Neurodiversity

Neuro means nervous system, and diverse means ‘variety’ or ‘very different’. Being neurodivergent is when your brain, spinal cord and nerves, aka: the communication system which controls every move and function of your entire body, work very uniquely compared to those of most other people. If you’re neurodivergent, let us assure you: there are talents, skills and awesomeness within your reach that the rest of the world can’t even dream about!

But, herein lies the bummer: the world and most things in it have been designed with sameness in mind, not uniqueness.

When you’re living in a world that is designed and ordered in ways that just don’t mix well with the way your brain and nerves work, let’s be real: it sucks. It’s like trying to walk backwards on a tightrope, 500m in the air…. in heels!! Go on, darling. Proceed. And make it look natural!

If this is how it is for you, we feel you. And yet, here you are. You’re out here doing the damn thing!

You’re making it happen. You’re doing what neurotypical people don’t even have to think about doing.

It really does a number on you though, doesn’t it? Fighting against every instinct, need, want and habit you have. All day, every day. Just to navigate and fit into a world that doesn’t fit you? All whilst tolerating so much agitation, stress and panic, because your fight/flight system is being triggered by everything, everywhere, to fire all over the place. Yeah. And then there’s the coming home, and peeling that tight, heavy mask off your face and body, taking hours to decompress and restore your

calm. Only to do it all again tomorrow.

There’s not much else in the world more draining and more challenging than having to force your own nervous system to fit a world it doesn’t naturally fit, every single day. It’s really unfair that it even needs to be done and doing it can be very traumatic with lots of side effects.

This is how life really is, if not for you personally, for many other people and most likely, at least one person you really love. A lot of people are living life like this, and don’t even know they are neurodivergent.

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For us being Neurodiversity Affirming means...

  • we respect and listen to the needs of neurodivergent people

  • we are strengths based not deficit focused

  • we use the neurotype/identity/culture model and are explicit when we need to use the medical/pathological model (mostly for diagnostic purposes....)

  • we appreciate, listen and support neurodivergent people at the sensory / somatic level

  • we adapt our environment as much as we can, and encourage support networks to do the same to meet ND needs

  • our therapies/support strategies are for support not to change / modify the ND person or "make them fit"

  • that if we are not neurodivergent ourselves, that our work is informed by neurodivergent individuals including researchers, writers, speakers and presenters

  • that any neurotypical input is as an ally :)