The Ever-Changing World of Neurodiversity

Caroline Miller discusses neurodiversity, specifically in how it has evolved medically and socially. Miller says that neurodiversity is a broad concept that provides a label for the variations in our brain structures. Neurodiversity as a movement was launched by Judy Singer to advocate for these individuals, whom she called "neurological minorities," pushing for their differences not to be viewed as hindrances or deficits, but more as variations on how their brains work. The article says that while neurodiversity as a term was coined to fight the stigma against those who have autism, the term has been adjusted to include other learning disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), sensory processing issues, and more. Since the movement for neurodiversity was launched, educators and other advocates have fought to create inclusive environments and to emphasize the strengths of neurodivergent individuals (especially students) to help them receive the free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that they deserve.

As someone who was diagnosed with ASD early on in life (who also has suspicions of ADHD symptoms, but that's a different conversation), it was refreshing to see that people have been advocating for students like me for longer than I've been led to believe. It made me feel seen. It made me feel heard. It made me feel like I truly belonged in every setting I've been in. The unfortunate part of my experiences in the world of education were that I was seen mostly as a hindrance, not someone who was genuinely struggling to follow in everyone else's steps. I would habitually forget many things that seemed routine to others, and it affected my academic performance drastically. I would sometimes be a little too loud during class instruction, and I would be called out during class, and even sometimes sent out in the hallway for a brief period of time. I didn't see that what I was doing was disruptive; in my eyes, I was happy. I was attempting to make a connection with my classmates. I struggled to pick up on social cues and register that what I was doing in class was disruptive to others. It took a lot of fighting, but my mother eventually got me on a 504 plan throughout elementary school and middle school. 

This plan provided me with accommodations to help my academic performance and my neural development. I was given a checklist that had things that I was supposed to bring home every day--homework assignments, permission slips, etc.--that I had to bring to my teacher at the end of the school day, and we would go through every single pocket of my backpack to make sure I had everything that I needed, and that I had it in the right place. Soon enough, my academic performance improved, and how I displayed myself changed as well. I was less disruptive. Not by much, but at these points, I had teachers that had an idea of how I functioned as a person, and they were nothing but patient with me throughout my time as a student, especially my middle school social studies teacher. We shared a lot of common interests, and he was able to connect with me. He was one of the few teachers that I knew would accept me for who I was, and he was able to engage with his lessons a little more easily.