The Neurodiversity Movement

It's a general, loosely-knit movement

Mar 24, 2023

The neurodiversity movement is a general, loosely-knit movement that wishes for society to reconsider mental disorders as natural neurological variations.

The supporters of the movement see legitimate human thinking as a broad spectrum of variations that goes beyond the normal parameters defined by a particular culture and society. They say many of what now are considered disorders are really different but legitimate ways of brain functioning. Many high-functioning autistics who succeed in school and work do not feel there is something wrong with them. They see some negative aspects to their brain function just as all ways of thinking and being have negative aspects. However, they also see and like the positives. (Robinson 2013) (Zur Institute 2015) (Armstrong 2020) (Baron-Cohen 2019)

The neurodiversity movement has traditionally been associated with the autistic. However, it has been broadened to include many other different ways of brain functioning including dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit syndrome, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, Tourette syndrome, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

The movement believes it is important to remove the stigma from mental illness and to consider all people as whole and important, not defective. One of the problems for the neurodivergent is lack of self-esteem due to how people and society consider them.

Many in the neurodiversity movement consider it a political and social justice movement. Sociologist and neurodiversity pioneer Judy Singer saw the neurodivergent as oppressed in society the same as other minorities are oppressed. She felt they should have their own movement.(Spectrum Suite 2018) (Singer 1999)

The neurodiversity movement works to get the neurodivergent integrated as best as possible into society, through education, accommodations and policies. They want to reform medical treatments. The moment wants the autistic and their advocates to be included in the debates and decision-making about treatment and handling of the disorders. They feel it is unacceptable that their views and personal needs are not weighted in decided what treatments are prescribed.(appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org 2018)

Some in the movement want to change terminology, such as getting rid of what they perceive to be stigmatizing language such as disorder, mental illness and abnormal. However, there is no uniformity of opinion about this, with some neurodivergent finding no offense and themselves using those words.

For any movement or demographic there is no one voice, no one view, no one theory, no one language. Not only is there a diversity of viewpoints within the neurodiversity movement, there are autistic and other neurodivergent who do not support the movement.

Controversies And Debates

As with any political and social movement, there are controversies and opposing viewpoints. The key disagreement is about whether or not mental disorders should be pathologized and how and if they are treated.

Some believe that autism, for one example, is a genuine mental illness and a deficiency and should be treated as such. Many parents of autistic children consider autism a disease to be cured, at least in their children. There is funding and research hoping to eradicate autism as one would hope to eradicate cancer. Many people consider children with such disorders as damaged and unwhole. (Robinson 2013) (Baron-Cohen 2019)

Many neurodiversity movement advocates say the autistic are not mentally disordered and there is nothing to cure. Some go as far as to say there should be no research into a cure and chastise parents of autistic children who search for a cure. They believe that curing a mental illness is equivalent to eugenics, and that treatments are attempts to change their personalities against their will. (Robinson 2013)

College of William and Mary neurodiversity scholar John Elder Robison writes, “To many neurodiversity proponents, talk of ‘cure’ feels like an attack on their very being. They detest those words for the same reason other groups detest talk of ‘curing gayness’ or ‘passing for white,’ and they perceive the accommodation of neurological differences as a similarly charged civil rights issue.” (Robison 2013)

Some in this camp of the neurodiversity movement can be zealous and extremist and treat derogatorily people with different viewpoints. There are complaints of groupthink, illiberalism and bullying in some social media forums from the zealous in the movement. There can be acrimonious disagreement between parents who want to treat and cure their children and those in the neurodiversity movement who are adamantly against such attempts. (Spaar 2018) (appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org) (Hiary 2021)

A criticism of the neurodiversity movement is that its advocates belong to and focus on the neurodivergent who are high-functioning. There are neurodivergent who have severe issues, including the inability to communicate, function normally, and who have great social troubles that cause them unhappiness. Some autistic and others want to be cured, and their viewpoints must be considered.

Some, such as autistic activist Twilah Hiari, say the movement paints too rosy a picture of mental disorders, emphasizing the positive aspects and glossing over the negative and disability aspects. (Hiari 2020)

A man with autism and bipolar disorder wrote the following personal perspective:

“As with so many autistics, I grew up with bipolar disease. It's a disease, not a disorder. It destroys families and lives. It dissolves friendships and results in bankruptcies. They are not just mentally different. They themselves often lead difficult lives and occasionally make others' lives much more difficult into the bargain. We should make them feel welcome and safe in our midst. I fail to see how neurodiversity instruction will accomplish that. At best it will suggest that the mentally different folks need not be blamed for failing to offer something to humanity. And I guess that is something. Not much, but something.”

