days and think about other things... quite hard really as I sleep, eat and live a neurodiverse life!**

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The blog author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of?Do-IT Solutions?a tech-for-good company that delivers web-based screening tools that help deliver person-centered solutions. I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity. I am a medical doctor, Professor, and Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity; parent and grandparent to neurodivergent wonderful kids and am neurodivergent myself ( bits of me I share!).

The wonderful Theo Smith and I wrote together?Neurodiversity at Work?Drive Innovation, Performance and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce.A few weeks ago we won the?Business Book Awards 2022 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?for the best book. I have my 10th book coming out called Neurodiversity in Education later in 2022. ( see picture).

I have been voted one of the top 20 Thinkers by?HR magazine for 2022- so I need to start thinking a bit more!!!

What a change we can make if we all work together.

Thanks for letting me be a small part of it.

Other References:

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