The word “Neurodiverse” refers to a group of people whose members are neurodivergent.
Neurodiversity means an “approach to education and ability that supports the fact that various neurological conditions are the effect of normal changes and variations in the human genome.”
ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia “fall within a spectrum of “Neurodiversity” and are all neurodiverse conditions.
Neuro-difference can be “recognized and appreciated as a social category similar to difference in ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or ability. An example would be dyslexia, which is an integral part of a person, and taking away their dyslexia would be to take away from the person.
Types of Recognized Neurodivergence
Autism (ASD)
“If you’ve met one person with autism, then you’ve met one person with autism.”
“I think cats have Asperger’s. Like me, they’re smart. And like me, sometimes they simply need to be left alone.”
- Research has shown that 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with this neurodivergence.
- Males are 4 times as likely to be diagnosed than females.
- There are over 700,000 people on the autistic spectrum in the UK.
Autism is a spectrum condition which affects how people interact and communicate with the world. It is a neurological developmental condition, that is characterized by a repetitive pattern of behaviour and difficulties with social communication. This may include struggling to deal with change, mandatory actions, or other points of view can be elements of this learning difference.
There is no definition that can truly capture the characteristic ranges of people on the autistic spectrum. Their experience of the world is often found to be “chaotic and illogical.”
There are many people who are autistic and have behavioural and communicative differences. The intelligence of a person who is autistic is not impacted by their neurodivergence.
Common Challenges
- Speech and articulation
- Sensitivity to Light, sounds and touch
- Perception of people’s emotional states
- Information processing
- Multi-tasking
Common Strengths
Attention to Detail
People with autism often have great attention to detail and focus. For example: “they may be able to search through a lot of information for specific content.”
Efficiency
People with autism are very good at following rules, sequences, and orders. This means that with the right structure they can be very efficient.
Logical Thinking
People with autism can be very logical thinkers, they struggle to consider emotional factors, and this brings innovation and an objective approach to problem solving.
Retention
People with autism may be able to build encyclopedic knowledge on interesting topics, they can retain lots of information and they have a strong visual memory.
ADHD
“If I’m interested in what I’m doing, I can be super focused. If I’m not interested, I’ll put it off.”
“I hate seeing the same patterns in games. If a pattern repeats, I’ll stop playing that game immediately.”
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.
What is ADHD?
- The percentage of adults worldwide with ADHD is estimated at 2.5%, but figures vary.
- Males are three times more likely to have an ADHD diagnosis than females.
- Research has shown that approximately 41%-55% of families with a child with ADHD, has a parent with this learning difference too.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting the nervous system and this includes the brain, from development in childhood to adulthood.
People with ADHD can experience impulsivity, hyperactivity, distractedness, and difficulties with following instruction and completing tasks.
Since 1994, experts use the term “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” to refer to neurodivergence affecting attention and concentration. However, there are some people who do not experience hyperactivity and associated traits, for example a lower risk aversion or impulsivity.
The name “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” including the forward-slash (/) between Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity, and means that people who are diagnosed with ADHD they could have either or both presentations (inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive). These presentations are:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity: combined presentation.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity: predominantly inattentive presentation.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity: predominantly inattentive presentation.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity: predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation.
- People with this neurodivergence can bring energy and a new approach to the working environment.
Common ADHD Challenges:
- Time Management
- Concentration
- Staying on Topic
- Rationality
- Articulation
Common ADHD Strengths
Hyper focus
People with ADHD are very focused and committed to projects and tasks they are interested in, making them super-efficient.
Creativity
The imaginative and busy minds of those with ADHD create original ideas and novel solutions to problems.
Enthusiasm
Despite periods of low energy, people with ADHD can have bursts of speed, enthusiasm, and determination.
Innovation
The fearless approach that those with ADHD can often exhibit leads to bold, innovative ideas.
Dyslexia
“I struggle to read and write, and sometimes processing things. Although I’m figuring out better ways to deal with my dyslexia.”
“The words move around on the page; I feel like everything I do is just harder for me than others.”
Dyslexia is the most common neurodivergence, and most understood, usually affecting someone’s ability to read or write accurately.
What is Dyslexia?
- For every ten people one of them is likely to be dyslexic.
- There are around 700 million people with dyslexia worldwide.
- Despite being 10% of the population, 22% of dyslexics are unemployed.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved for accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. It can also include challenges with information processing, short-term memory, and timekeeping.
These challenges do not stem from a deficiency in language, word processing or motor-control, they are the consequences of a unique brain processing function that means people with dyslexia often have a broad range of cognitive features and strengths too.
Common dyslexia Challenges:
- Memory
- Organisation
- Writing
- Reading
- Time Management
Common dyslexic strengths:
Creativity
Dyslexics are often very creative individuals, because they are often trying to find other ways to solve problems, learn things differently, or make things easier, giving them the capability to think outside the box.
Design
Strengths in spatial awareness and pattern recognition means that dyslexics tend to be able to design graphics, structures, even buildings, in ways which others haven’t considered. This makes them groundbreaking innovators.
