Advocacy for Atypical Thinkers
I wrote this short essay for an assignment in a social policy class back in 2012 or 2013 I think. It was during the first few years after my diagnosis when I was beginning to understand the paradigm of ableist culture.
Neurodiversity is a term coined by sociologist Judy Singer to describe conditions like autism, dyslexia and ADHD. Her hope was to begin to set a new tone in the everyday discourse about atypical ways of thinking that didn’t focus on the negative deficits and impairments of such disorders. Singer’s term was adopted quickly by the large and growing autism rights movement. Today the neurodiversity movement, though rooted in the autism rights movement, is a global movement that encompasses all of the following neurological differences: autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which also includes Aspergers’ Syndrome, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dyslexia, tourettes and AD(H)D (neurodiversitysymposium).
Growing up I was an early victim of the assembly line public school system, immediately being labeled inattentive and disruptive by some teachers, while others reported they found me a delight in class and a model student. Despite the few positive words, the negative reports are what gained momentum in the chit-chatty teacher circles and before I even finished second grade, unbeknownst to me the next ten years of my academic life had now been pre-determined.
I had applied to community college after high school wanting to start in a general science curriculum, but upon examining my grades and test scores the admissions advisor told me I wasn’t smart enough for science and should consider something like broadcasting because I have a great personality. Needless to say, I barely survived two semesters of community college before completely dropping out.
I was diagnosed with ADD combined type at age 28, began taking medication and going to therapy to help undo the past 28 years of being told I was stupid or lazy along with learning how to move forward with a fresh outlook. I know from first hand experience how horrible an experience the world can be when you can’t perform within the established constraints set forth by today’s society.
The neurodiversity movement is an extension of the disability rights movement into the cognitive, affective and perceptual differences realm and is collectively represented by individuals, families, allies, advocates and organizations of the various disorders that fall under its umbrella. To explore the movement in more detail, I will focus on the ADHD sub-movement as a result of my personal involvement.
The primary return on advocating for neurodiversity is to ensure equal opportunity and rights for atypical thinkers and help to increase awareness and acceptance that will lead to larger scale changes where society can benefit from the many unique talents found within the atypical thinkers group. Ultimately our goal is to encourage society to appreciate and celebrate cognitive differences while asking for reasonable accommodations in areas like education and the work environment. Given the 10,154 articles on ADHD in the past year, one might be surprised to find that ADHD awareness and understanding are still very limited outside of the institutions, organizations, families and individuals who are directly affected by it. There are various organizations that exist to provide advocacy and support for the ADHD community including CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyper-Activity Disorder), ADHDAware, ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association) and help4adhd. These non-profit organizations are funded by donations from individual members and groups in return for providing information, resources and advertising space. CHADD provides resources and facilities throughout the nation where individuals can obtain support via volunteering professionals and support groups along with local advocacy resources.
The most recurring topic among the three websites mentioned in the previous section is that of dispelling ADHD myths, specifically that of what ADHD really is. For example:
Public perceptions of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are replete with myths, misconceptions and misinformation about the nature, course and treatment of the disorder. Popular misconceptions assert that ADHD is not a disorder or at minimum, is a benign one that is over- diagnosed. Critics often claim that children are needlessly medicated by parents who have not properly managed their unruly, unmotivated or underachieving children, or who are looking for an academic advantage(e.g., testing or classroom accommodations) in competitive, high-stakes educational environments.
The above quote comes from the help4adhd website and summarizes the most prevalent myth and awareness issue for ADHD and those who suffer from it. The site then builds their argument citing various research studies. Studies over the past 100 years demonstrate that ADHD is a chronic disorder that has a negative impact on virtually every aspect of daily social, emotional, academic and work functioning (Barkley, 1998). Dr. Russell Barkley is a research psychiatrist with the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University who has devoted the past 40 years of his career to understanding ADHD. On their Myths and Misunderstandings page, help4adhd.org cites 26 different research papers to provide a varied background of information to support their answers and conclusions.
Despite the large number of references to scientific articles, research in the psychological, psychiatric and neurological fields is very challenging for many reasons which are beyond the scope of this paper. Keeping this in mind, there is always room to question with some inquisitive skepticism as to validity of all the claims made by the researchers. I know from reading Dr. Barkley’s papers, he clearly states the uncertainties in his studies that he is aware of, how they may skew the data and invites others to replicate his work as to help strengthen or dismiss some of this findings.
Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette’s are neurological conditions that can’t be cured or corrected. Those of us who are born with these neurological differences are quite capable of contributing to society in a many great ways, but unfortunately many of us are lost and tossed aside because of the current rigid structure of society today that is highly unfriendly and unwelcoming to the non-neurotypical types.
For more on human centered design, accessibility and neurodiversity check out my Medium page.
References:
Barkley, R. A., (1998). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. New York: Guildford Press.