A neurodiversity is a variation in the human brain that involves sociability, learning, attention, mood or other mental functions. The idea behind the term ‘neurodiversities’ (coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer) is that these variations are normal and should be viewed and respected like any other human difference i.e. poor eyesight, diabetes or a heart murmur.
Common neurodiversities include:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Dyslexia
- ADHD
- Learning Disabilities
- Tourette Syndrome
- Dyspraxia
- Language Impairments
In education, we refer to neurodiverse children as exceptional and there is a great reason for that. Individuals with neurodiversities simply have brains that are wired a bit differently than most people. And yes, because they think differently than a lot of people they can face challenges, but they also have super-charged areas of their brain, and advantages to the way they think that are often overlooked. We like to refer to these exceptionalities as super powers because if identified and celebrated, these powers can bring success and value to a lot of what they do.
Some of the super specialized skills or ‘super powers’ that exceptional individuals may possess include:
- Extreme focus and attention to detail
- Amazing creativity
- Strong visual memory
- Different perspectives, think outside of the box, innovative
- Tenacious and direct, able to ask difficult questions
- Persistence
- Loyalty to family and friends and those they care about
- Integrity
- Accepting of difference
- Ability to see patterns and links that many of us don’t
- Absorb and retain facts, excellent long-term memory, superior recall
- High level of skills, in-depth knowledge and expertise
Many famous, innovative and thought-provoking leaders of the present and past have been diagnosed or rumoured to have neurodiversities. Some of these individuals include: Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Jane Auston, George Orwell, Sir Isaac Newton, Dan Akroyd, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Lionel Messi, Tim Burton, Steve Jobs, Vincent Van Gogh and Thomas Jefferson. Not bad company! Each of these individuals have been lauded for their talents, innovation, creativity and smarts.
So let’s go ahead and celebrate neurodiversities and change how we look at these brain variations. Exceptional kids become exceptional adults so let’s applaud their differences and praise their efforts.
There needs to be a lot more emphasis on what a child can do instead of what he cannot do.
Dr. Temple Grandin
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Sources: www.sparx.co.uk
University of LEEDS via Aspergers Victoria
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