I found this week's topic very interesting. It is also close to home as I
have a family member that is diagnosed with autism. And while is
moderately functioning, he will never be able to live on his own and
completely take care of himself. He struggles with social cues and
norms. There are certain signs of affection that he finds uncomfortable,
such as a hug. He is easily agitated in new environments and situations.
I have seen the school system, as well as society, fail him time after time
due to a lack of understanding and knowledge of his neurodiverse
brain. But, despite all his struggles, I have seen him use his amazing gifts
to overcome so much. He is now able to have a job and has graduated
high school with good grades. He is one of the most intelligent and
intuitive people I know. He has a memory like a steel trap and a thirst for
knowledge like I have never seen. So why should he have to conform to
society's boring version of "normal?" His spirit is a rainbow in the middle
of a grayscale polaroid. Why should anyone be allowed to ask him to
dim that light in order to make it more comfortable or convenient for
others who do not understand? Neurodiversity, such as autism, ADHD,
ADD, and dyslexia, provides such a unique perspective on the world
that it allows those people to approach problems in a new way.
Individuals that posses these neurodivergent traits are often able to see
things, and come up with solutions that mainstream society cannot. I
believe this has a lot to do with the fact that people with a
neurodiversity are not resricted by by the same rules of "normalcy."
Some small steps are being taken to close the gap between individuals
with neurodivergent brains and individuals without, including the
coining and mainstream use of the word neurodiversity as well as
increased resources in schools to help provide a more suitable learning
environment for children and teens with neurodiverse traits. However,
I feel like the most important steps to creating equality are the ones
being most ignored, and those are awareness, education, and
understanding. Each one of our brains are different in the way they
work and the way they appear. Neurodiverse individuals just happen to
have a more distinguishable difference. As far as how neurodiversity
applies to the programmatic themes, it enevitably will affect each one
of these catagories as neurodiversity, at its very core, is defined as
neurological differences.
