Here are my answers to the proposed questions.
I do not believe any person should "conform" to fit in to society. I believe our neurological
differences should be understood and accepted by all within our lives. What I will say though,
is that if you are confused by your condition, or if it is allowing for miscommunications or
troubles in your life, whether personal or professional, you should do what you can to alleviate
those situations by learning how to manage them in a way that is beneficial for you and also in
a way that educates those you work and live closely with, so that you can enhance your
relationships and feel better about yourself. I do not believe a person who is neurologically
diverse needs fixed, but I do believe in being in control of our own actions by any means
necessary, just because we may live with a certain condition does not give us free reign to hurt
or disrespect others without consequence.
We have clearly seen some amazing benefits of neurodiversity within society. One new age
example I would use is the broader acknowledgment and less professional bias against those
of the LGBTQ community. Although not everybody personally agrees with such a lifestyle,
we have seen that with the media and tons of businesses pushing for acceptance of all, we have
all been freer to be ourselves more outwardly than ever before, I can only imagine how much
more comfortable in their skins they must be now! A broader example of the positives of
diverse thinking is a wider selection of ideas to handle a problem, a condition, an outdated
workplace or medical practice, etc. We can develop more humane or all-inclusive ways to
handle situations with a diverse range of opinions and ideas.
I believe a good way to enhance acceptance and discourage stereotyping of neurodivergence
would be to create some kind of bias/diversity awareness class that can be taught to youth in
all walks of childhood within the school system. Young minds are more receptive to change
then old ones, plus they will bring in the future! The youth of our nation are undergoing some
major crisis across the nation in this age. Excessive violence, depression, and hatred has
become the new normal within our youth and it has had devastating consequences. I believe
that our adult lives have become so enamoured with stress and the need to provide due to
inflation that we spend less time on the mental care of our loved ones and ourselves. We have
been so caught up in our need to survive this era that we cannot find the time or mental
capacity to handle EVERYTHING, and our children are suffering.
The concept of neurodiversity relates to the programmatic course themes as follows: c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c
c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c Self-Care: In this regard accepting our neurological
difference can be a staple in self-acceptance and being comfortable in your own skin. We can
use this knowledge to come to terms with the fact that we do NOT struggle alone, and we can
see that others like us can live long and happy lives despite their differences and seek out help
for ourselves.
Social Justice: We can obviously see the connection to this theme, justice itself means "fair
treatment", so, to me this says that social acceptance of EVERYONE despite how their minds
work, is a RIGHT that should be granted to all.
Emotional Intelligence: This theme shares some of its relationship to neurodiversity with self-
care. The more we know about neurodiversity, the more our knowledge of individual emotion
and behaviour expands. This knowledge not only assists us in understanding more about our
own mental workings but teaches us how all human life interprets information differently,
leading to many contrasting feelings and emotions that we should be aware and respectful of.
Career Connections: The knowledge and understanding of neurodivergence will allow you to
be more aware of the feelings of those around you, this is a trait that is critical within the
professional environment. It will allow you to have professional yet respectful relationships
with those that you work with daily. Although you may not want a friendship with those you
work with. Consistent miscommunication or ignorance with colleagues can make the work
environment a very uncomfortable one and could cause one person or the other to no longer
feel at ease in their job; this could easily lead to outward frustration towards coworkers,
arguments, poor motivation, and even the inability to stay within that environment.
Ethics: Morality and knowing the difference between right and wrong is key to living a happy
and respectable life. It keeps you empathetic and unbiased towards loved ones and those
around you, and it keeps you out of trouble! Although we all have various beliefs, having
disregard for human life in its entirety, I believe, will only lead to failure and a very lonely life,
unless you surround yourself with those that have severe moral failings equal to your own. To
expect or demand respect or consideration you must first be willing to hand it out to others
especially through your differences.
Individuals that are neurodiverse should not have to conform to mainstream society.
Neurodiversity should be embraced and even celebrated. Mainstream society recognizes that
each individual person has strengths and weaknesses. Neurodiverse people are no different.
They may struggle in some areas but they also excel in others.
Society as a whole benefit from different ways of thinking every day. Different ways of
thinking provide alternate perspectives that otherwise would not be considered. Something
that is a mystery to one person could be obvious to another.
The first step in moving away from the stigma placed on neurodiversity is awareness and
understanding. Many people may have been taught that neurodiverse people are disabled or
handicapped. Society needs to be educated on the fact that neurodiversity is a normal
variation. Another part of ending the stigma is neurodiverse people being transparent about
their neurodiversity. Society could see the great accomplishments and testimonies of
neurodiverse people. All these things show that the concept of neurodiversity relates to the
programmatic theme of social justice.
