Last year, LDAY Centre for Learning – aka the Learning Disabilities Association of Yukon – quietly celebrated 50 years of supporting Yukon learners. You may be familiar with LDAY because of our tutoring program, Camp Raven, in Whitehorse and Dawson City, or our many workshop offerings. If your family has used our services, you may even be familiar with our slogan: Learn your way.
That slogan, Learn your way, has multiple meanings. It can mean learning your way to a particular goal. It can also mean learning in a way that most suits your brain. Either way, it points to our not-so-secret agenda: spreading the “gospel” of neurodiversity.
What is neurodiversity? In a nutshell, it means human brains work in many different ways. No two brains are alike, and the way I experience the world could be very different from how you do.
The idea of neurodiversity was conceived in the late ’90s by social scientist Judy Singer. Her ground-breaking work helped shift the view of autism from a medical disorder to a form of natural human variation. Since then, the term has expanded to include other neurological differences, such as ADHD, dyslexia, FASD, intellectual disability, and more.
Some related terms are “neurotypical” and “neurodivergent”. While every brain is different, a person with a neurotypical brain likely met their developmental milestones at expected times. They will probably never wonder if their brain functions the way others do.
On the other hand, someone with a neurodivergent brain may learn or behave differently from what is considered typical. Those differences could be subtle – outwardly invisible – or could make that person stand out in terms of how they interact with others, with learning, or with work.
So we’ve established that brains are as diverse as fingerprints, and there’s no one right way to think or learn. What does it mean in everyday life?
For one thing, it means sometimes our assumptions about behaviour are just plain wrong. Take doodling, for example. Your elementary school teacher or boss may have frowned on your doodles as evidence that you weren’t paying attention.
However, research shows just the opposite. Doodling actually helps doodlers regulate attention so they can focus better. But because your teacher or boss didn’t need to doodle to pay attention, they assumed no one did.
Here’s a real life example of how neurodiversity can show up in our daily lives.
One spring a few years ago, I heard someone ranting about how long it was taking to get fresh traffic lanes painted on Two Mile Hill. Someone else chimed in, “I know exactly where the lanes are whether they are painted or not. If you can’t tell where you’re supposed to be, you shouldn’t be driving!”
This person’s argument assumes everyone experiences spatial awareness the same way they do. With the lens of neurodiversity, we can guess that this simply isn’t true. (Not to mention, shouldn’t we also take care of beginner drivers and visitors, who won’t automatically sense how many lanes there are?)
Embracing neurodiversity may be as simple as accepting seemingly unusual behaviours. Or it may mean putting accommodations in place at school or at work. Some work examples may include using noise-cancelling headphones, allowing flexible schedules, or embracing non-traditional work practices like standing desks and walking meetings.
Brain differences can certainly create misunderstanding, but it’s important to realize that neurodiversity improves the world. Just as biodiversity is vital for healthy ecosystems, neurodiversity brings fresh perspectives and innovation to our communities.
Many business articles tout neurodiversity as good for the bottom line because neurodivergent brains often come with unique strengths. But it’s not just about dollars and cents. Embracing neurodiversity fosters inclusion, reduces judgment and frustration, and ultimately makes our lives richer in many ways.
Reflection questions:
Could neurodiversity help me understand someone’s challenging communication or behaviour?
Where in my life do I encounter many different types of brains?