Many people with disorders will never be able to finish school or financially support themselves. Society has to consider how to accommodate them and make their lives worthwhile. This also says that many social ideas of success do not apply to everyone (“Get a degree and occupation, get married and have a family”).

Happily, for the majority of people involved in this debate, there is much common ground. Whether they label autism a disorder or strongly disagree with such labeling, most agree that the neurodivergent should be treated well, and appropriately accommodated in education and work. Most from both camps believe in addressing many of these issues that cause functional problems or distress in the neurodivergent.

Neurodiversity in schools

There has been recent work to include the neurodiversity movement in the schools. Traditionally, the neurodivergent have had troubles fitting in traditional classrooms and often have been separated from normal students. Traditional school settings are often rigid, with students sitting at desks, watching long lectures, being taught and tested in particular ways. There are complaints about the content and style of teaching not just for the neurodivergent but for all students.

“From an evolutionary perspective, school is an abnormal environment. Nothing like it ever existed in the long course of evolution during which we acquired our human nature. School is a place where children are expected to spend most of their time sitting quietly in chairs, listening to a teacher talk about things that don’t particularly interest them, reading what they are told to read, writing what they are told to write, and feeding memorized information back on tests.”-- Boston College psychology professor Peter Gray, who says “ADHD diagnoses derive from schools' intolerance of normal human diversity.” (Gray 2010)

A Cambridge University study criticized the way all students are taught, including the exclusion of areas such as music and art. and its emphasis on rote learning over creativity and imagination. (Harris 2016) (suitable education 2018)

“The National Curriculum has for many years been criticised for its narrow focus and lack of room for creativity or development of problem solving skills There is an over-emphasis on the skills of reading, writing and maths at the expense of other subjects, the report claims. This limits children's enjoyment of school and risks severely compromising their natural curiosity, imagination and love of learning.”-- suitable-education.uk (suitable education 2018)

Beyond expanding the curriculum and teaching methods, schools must understand that students’ brains function in a diversity of ways. They must understand that people have different ways of learning, different skills and deficits. A student who has trouble learning in one way will learn well in another. (Sparks 2020)

When possible, the neurodivergent should be included with the normal students. It is good for all students. It helps reduce bullying and increases mutual understanding. Different thinkers have much to teach other students. Schools should teach and test to accommodate the different ways of thinking, and the diverse ways all students learn, behave and express themselves. (Rentenbach, Prislovsky & Rachael Gabriel 2017)

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Many people with mental disorders are unemployed or underemployed. Due to the ways workplaces are set up, the neurodivergent often have trouble fitting in. However, many workplaces are working to recruit and integrate the neurodiverse in their workplaces. (US Department of Labor)

Many companies have become conscious of neurodiversity, and are working to be inclusive of people with disorders. This is in part because people with certain disorders, such as high-functioning autism, bipolar disorder and dyslexia, have special skills useful for businesses.

“Most managers are familiar with the advantages organizations can gain from diversity in the backgrounds, disciplinary training, gender, culture, and other individual qualities of employees. Benefits from neurodiversity are similar but more direct. Because neurodiverse people are wired differently from ‘neurotypical’ people, they may bring new perspectives to a company’s efforts to create or recognize value.”-- Professors Robert Austin and Gary Pisano, Harvard Business Review (Austin and Pisono 2017)

It is important for business leaders to understand the concepts of neurodiversity and inclusion. It is also important to give employees general education about neurodiversity. The hiring and recruitment processes should be changed, as this is the main way the neurodiverse don’t get jobs. An autistic person may have great skills but interview poorly as she has social deficits. She may have poor eye contact, speak differently or be unusually honest. The dyslexic may have trouble with written tests. (Austin and Pisono 2017) (Williams S 2020)

"Many autistic people feel the need to hide their autism, believing employers will see this as a problem they will need to manage throughout their employment. Hiding this causes misunderstandings and frequently results in disaster. Organizations do need to understand and accept people with autism; this starts with being aware of the condition and the benefit of employing people on the spectrum."--- Technology consulting firm Auticon (Auticon in Williams 2020)

