By Kamal Aarif Bin Kamaruddin
Every year, Neurodiversity Celebration Week is celebrated from 21 to 27 March to commemorate neurodivergent and disabled people around the world. The campaign was first launched in 2018 by Siena Castellon, a student with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), and dyslexia who wanted to celebrate neurological differences and shed light on the challenges people with learning disabilities face.
Simply put, neurodiversity refers to the uniqueness and richness of the human brain and mind. The term covers the full spectrum of cognitive, intellectual, behavioural, psychosocial, and emotional variations that exist within the human population.
Neurodiversity is based on the idea that there is not one “normal” or “correct” human brain or mind, and that differences in the way we learn, think, and process information should be embraced, not stigmatised.
Thus, instead of thinking of disabilities like ADHD and autism as a type of “disease” or “defect”, neurodiversity promotes the alternative view that there are simply different ways of thinking and being that are unfairly marginalised and maligned by society.
Being “neurodivergent” colours every part of your reality – from your sensation and perception to your mood to your thoughts and cognition – and thus forms a fundamental part of your selfhood and identity. Neurodivergent communities have their own unique worldviews, cultures, languages, and lifeways which should be respected just as we would respect any other culture, gender, or ethnicity.
The neurodiversity movement traditionally included those with learning and intellectual disabilities such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette’s syndrome.
Over time, however, the term has come to embrace a wide range of folks with diverse psychiatric differences, including schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bipolar disorder, borderline and anti-social personality disorders. Together, they form the neurodiversity umbrella.
There is still a long way to go in terms of widespread social acceptance of neurodivergent people. Awareness of neurodiversity continue to be low in the general public. While the younger generation is more aware and outspoken on mental health than ever, prejudice and misconceptions about neurocognitive disabilities continue to dominate. Neurodivergent voices are especially underrepresented in discussions about mental health and well-being.
On Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we must therefore embrace our neural differences and raise awareness about neurodiversity. What is the origin and scope of neurodiversity? What are the social barriers and issues? And what can we, as a society, do to promote neurodiversity?
On the history and origins of neurodiversity
“Neurodiversity” itself is a much older term, with a turbulent and tumultuous history in the grassroots social movements of the late 20th-century. Its usage can be traced back to the rise of disability community politics during the 1970s and the subsequent autism rights movements of the 1990s.
Responding to the widespread abuse of autistic children through behavioural modification therapy, autistic-led organisations and coalitions mobilised to fight harmful practices which sought to “change” autistic children and called for an end to all discrimination and violence against neurological minorities, including autistic people.
It was in the backdrop of these crucial social changes that the sociologist professor Judy Singer first coined the term “neurodiversity” in 1986. As an autistic woman herself, she became involved in the online spaces run by and for autistic people on the Internet.
From autistic adults traumatised by childhood behavioural therapy to the socially outcasted parents of autistic children, the Internet was a powerful medium for autistic people and their loved ones to connect and build political power through solidarity. It was through her activism in online autism communities that Judy Singer came up with the term “neurodiversity” to fight against what she saw as the oppression of neurological differences.
The concept of “neurodiversity” became an important tool in the social struggles of mentally and psychiatrically disabled communities for their social and economic justice; for their right to take control over their own lives and destinies, and to assert their autonomy politically and scientifically.
Together with the broader disability movement, the neurodiversity movement fought for the civil rights of neurodivergent people in education, employment, and healthcare; for the recognition of neurodivergence as a legitimate social, cultural, and political identity; and ultimately, for a world free from oppression, exclusion, and coercion on the basis of neurocognitive differences. When understanding neurodiversity, it is therefore important not to separate it from this highly politicised context and history.
Understanding neurodiversity and the social model of disability
Neurodiversity offers a new way of looking at differences in human brain-wiring that does not unfairly stigmatise or label those who cognize differently. Instead of looking at neurological variations like autism and ADHD as “deficits”, “faults”, or “shortcomings” that need to be corrected, neurodiversity proponents view them as a healthy part of our social ecology and human biodiversity.
In other words, there is nothing inherently wrong with thinking, learning, and relating to the world in ways that diverge from what is considered “typical” or “normal”. In fact, there are actually benefits – at both an individual and species level – to neurological diversity.
Dr. Nick Walker, an autistic activist and scholar, emphasises that neurodivergent people have limitations but these differences are also source of unique creative potentials. Singer also stressed that neurodivergent people provide specific skills that can fulfil particular niches.
Autistic children, for example, may struggle with communication but can be very fluent in technology and computer languages. Meanwhile, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been found to be highly creative and emotionally intelligent. Schizophrenic people in Ghana and India viewed the voices in their head not as invasive but as genuinely positive and playful presences who often helped them in their lives.
Meanwhile, according to Chapman in his ecological theory of neurodiversity, neurodivergent people contribute specific strengths that benefit the group as a whole. Having a neurodiverse student body or workplace means there are more cognitive resources to draw from to maximise successes and persist in the face of challenges. A company leader once recounted how autistic employees helped save his company from ruin during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their naturally systematic thought, logical analysis, and attention to detail.
In other words, neurodiversity can be a unique source of functional strengths and talents. There is no inherent deficiency to having a neurodivergent condition and their individual ability to adapt depends on the context. The true problem, however, comes from how the environment and society treats those who think, perceive, and learn differently.
This perspective finds its roots in the social model of disability. According to this model, people are not disabled by their conditions but by social structures which exclude their needs and deprive them of their autonomy. However, with the correct environment and support, disabled people can seek quality education, find fulfilling careers, build a family, and lead a generally meaningful, fulfilling, and successful life just like any other person.
