Neurodiversity Affirming Movement.
BY MELISSA SLIMMING
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Autism is not bad or wrong. It does not mean anti-social, poorly behaved, or unintelligent. It does not mean a child will not make progress, communicate, have friends, excel in school, have a job, get married, or anything else. Autism is not a word to be avoided and is not anything to be ashamed of - it is simply a difference in the brain.
The Neurodiversity movement focuses on the idea that individual brain differences in function and behavioural presentation, such as Autism and ADHD, are a part of the expected variation of the human population. This means Neurotypical brains are not ‘normal’ and Neurodivergent brains are not ‘broken’ - instead all brains are healthy and worthy.
The Neurodiversity movement embraces and celebrates differences and focuses on inclusion, needed accommodations and support over finding a cure. Neurodiversity highlights differences and abilities rather than deficits and inabilities, as well as the value that Neurodivergent individuals bring to the world. Many adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as a growing number of therapists and interventionists, are very supportive of this approach to brain differences. The rainbow infinity symbol is the sign for Neurodiversity. Many adults diagnosed with Autism prefer this symbol over the popularly used puzzle piece. Many people feel the puzzle piece symbolizes there is something missing from a person and that a person diagnosed with Autism is a puzzle to be solved.
The Strengths in Autism.
Autism is often talked about and portrayed in a negative light. Living with an Autism Spectrum Condition can be difficult and/or challenging for many people, but it's also crucial to talk about and be aware of the positives and strengths commonly seen in Autism. Just like all characteristics are not seen in each individual, all strengths will likely not be seen in each person. It's common for strengths in these individuals to be easily missed or overlooked due to a focus on weaknesses and areas of need. Similarly, Autism may be overlooked due to a person having a lot of strengths. Finding a child's strengths and building on their interests is key for progress. The following are commonly seen strengths;
EXCELLENT MEMORY SKILLS: May remember words from books, directions in travel/maps, experiences, passwords, etc.
HYPERLEXIA: May learn numbers and letters early, and/or teach self to read (often without adults even realizing).
HYPERFOCUS: May be able to hyper-focus in areas of interest, spending hours experimenting and learning how items work, may know many facts or have extensive knowledge about specific topics.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Often overlooked as a weakness for "missing the big picture," but many individuals are very observant, thorough, and detail oriented.
VISUAL LEARNER: May have a good visual memory, think in pictures, or have picture memories.
ANALYTICAL: May have excellent, methodical problem solving skills, and see patterns that others miss. Often excel in math, science, technology, or engineering.
CREATIVE THINKING: May think "outside of the box" to create amazing works of art, stories, or problem solve in unique or unexpected ways.
STRONG SENSE OF JUSTICE: May avoid telling lies, be very loyal, be a rule follower (although generally not societal/social rules), and have a strong sense of what they perceive to be right and wrong.
ACCEPTING OF OTHERS' DIFFERENCES: Generally not judgmental, and very tolerant of differences.
Reframing Our Thoughts and Language
Slowly but surely, the Neurodiversity movement is helping the world to reframe how they view Autism as well as other disabilities. However, changing how the world views a topic is not an overnight event. Due to this, many clinicians and physicians are being taught only the medical model of disability, and most of the academic verbiage seen is based off of the medical model. Parents see terms like "alarming increase," "pandemic," "redflags," "deficits" when they look up Autism. Terms like this only add to the stigma that surrounds Autism and makes parents fearful about a possible diagnosis for their child. Instead, language such "expected increase based on what we have learned about Autism," "characteristics," "traits," and "differences" are considered more accurate. How we think and talk about Autism with others can have a significant impact on children and how people around them view children with differences or disabilities.
Person First vs Identity First Language
Many people wonder how we should refer to individuals with an Autism diagnosis. Do we use Person First Language (person with Autism) or Identity First Language (Autistic person)? The answer depends on the individual's preference. At university, most clinicians were taught to use person first language to signify that the child is a person first and more than a diagnosis. However, many adults on the Autism Spectrum have been vocal about their (general) preference for identity first language. Most Autistic adults feel Autism is part of their identity, not something that can be separated from them and not a disease, like cancer, that should be cured or fixed. Just as one would not say they are a person with intelligence or tallness, and would describe themselves as intelligent or tall - many Autistic adults prefer identify first when talking about their Autism. The growing Neurodiversity movement values neurodivergence and this has allowed Autistic adults to develop what is best described as their own culture, similar to the Deaf community. Many feel that Autism is only a disability because the world around us is built and geared towards Neurotypical people. As with anything, there is disagreement within the Autism community, which is why individual preferences should always be taken into consideration.
Shout out to Mrs Speechie P for increasing our awareness.
