All of us have encountered a question or problem either situational, emotional, or academic that has perplexed us. But have you ever come down to a concrete solution? Are you always able to navigate you’re way out of the problem with a step-by-step process that leads you to the right answer? Perhaps this may apply to you, but for some, it is a little bit more complicated than that. There may be a student who needs an extra source of facilitation to get to that answer or solve that problem. The student may struggle to resort to their critical thinking skills independently and may need some assistance for them to do it correctly. But when that facilitation or accommodation is absent, they fall behind.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canadas has coined the definition.“Learning Disabilities (LD) refer to several disorders that may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding, or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average or higher abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, Learning Disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.”
Neurodiversity is the concept that states there are different ways of learning, different avenues, and perceptions in which we approach things and that there is no linear way of thinking. Being “neuro-divergent” means you’re brain just works differently than a “neuro-typical” person. Individuals with ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, autism, or neurotypical differences all have brains that are hard-wired to work differently. Neurodiversity is diversity in itself just like there is diversity in race, gender, ethnicity, etc. The neurodiverse movements are led by many autistic leaders and advocates and others who identify as neurodivergent. It highlights that different reflections and variations in our brains function and work differently, rather than a disease that needs to be cured. Sometimes people who have learning differences or have a neurodivergent identity are told to mask those differences, and when they shield them, they are often forced into intense environments that are foreign to their way of thinking, therefore it is harder for them to acclimate to those traditional environmentss and can often lead to anxiety, depression, or mental disorders if they do not get the proper facilitation that accommodates to their learning needs.
It is because of these traditional environments, that neurodiverse youth can identify many of their hurdles with environmental factors such as school. For example, rigid school schedules, loud working environments, fast-paced teaching styles, and limited accommodations such as isolation, audio, computers, speech-to-text, extended times, etc, can make it almost impossible for the youth to function well. Now another part of the movement is to encourage change in environments from birthday parties to workplaces to create more inclusive and welcoming environments for neurodivergent folks.
The neurodiversity movement was coined in the 1990s by Australian sociologist Judy Singer, who herself, is on the autism spectrum. It was seen as a social justice movement in response to the stigma targeted towards those with ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodevelopment disorders. Judy Singher aimed to reject the notion of perceiving learning and neurological differences as deficits, and instead as different variations in our brains, thus empowering individual who possesses these different variations and utilizing them to enhance their strengths and potential. Now this movement reshapes how individuals view neurological development disorders, and how those who are in diverse communities can contribute to society with their uniqueness.