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 in today's
society. 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 in order 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
different 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.
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 as a whole. 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 didn’t. 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.
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 as a whole
just as the color of our hair, eyes, skin, or body types are considered
different but just a part of who we are as an individual.
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 as a whole. 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 doesn’t matter how the self-care
is managed as long as 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.
TED. (2010, February). The world needs all kinds of minds [Video].
https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_educating_different_kin
ds_of_minds
