Should neurodiverse individuals change themselves to conform to
mainstream society? The answer is simply, absolutely not. Studies have
found that the genes that contribute to neurodiversity, such as the
DRD4 gene found in ADHD, have been around for tens of thousands of
years (Maceachron, 2021). This fact points to the idea that
neurodiversity does not point to a disability, but yet a mutated ability
that has stood the test of time - natural selection. Neurodiversity can be
linked to heightened creativity, systematic understanding, and
memory, as well as having many other advantages the "mainstream
society" may not be able to offer. It would be a tragedy to lose people
who are gifted in ways many people are not. One could argue that a
mainstream society
is
a society with naturally occurring differences and
neurodiverse people scattered throughout it as a norm.
i Society benefits from neurodiversity, or different ways of thinking,
because the creativity and ingenuity that is linked to neurodiversity are
key traits needed for innovation. Engineer and designer Shawn Brown
(2021), said it best:
It's our collective responsibility, to ensure that young people in schools
can learn in ways that embrace and support their creativity and their
neurodiversity. Because if we don't, then we're going to miss out on
many of the innovators, problem solvers, and inventors that we need in
our everchanging world.
i People like Brown are a great example of how we can end the stigma of
needing to "fix" neurodiversity. In order to realize the abilities and
benefits of neurodiversity, we need to focus on the strengths rather
than the hindrances of these "disorders" (I truly do not enjoy that term,
as I have always said a disability actually just means an extra ability
somewhere else.) Once we allow someone who is neurodiverse a
chance to flourish in their own ways and succeed within their strengths,
the advantages are clear as day. In conclusion, I believe people need
more exposure and experience with people who think differently than
them to allow a blending of ideas and creativity. With these genetic
differences being heavily present in art, engineering, and designing
fields, it is hard to see neurodiversity as a negative concept. (YouTube
Video)
i Allowing ourselves to learn about this kind of diversity and to also
embrace it, not only enhances our emotional intelligence, but in a way
also takes a leap towards social justice by supporting others who have
felt excluded from the "mainstream society" because they think
differently than most. We see cases of this exclusion in scenarios such
as children being unfairly assessed in the school systems based solely
off of retention and organization, or as with prisoners with these genes
that relied on their unconventional strengths to make money for their
families when they find themselves unemployed or struggling.
Neurodiversity, and the understanding of the concept, applies to
emotional intelligence in a sense that we can be more aware of our own
thought process and more socially aware of others' as well. In addition,
this concept can increase our self-care in how we allow ourselves to
process our thoughts and emotions and to accept the fact we may have
to treat ourselves differently than we would others. If we can come to a
mutual understanding that neurodiversity is not about "disabilities",
but rather a different set of abilities and other differences in the brain,
there can be an enormous beneficial impact resulting in a storm of
creativity, innovation, and beauty harmoniously in the world.
References:
[SNHU A11y Remediated Videos]. (2021, November 17).
PSY-108
Human Neurodiversity Should Be Celebrated, Not Treated as a
Disorder (CC)
. YouTube. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ROlAsFiLso
[TEDx Talks]. (2021, December 13).
Neurodiversity: an untapped
resource for future inventors | Shawn Brown | TEDxTruro
. YouTube.
Retrieved September 8, 2022, from (40) Neurodiversity: an untapped
resource for future inventors | Shawn Brown | TEDxTruro - YouTube
