Neurodiversity is the diverse thinking of our brains (some like to say our individuality), no two people are born the same, neurodiversity celebrates that in a simple word.
All of us in life as we age, grow and change, we always discover who we are, what makes us the person we are and where our calling is in life. I know that process may take longer for a person who is Neurodiverse, based on my experience because I was different to many people around me due to ‘weirdness’, intensity, insulting and so many other negative/discomforting aspects and I never realized how or why I was doing them until I was diagnosed with Asperger at the age of 9, although not told until I was 13. Even after that, it took time for me to figure out right from wrong or apply logic and above all get organized with myself and my life. My involvement in the Autistic community for 11 years now, has given me a sense of awareness in knowing that my people (Autistics) have every right to achieve the greatness they desire and accept themselves for who they are. I am proud to have Asperger because it has given me a great many things and made me establish the notion, that I am proud of whatever is happening in my life. I discover myself every day and learn what contributes to being who I (Vikram Wagh) really am, especially the fact that even if all kinds of Autism such as Asperger had a cure, I would never take it. What makes us who we are as Autistics does not make us mentally or physically sick or impaired or weak individuals who need to be cured with problems that need to be confronted and resolved. In the simplest of terms, neurodiversity is no weakness but rather a strength, one that is unique and an individualist form of human expression that deserves every right to be supported and nurtured.
The History of Neurodiversity
With the rate of diagnoses for neurodiverse conditions on the rise this led to heightened awareness around symptoms and a growing acknowledgement and recognition among the medical community of neurodiversity as a valid medical condition. This inevitably sparked conversations about neurodiversity with friends, family members, co-workers, and society as a whole. The problem was no one knew how to talk about neurodiversity.
It had long been a taboo subject with large parts of society still believing conditions like ADHD were not real and had been invented to excuse poor behaviour in children and parents were to blame for not raising their children properly by imposing boundaries on their behaviour in the home.
As a result, when we first started talking about neurodiversity, we talked about it the wrong way. Straight away, neurodivergent people were talked about as being ‘different’ and ‘not normal’ which in contrast, meant neurotypicals were referred to as being ‘normal’. Yet this label proved problematic as many neurotypicals felt it invalidated the struggles and challenges they faced in their lives. Just because they weren’t neurodivergent didn’t mean they didn’t have medical or other conditions that impacted their daily lives and their ability to interact and participate in the world. To reflect this sentiment, the language soon evolved in the conversation around neurodiversity and the label ‘normal’ was changed to ‘neurotypical’ (although I prefer the term ‘proper’).
Neurodivergent people were commonly referred to as having ‘invisible disabilities’ which many found to be offensive and invalidating especially as this fed into the existing beliefs held by some in society that these conditions were not real. Soon the neurodiverse community banded together to define their own identity and empower each other. No longer would they be defined by others outside the community. They would define who they were for themselves.
Thus, the term ‘neurodiverse’ was born.
The umbrella theory.
A easy way of exampling Neurodiversity is through the umbrella theory. Neurotypical and Neurodiverse people are included under the neurodiversity umbrella.
The Neurodiverse/Neurodivergent umbrella is more detailed (with grops of people with stronger essence of diversity, compared to the typical)
The neurodivergent is an umbrella term refers to the diverse function of the brain, compared to the majority of people whom are called neurotypical, no two brains are the same, not even twins, diversity is our humanity.
Neurodiversity isn’t an illness that needs to be cured; it is a different way of thinking.
To remove neurodiversity from someone is to take away the air they breathe, due to our Neurodiversity being our individuality, physically, emotionally & some would say spiritually.
Everyone is included on the neurodiversity spectrum.
Those who taught me about neurodiversity.
Neurodiverse Celebrities
(Sir) Anthony Hopkins – Academy- award winning Welsh actor
Orlando Bloom – English actor
Jack Horner – American palaeontologist
Dan Aykroyd – Canadian actor
Lee Kuan Yew – First Prime Minister of Singapore
The End