Should individuals who are neurodiverse change themselves to conform to mainstream
society? The ignorance inherent in this question angers me! (colourful adjective) NO! Nobody
should feel the need to conform to mainstream society. Society benefits from having
everyone's unique contributions. The world would be very boring if we all were the same.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child in the mid 80's. Medicine, therapy, and group sessions
soon followed as my parents attempted to follow the doctor's advice. Counsellors would work
with me to "normalize" my behaviour and make it easier for others to deal with me. This often
made me feel like an outcast and I continually asked myself why was I different. It was not
until I stood up for myself and refused to take the medicine that I truly came into my own. So,
what if small things could distract me, I set more breaks when doing tasks to allow for a reset,
I can do anything I set my mind to. Maybe I cannot sit still for long periods of time, but is my
fidgeting really bothering anyone? I still struggle with these issues today, but I know who I
am, and I am comfortable with that person. Thankfully society is already moving away from
viewing neurodiversity as something that needs to be fixed. There is still a long way to go.
Children should not be systematically medicated to make it easier for the adults in their life to
deal with them. Society needs to understand that every person deserves to be an individual,
and sometimes that individuality is not compatible with you. It does not make it wrong, just
different. Embrace, understand, and support.
That brings me to the theme that neurodiversity applies to, and for me, it comes back to self-
care. When I embraced my differences is when the world opened for me. I became happier and
easier to deal with. I found it easier to care for myself and navigate the natural struggles of life.
As a scout leader, I try to pass on the concept of individuality and inclusion to every youth, and
some of the parents who seem to need this lesson. We celebrate differences every chance we
get. I just hope these young people will grow with a sense of self-worth and embrace the
treasure they truly are to society.
I do not believe that individuals who are neurodiverse should change themselves to conform to
mainstream society. So many people fall into the Autism Spectrum, and many people are
Dyslexic and have ADHD. Instead of forcing them to conform to our ways, why shouldn’t we
adapt to theirs? Adapting school systems and jobs to allow and accommodate for more people
would allow for more creativity and other unique viewpoints. By allowing more people to be
included into mainstream society, we are opening a door for more people to help in problem
solving. Imagine how different certain things would be if there had been more inclusivity. As
a society we would all greatly benefit from many ways of thinking. The reason being that there
are more angles and perspectives on the subject. Sometimes we just need to change the way
we think of something, but not everyone can do that. For others it is very natural, and has a lot
to offer to the team because of that.
We can start to move away from the stigma of neurodiversity once we start including it into
mainstream society. Many of the stigmas are there because people do not understand how they
could ‘fit’ into the rest of the world, and that is because they should not have to. The rest of us
should be making the effort to make changes to be able to have everyone included as much as
possible. Once this change is made, and once it has been included in to daily life for everyone,
people will start to understand and learn for themselves how they can contribute to the
community.
Neurodiversity can be applied to Emotional Intelligence, both to the individuals who are and
are not neurodivergent. Someone who is neurodivergent benefit from high emotional
intelligence because they can start to examine themselves and see what area they flourish in.
They can really evaluate what situations they best work in, and which areas to focus on. They
can also benefit by being able to ask for help, and work on solutions for whatever they need.
For someone else that is working with a neurodivergent person, having high emotional
intelligence is also key. They would be able to have empathy with the person, so they can be
attentive to whatever needs they might have. They can be understanding of their situation and
help by giving advice or guidance.
Individuals who are neurodiverse should not change themselves to conform to mainstream
standards. As we saw in both TED talk videos, people who are neurodiverse can be very
creative and intelligent. Neurodiverse people and society need to start appreciating the unique
skills and creativity that come with neurodiversity. Rather than treat them as someone with a
sickness, we should get to know, understand, and accept them for who they are. As a society,
we can all benefit from the unique skills and talents neurodiverse people have. Some may
become scientists, doctors, or artists. Neurodiverse people can possess skills that may change
society or the world as we know it. We, as humans, tend to see neurodiversity as something we
need to fix because we have a hard time accepting change. If we see something different than
everything else, we tend to think something is wrong. We must start celebrating their skills
and talents rather than trying to fix what we believe is wrong. Neurodiversity can correlate
with social justice. If we accept neurodiversity socially, we can change the outlook on
neurodiversity.
I do not feel that neurodiverse individuals should change themselves to conform to
mainstream society overall. However, I do feel that neurodiverse individuals should be given
the tools to understand their differences and gain knowledge on how to function today. This
does not mean that the individual is not normal or unable to function in their own way.
Mainstream society is managed in a specific way and for neurodiverse individuals to be
successful, they do need to be able to hold a job, socialize, and be able to care for themselves
and/or their family. There are many ways to function in society and it does not have to be the
same way as others. In fact, it is beneficial for everyone to have their own unique way of
functioning and thinking. Differences should be celebrated and embraced. Conforming to one
way of doing things does not make sense. Different thought processes are vital to being
successful in life and thriving as a society. c
Society benefits from different ways of thinking by gaining different perspectives on subjects.
This allows for creativity, inventions, and problem solving to improve our society. Temple
Grandin mentioned in her talk that everyone sees things differently. Neurodiverse people can
think in pictures or in patterns. This allows for society to benefit when a problem arises by
finding different solutions that another person may not see. Temple Grandin gave an example
of the slaughter farms and her ability to see things that others did not. She would get down into
the position the cow was in while in the shoot to see why they would become frightened at
certain things. This perspective was one that allowed her to solve the problem of the cows
spooking and helped her create a better system for the cows. c
Acceptance is one of the biggest ways to move away from the stigma of neurodiversity being
regarded as something to fix. As adults in all fascists of life, we should teach acceptance and
understanding instead of teaching our children to outcast and fear those that are different. If we
want this stigma to disappear, we need to start with our children as they are the future.