Reasonable accommodations should be made for people with mental disorders, just as they are made with an employee with a physical disability. This does not involve lowering performance standards or expectations. It means modifying work conditions to help them better do their jobs. Accommodations can include flexible working hours, and the ability to sometimes work from home. As the autistic can get sensory overload, sound-blocking headphones and quiet rest/thinking spaces free of noise and distractions. Using communication and instruction methods that suit the needs and sensibilities of the neurodivergent is important. These and other considerations can help all employees. (Day-Duro E 2018) (Bastion 2019) (Bastion 2019)

Coaching neurodivergent employees on what is expected social and occupational norms is important. Many social ways that are intuitive to most people are not to, say, someone who is autistic or bipolar. Some companies assign a work buddy to the neurodivergent and have an employee that champions the neurodiversity movement. (Williams 2020)

Businesses have learned that with accommodations and planning, they can tap into the skills of the neurodivergent. Considerations of the diversity of the ways all employees and students think, learn and best function is helpful for all employees and students.

Questions

What are your views on these topics? Should different ways of thinking not be considered disorders? How should disorders be considered, considering they situationally offer both positive and negative aspects?

Should the mentally ill be forced to take medication to make them more normal? Under what situations do you think they should be forced to take mediation?

References

appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org (2018), "What Is The Neurodiversity Movement and Autism Rights?", appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/what-is-the-neurodiversity-movement-and-autism-rights/

Armstrong T (2020),"American Institute For Learning and Human Development".institute4learning.com

Austin R & Pisano G (2017), "Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage", hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage

Baron-Cohen S (2019), "The Concept of Neurodiversity Is Dividing the Autism Community", blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-concept-of-neurodiversity-is-dividing-the-autism-community/

Bastian R (2019), "Tips For Supporting Neurodiversity In The Workplace", forbes.com/sites/rebekahbastian/2019/10/23/tips-for-supporting-neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/?sh=159173a53f8c

Day-Duro E (2018), "Welcoming Neurodiversity at Work", iedp.com/articles/welcoming-neurodiversity-at-work/

Gray P (2010) "ADHD & School: Assessing Normalcy in an Abnormal Environment"., psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/201007/adhd-school-assessing-normalcy-in-abnormal-environment

Hiari T (2020), "Mad in America, "madinamerica.com/author/sakari1/

Hirari T (2021), "Neurodiversity is Dead. Now what?", madinamerica.com/2018/04/neurodiversity-dead-now-what/

Rentenbach, Prislovsky & Rachael Gabriel (2017), "Valuing differences: Neurodiversity in the Classroom", kappanonline.org/rentenbach-prislovsky-gabriel-valuing-differences-neurodiversity-classroom/

Robinson J (2013), "What Is Neurodiversity?", psychologytoday.com/us/blog/my-life-aspergers/201310/what-is-neurodiversity

Singer, J. (1999). ‘Why can’t you be normal for once in your life?: from a “Problem with No Name” to a new category of disability’ In Corker, M and French, S (Eds.) Disability Discourse Open University Press UK

Spaar E (2018), “The Neurodiversity Movement is Dangerous” Dr. Elizabeth Spaar, family medicine physician: spectrumfamilypractice.com/single-post/2017/05/15/the-neurodiversity-movement-is-dangerous

Sparx (2020), "Four Ways to Support Neurodiversity in the Classroom", ukfiet.org/2020/four-ways-to-support-neurodiversity-in-the-classroom/

Spectrum Suite (2018) "Meet Judy Singer: A NeuroDiversity Pioneer". myspectrumsuite.com/meet-judy-singer/

suitable education (2018), "National Curriculum too narrow and failing generations of children". suitable-education.uk/national-curriculum-too-narrow-and-failing-generations-of-children/

tes.com/news/our-curriculum-so-narrow-it-bores-both-pupils-and-teachers-and-crushes-creativity

US Department of Labor (2018), "Autism", dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/autism

Williams S (2020), "Fear of breaking social norms in the workplace behind high job turnover", itbrief.com.au/story/fear-of-breaking-social-norms-in-the-workplace-behind-high-job-turnover

Zur Institute (2015), "Autism and the Neurodiversity Paradigm", zurinstitute.com/clinical-updates/autism-and-the-neurodiversity-paradigm/

David Cycleback: Big Ideas

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David Cycleback: Big Ideas

The Neurodiversity Movement

It's a general, loosely-knit movement

Controversies And Debates

Neurodiversity in schools

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Further reading and resources

Neurodiversity in schools

Resources for neurodiversity in workplaces

Articles on the neurodiversity movement controversies

Questions

References

Discussion about this post