Communication
A common misconception is that dyslexic people are poor communicators, but it is usually a strength for them. Having to explain how you live with dyslexia, in a way that is easy for others to grasp, requires strong communication skills.
Big Picture
Another common strength is being able to consider the bigger picture. Dyslexics are good entrepreneurs and managers, as they can look past the detail and focus on what really matters-and they’ve been doing it their entire lives!
Dyspraxia
“I often struggle to follow simple visual instructions – if someone shows me a dance step, for example, I can’t do it.”
“I could sit in front of a task I’ve done a million times, and be unsure what to do”
“My coordination is what I’d call random – I could be the best typist in the world, or the slowest, in the same day”
Dyspraxia is a learning different that affects how the mind processes actions, usually affecting coordination and movement.
What is Dyspraxia?
- Research has suggested 52% of children with dyslexia may also have dyspraxia.
- Males are twice as likely to be diagnosed than females.
- 10% of people in the UK have at least mild to moderate dyspraxia.
Dyspraxia is a specific learning difficultly affecting coordination, movement, balance, and organization abilities. Motor difficulties include poor hand to eye coordination and spatial awareness, which can make if difficult for people with dyspraxia to carry out everyday functions such as writing.
This neurodivergence often exhibits similar characteristics with other neurodivergent conditions, particularly Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, particularly in the areas of short-term memory, concentration, and social interaction.
Employees with dyspraxia are often extremely motivated as they’ve had to persevere in the face of adversity all their lives. They are often strategic thinkers who have had to approach old concepts and problems with new innovative ideas.
Common Dyspraxia Challenges:
- Hand-eye Coordination
- Spatial Awareness
- Organization
- Short-term Memory
- Expressing Thoughts Clearly
Common Dyspraxia Strengths:
Leadership
Dyspraxics often learn to develop soft skills such as active listening, empathy, and when to delegate tasks to others. Their desire for people to understand what they deal with ensures that they communicate clearly too. All these results in dyspraxics making good leaders.
Empathy
Dyspraxics tend to have an innate ability to understand and respect what others are thinking or feeling. Their experience in struggling with things like coordination can mean they are empathetic when they see others in a tough situation.
Strategy
The learning difference does not affect a person’s IQ, but they may often have to navigate a mind which can be unorganized, meaning they are usually very intelligent people. Navigating around these barriers results in creating strategies to overcome problems in a structured way.
Problem Solving
Dyspraxic people are great at coming up with different approaches to situations. Throughout school, dyspraxics find innovative ways to help themselves learn topics better, and this translates into working life, with dyspraxics being able to see alternative routes to others.
Dyscalculia
“I have trouble keeping track of my finances”
“I only use a digital watch”
“I get anxious when I am put on the spot to calculate something”
Developmental Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that a person is born with.0
What is Dyscalculia?
- It is estimated that 5% of the UK population have dyscalculia.
- 40% of people with dyslexia have dyscalculia.
- 11% of children with dyscalculia also have ADHD.
Developmental Dyscalculia is a difficulty understanding number concepts, performing calculations and computations. A person with dyscalculia can also struggle with time, measurement, and spatial reasoning. It is not IQ dependent. It is a brain-based learning difference.
A person with dyscalculia is extremely creative and great strategic thinkers. They are also great at problem solving.
Common Dyscalculia Challenges:
- Reading analog clocks
- Recalling schedules and sequences of events
- Differentiating from left and right
- Keeping track of time-frequently late or early
- Concentrating on mentally intensive tasks
Common Dyscalculia Strengths:
Creative
Artistically or linguistically, they are good with words and social interactions.
Intuitive thinking
Good at assessing a situation based on a gut feeling. Good at face recognition, first impressions, good assessment of a person, good at reading a person’s reactions-nonverbal communication.
Problem Solvers
Growing up was difficult so they are very good at approaching a problem from a completely different angle. They’re brains learn differently and therefore are great at finding creative solutions for a problem which are practical.
Strategic Thinkers
Because they are often more observant and reflective than the average person, this helps them with reading a situation and then thinking about how to manage a situation so that the goal of the person and the organization can be aligned.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that affects written expression. Dysgraphia can appear as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Dysgraphia can be a language based, and/or non-language-based disorder.
Meares-Irlen Syndrome
Meares-Irlen Syndrome (also referred to at times as Meares-Irlen Syndrome, Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, and Visual Stress) is a perceptual processing disorder. It is not an optical problem. It is a problem with the brain’s ability to process visual information.
Hyperlexia
Hyperlexia is a syndrome observed in people who demonstrate the following cluster of characteristics: a precocious, self-taught ability to read words which appear before age 5, and/or an intense fascination with letters, numbers, logos, maps, or visual patterns.
Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s Syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds, and movements. This is a complex condition and a large amount of people with the condition may also experience other disorders or conditions, such as anxiety.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
Synesthesia
Synesthesia is a condition in which one sense (for example hearing) is a simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Another form of synesthesia joins objects such as letters, shapes, numbers, or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.
Related:
Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam or having a medical test or job interview. (NHS)
Online Source:
Rachel Bakewell 