Every day, we live our lives and interact with our surroundings. We listen, we learn, we understand, we decode, we process, we read and we attempt to make sense of the world around us.
For 15% to 20% of people, this can be more difficult because they are neurodivergent.
As we recognise Neurodiversity Celebration Week from 16-20th March, it gives us an opportunity to stop and think more deeply about what neurodiversity really means.
What is neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is the way we recognise, understand and celebrate the natural differences in how the human brain functions. It is about the different ways people think, learn, interact, process and perceive the world. It refers to neurological differences and recognises that all of us have variations.
With an estimated 15% to 20% of the population having a neurological difference, we often use the term neurodiversity as an umbrella term for differences such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism, ADHD, Tourette’s and many more.
For many people with neurodiversity, life can feel very different. When it comes to accessing education, particularly within fast paced environments and perceived traditional learning styles, it is understandable that many neurodivergent individuals can find education difficult. This is where access, thought, support and understanding needs to be put into place.
As adults, many of us face challenges head on. The constant sense of failure, the constant reminder that we are different and the difficulties we experience can become more than just everyday challenges. They can affect far more than cognitive processing and may lead to anxiety, stress and mental health difficulties.
When we look at the concept of celebration, the concept of strength and actually using neurodivergent talents for the greater good, this takes us to the next step.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is built around understanding, providing education, moving beyond awareness and continuing acceptance and understanding. That is why it matters so much.
When we look at Toucan Education, this is what we do every day. We support students every day in an environment that is right for them. We deliver tailored support that understands the fundamental cognitive and executive functioning needs of the individual, whether that is through our Flexi School, our alternative provision, supporting individuals through dyslexia assessments, or through our workplace services. Toucan Education and Toucan Workplace have been celebrating neurodiversity for over 10 years.
The understanding, support and celebration of individuals is what we continue to do every day. By supporting individuals, delivering awareness into the education system, supporting parents and growing knowledge, we can encourage real progress.
At the same time, we must not forget that some individuals still face real difficulties. We must not forget the need for more teacher training in our education system. We need more awareness, more understanding and a stronger commitment to reinvigorating how we teach every individual. This may mean using more multisensory approaches, reducing the heavy emphasis on memory alone and increasing engagement with the skills that neurodivergent people often bring.
It is important that we also recognise the positives. Seeing things differently, lateral thinking, problem solving, hyperfocus, attention to detail, creativity, innovation, pattern recognition, hard work and determination are all strengths that can form part of a neurodivergent profile.
When we take a person centred approach, we can create real change in both our education system and our workplaces. It is important to celebrate this concept, just as it is important to grow confidence and self-esteem. We need to build understanding, but we also need to build awareness that people have strengths and should not always be seen through a deficit model, focusing only on negatives or perceived weaknesses.
As human beings, we continue to grow and evolve. Evolution shows us that some of us have strengths, some of us have differences and some of us have weaknesses. Neurodiversity should not be viewed as something negative. It should be seen positively and Neurodiversity Celebration Week helps to remind us of that.
If you would like to find out more about neurodiversity, please click here