Neurodiversity should be considered normal and recognized as part of humanity just as the
colour of our hair, eyes, skin, or body types are considered different but just a part of who we
are as an individual. c
The programmatic course themes look different for every single individual and it is no
different for the neurodiverse. Each theme is developed by an individual through the way they
were raised, their personal experiences, social interactions and their personal thoughts and
feelings. The theme of social justice is the one theme that stands out the most to me when
discussing neurodiversity. All people have the right to be true to themselves, obtain the tools
to be successful, and be treated fairly as a human being. Those that are neurodiverse improve
the lives of those around them with their different perspectives and elevate society. Self-care is
important to the improvement of an individual's well-being and allows the person to have time
to reflect and sooth their soul. This may look like long walks on the beach or reading a book
for some but for a neurodiverse individual it could be painting or working on a puzzle as this is
calming for their mind. In the end, it does not matter how the self-care is managed if you get
the benefit of personal time to just be. Depending on where the neurodiverse individual is on
the spectrum, emotional intelligence, career connections and ethics may be a difficult concept
for some as it deals with social aspects of life. Neurodiversity such as autism or Asperger's can
often have difficulty navigating social cues because of their literal mind. This can make it hard
for them to empathize and communicate with those around them. However, they can show
socialization in different ways such as through loyalty. Neurodiversity is just a different way
of processing things. c
In this world people are conditioned at a young age to feel as though something is wrong with
them. If you are not the dominant race, gender, or brain type you will face difficulties your
whole life. As times change and evolve people with any intelligence realize that diversity is
something to embrace. This also is true with neurodiversity. Not everyone thinks the same and
that is what has allowed us to prosper in this world. In earlier times there was not a specific
name for certain types of thinkers. Many geniuses before our time had diverse brain types that
allowed them to think outside the box. Neurodiversity is a gift. If everyone had the same kind
of brain the human population would have been stagnant and died out long ago. Diversity is
equal to evolution. Problem solving that is included in survival would have not been possible
without certain scientists with 'special' brains.
c c c c c Noone should have to change who they are to conform to society. It is not really a question
of should or should not they; it is just a reality that people are made different, and they are how
they are. To say that someone changes for others would mean that they are living a lie. Noone
asks to be a certain way. We are all trying to live our truths as we were made to. If a person on
the autism spectrum has a major focus on how cancer cells are made and reproduce it is likely
that they will spend many more hours on this topic compared to someone who is not as
focused. This could mean a potential cure for cancer. Although this is a hypothetical scenario,
it may very well be true regarding many different issues. Different spectrums of
neurodiversity are not new and will not be extinct anytime soon.
c c c c c I have always had a hard time interacting with others in a 'normal' fashion and have always
felt that there was something wrong with me. I have a brother that is extremely awkward in
social environments but is a genius with computers and how they operate. Although it is hard
to communicate with him, I have learned to accept him the way he is. This should be societies
take on the situation considering that such a huge number of the population has a different way
of thinking and interacting. We can all benefit from everyone's contributions.
After all the studies from all different types of people it seems obvious that the public
should understand that not all brains are wired the same way. There is no real 'normal' that
exists. Now as more information comes to light people should realize that people's brains have
always been different. There just was not a name for it. It is helpful for people with
neurodiverse brains to take a stand and speak about their life experiences to inform people of
the reality of our world. Treating people with respect is so important for a prosperous society
throughout the world. As people on different neurological spectrums try to adapt for your
comfort the same should be shown for them. This is how we will live in a just and ethical
world. By accepting each other, even when we do not understand them.
Understanding and accepting one another is not just a social issue. It affects people's basic
needs to survive. If someone who is wrongly judged by their neurodiversity is not able to get a
job or go to school, they will not be able to live. What options do they have? My mind was
opened so much by the Shawn Brown Tedtalk video about his experiences dealing with
dyslexia. It made me realize so much about my son's learning style that I never noticed before.
I would also like to share a saying from a friend with a daughter who has autism. She shares a
hashtag saying, "Different not less." I think this something we can all take in and embrace
while spreading love and compassion.
Neurodiversity: an untapped resource for future inventors | Shawn Brown | TEDx Truro
https://youtu.be/uecEdkEoY4E
TED. (2010, February). The world needs all kinds of minds [Video].
https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_educating_different_kinds_of_minds
Myers, D., & DeWall, C. N. (2020). Psychology (6th ed.). Soomo Learning.
https://www.webtexts.com
Human Neurodiversity Should Be Celebrated, Not Treated as a Disorder (3:15)
Neurodiversity: An Untapped Resource for Future Inventors | Shawn Brown (13:59)
Neurodiversity – The Key That Unlocked My World | Elisabeth Wiklander (17:59) (CC)
