Neurodiversity, The Key To The Future

I am often asked, “Why neurodiversity? Why is that your specialty?”.

The question always makes me smile, and I reply, “because it’s fascinating. Neurodiversity the future.”

What Is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a term coined by Australian Sociologist, Judy Singer, to better define and provide more positive connotation for diagnosable or medically apparent neurological processing differences.

That is just a long way to say that we think differently.?

Using CDC and medical studies data, it is estimated that between 25% and 30% of the population is neurodiverse.?

“But don’t we all think differently?”

Yes. Every human is slightly different from all others. However, neurodiversity specifically refers to diagnosable or medically visible/apparent variances. That is the differentiator.?

A few examples of neurodiverse diagnosis are: Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Bipolar, TBI, Dyspraxia, and Schizophrenia. There are many more examples, and some neurodiversities cannot be officially diagnosed. (Sometimes it takes medical science a while to catch up.)?

As with many other diversities, terminology preferences run the gamut with the neurodiverse population. For instance, some people prefer the term “neurodiverse” (to be neurologically diverse from the average person) while some prefer “neurodivergent” (to have neurologically diverged from the “norm”). Some people will identify with their diagnosis, for example: “I am autistic”, while others view it only as a part of their whole being and would say, “I have autism”. There is no “correct'' phrasing, so it is important to always learn an individual’s preference.?

Is Neurodiversity An Illness?

Absolutely not, at least not by the dictionary definition.?

An illness is defined as a disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind. The whole idea behind neurodiversity is that there is no sickness, thus, nothing to be cured.?

"But doctors use terms like ‘learning disability’ or ‘mental illness’.”

They do. That is because their medical training taught them those terms and they are listed in medical journals, but medical journals continuously update and there are doctors and scientists starting to push for changes when it comes to neurodiverse diagnosis and terminology.?

“The neurodiversity paradigm suggests that, because neurological differences are normal and have existed throughout human history, they should be respected, understood, and supported, rather than pathologized or viewed as disordered. There is nothing to cure.” - Psychology Today

Terminology matters. It matters more when discussing characteristics that determine human rights, job placement, and other life-sustaining aspects of society and healthcare.?

For instance, some people, as well as the American Disabilities Act, refer to many neurodiverse conditions as “disabilities”. Disability is defined as a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. It can also be defined as a handicap or disadvantage. Because of this, and the misinformation that sameness is better, many neurodiverse people struggle to find work and face social isolation. In some countries, neurodiverse persons are at risk for being imprisoned or even killed. There are real-life, detrimental consequences to poor communication about neurodiverse diagnoses. This is a big reason why terminology matters and why it must be updated. Most neurodiverse individuals also do not feel the term “disabled” applies to them, and the scientific and educational communities are backing them up.?

Scientists are using fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to determine if neurodiverse persons with certain “learning-related diagnoses” such as Dyslexia and Autism are in fact slower to develop certain areas of the brain as previously thought. According to the McGovern Institute, early studies are showing that type of content is what matters most in activating certain parts of the brain. In other words, many people with “learning-related diagnoses” can learn just fine when the information is presented in a way that is conducive to their natural function such as auditory presentation versus visual or referencing specific points of interest rather than general concepts.?

Harvard University has dived headfirst into the neurodiversity discussion and they, along with Stanford University and WebMD, have released articles and studies discussing the many talents and high productivity of most neurodiverse individuals. They discuss desirable traits such as above average intelligence, high creativity, data-driven thinking, inferential reasoning, remarkable problem solving, and hyper speed learning and productivity as being common traits in the neurodiverse community. The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development found that neurodiverse persons can be up to 50% more productive in a variety of tasks than neurotypical people. With accommodations that are often very simple and inexpensive, such as noise-canceling headphones, PDF reader apps, fidget spinner, and monitor covers, neurodiverse workers can thrive.?

Now, does this mean that every neurodiverse person should have high expectations placed upon them? No, certainly not. Everyone is different and people are more than their work performance. Does this mean that there are not disabled neurodiverse people? No. There definitely are neurodiverse persons with disabilities. However, they are not the majority, and neurodiversity is not inherently a disability. In fact, it can even be a benefit!

Neurodiversity Is The Future

About two years ago, a wonderful neurodiverse individual named Mervyn Kennedy-MacFoy came into my life. He was doing a lot of work in the diversity space, and a few of his posts really resonated with me, so I had him on my show. He was brilliant, insightful, and positively inspirational, so when I decided to create an anti-bias applicant tracking system, I immediately thought of him for my focus groups. At the end of these groups, I would hold a Q&A and then ask for a few bullet points of feedback via email. Everyone complied… except Mervyn. He emailed me a day or two later and let me know that he would have feedback for me, but it would take a few days. I assumed he was busy or was trying to decide on his wording and thanked him for the communication.?

A few days later, I received my feedback email from him. It was magnificent! He included paragraphs, bullets, images, and a full presentation complete with research, graphs, and product mapping. He had even designed out a wonderful feature that allowed for public diversity accountability and showcasing. The feature was spectacular! I immediately reached out and offered him a role with equity on our team. In large part due to Mervyn, our product reached a whole new level and continues to be recognized for its inclusion and innovation on international platforms.?

Mervyn thinks differently. He perceives differently. He works differently. Because of this, he is a remarkable human and asset, and it is this type of extraordinary ability and diversity in wave-length that makes neurodiversity a vital aspect of our societal growth. Whenever someone can think on a different plane or see a situation in an unusual fashion, innovation happens. Per BCS The Chartered Institute For IT, this is exactly what neurodiversity provides. That is how we move forward. Innovation is how we as a society become greater!?

Mervyn is only one of many extraordinary neurodiverse humans helping to launch our society into greatness. You may recognize the names Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, Barbara Corcoran, and Elon Musk. It is also heavily theorized that Einstein was neurodiverse due to some of his functionality and processing differences. From music moguls to space scientists such as Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, neurodiverse folks are changing the world.

Neurodiversity is the future.?

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