As a neurological minority, neurodivergent people have to navigate and live in a world designed by and for a non-disabled and non-neurodivergent majority. This means that everyday environments like workplaces, schools, and public space often exclude disabled and neurodivergent people. Unequal power relations between disabled and non-disabled people means their voices are underrepresented in the policies that affect their lives.
In addition, disabled and neurodivergent people continue to be the victim of harmful and prejudiced beliefs about their conditions. Fear of the different and unknown still stains the way we see and treat those with intellectual, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. These beliefs pervade every level of the social hierarchy; affecting every decision about neurodivergent people from employment decisions to healthcare to housing.
Not only does this confine their opportunities to the lower rung of the socioeconomic pyramid – disabled and neurodivergent people face higher levels of homelessness, poverty, and unemployment – it also disproportionately exposes them to systemic violence. In the USA, disabled people formed about 50% of victims of state violence.
A significant number of cases are intellectually disabled people, whose erratic behaviour and speech impediments often resulted in dangerous encounters with law enforcement. Society polices, surveils, and monitors the behaviours of neurodivergent people and punishes them when they step out of neurotypical norms often to the point of violence.
Neurodivergent individuals are therefore disabled not because of the way their brains are wired but because unwelcoming environments and hostile social attitudes make it difficult if for neurodivergent people to thrive and flourish like everybody else.
To promote the well-being and health of disabled and neurodivergent individuals, we must first “treat” the social injustices that prevent people of diverse bodies and minds to live and grow. Instead of trying to change the person to fit the environment, we must change the environment to fit the person.
One important point to emphasise is that neurodiversity is not limited to the disability community. Neurodiversity is ultimately a concept for all people. Even if you are not disabled, all of us have our own distinct personality quirks, thinking styles, and social interests that we would never trade for the world. Yet, society can seem to be so judgemental and hateful to people for just being themselves.
Introverts, though not disabled, can definitely relate to the experience of being misunderstood, socially outcast, and discriminated against in jobs just because of their unique personality. Thus, to truly support neurodiversity, we must be radically accepting and embracing of anyone who might be a bit eccentric, odd, or unique than us. This means critically questioning how we think and respond to the nature of “difference” itself.
Embracing neurodiversity in the university
Stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier for neurodivergent folks to receive the support and accommodation that they deserve to thrive and flourish like anyone else. The structural challenges continue to be pronounced especially in the education sphere.
In a UK survey, at least 76% of neurodivergent students did not disclose their neurodivergence to lecturers and staff due to stigma and shame. This means that neurodivergent university students are often left without proper support for their studies.
Furthermore, research by White and colleagues showed that only 41% of disabled students in a four-year college will graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, 33% of teachers and educators continue to believe that learning challenges are just an excuse for laziness.
Knowing the challenges that neurodivergent people face, especially at the educational level, how can we make our universities and campuses a more equitable place for neurodiverse learners?
As students and educators, there are a few things that we can personally do. First of all, we must unlearn our own stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodivergent people. ADHD learners are often told that they are “distracted” or “not working hard enough”. Schizophrenic individuals are often stereotyped and criminalised as violent when they are in fact more vulnerable to abuse. Identifying and unlearning the influence of these beliefs in ourselves is an important first step.
Secondly, take the time to learn about neurodiversity and disability justice frameworks. Most importantly, learn difference between impairment as a physical state and disability as a social phenomenon. The least we can do is to be willing to educate ourselves and raise our social consciousness on these issues.
Thirdly, we must actively fight for policies which promote second-order change. There is no use raising awareness and challenging our own biases if we do not do our part to directly initiate change at a structural level. This means directly participating in social advocacy efforts, lobbying politicians to expand rights of disabled and neurodivergent citizens, and using your positions in student bodies to advocate neurodivergent students’ issues.
In pursuing these goals, it is also important to always listen to those with lived, personal experiences of disability. Neurodivergent people are often disempowered from expressing their voices. Thus, we should listen to their stories and centre their voices.
At a deeper, more structural level, university institutions and government policy-makers should pursue policies to accommodate a neurodiverse student body. This would require radially transforming the learning experience so that no one kind of “intelligence” or benchmark of intellectual function is being prioritised over another.
One method is to integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into the post-secondary learning. UDL is an evidence-based pedagogical approach which is designed to remove systematic barriers in classrooms and create a more inclusive, creative, and flexible learning environment.
This involves providing assistive technology to disabled students, using many kinds of formats for learning such as hands-on, audio, and text formats, and creating diverse kinds of tests to measure students’ progress like oral presentations and group projects.
Another method is to cultivate strength-based learning (SDL) in classrooms. Howard Gardner had a profound impact on neurodiversity for his work on “multiple intelligences”. According to Gardner, children are naturally intelligent in many things, like music, nature, art, sports, and relationships. The types of intelligences awarded at schools are not necessarily the intelligences that students are good at.
Lacking in arithmetic or logical intelligence does not mean you are not “smart”. It just means that your particular niche has not been found yet. Instead of using a single test or threshold for academic progress, SDL advocates restructuring the dominant teaching-learning strategy so that students’ multiple intelligences can be cultivated and appreciated as part of their learning experience. University institution can therefore accommodate neurodivergent students by focusing on cultivating core skills and strengths, providing diversified tools for testing multiple kinds of intelligences, and training educators on how to unlearn bias and prejudice on the basis of neurological differences.
Thus, to conclude, the human brain and mind is naturally varied. It is important to embrace our neural differences, instead of stigmatising and excluding those who might think a bit differently than us. We must fight against exclusion and oppression on the basis of neurological and cognitive distinctions. As Neil Milliken once said: “We should celebrate neurodiversity – the world would be poorer and life duller if we were all the same.” ***
(Kamal Aarif Bin Kamaruddin is a student in the Department of Psychology, AHAS KIRKHS. The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of IIUMToday.)