I asked neurodivergent people from around the university (both students and staff) what neurodiversity means to them. Here are some of their responses: “To me, neurodiversity is about embracing different brains and working together to solve problems” “In a word; creativity!” “For me, “Neurodiversity” is a word that means a similar thing to “Biodiversity”, inasmuch […]
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Disability is always a bit of a stigmatised subject, and many people like to use euphemisms instead of the word ‘disability’. However, many disabled people find this quite offensive and infantilizing. When it comes to neurodiversity, it becomes even more complicated as not all neurodivergent people consider themselves to be disabled. So, the first thing […]
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There are many factors that impact mental wellbeing and being in a minority group can put people at a higher risk of mental illness, and neurodivergent people are no exception. This phenomenon is known as minority stress and can be compounded by multiple intersecting identity characteristics. The stigma around neurodivergent conditions can lead to decreased […]
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Image caption: the ADHD foundation’s umbrella project celebrates the strengths that come from thinking differently What comes to mind when you think of an autistic person? How about someone with ADHD? The chances are you had some thoughts going through your head that reflected the stereotypes around people with these conditions. I was the same. […]
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Neurodiversity is generally defined as ‘the diversity of human brains and minds – the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.’ It can be thought of as analogous to biodiversity. The term itself is neutral and is simply a descriptive term. However, the neurodiversity paradigm and the neurodiversity movement are philosophical and political perspectives […]
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Hello! I’m Daisy Shearer and I am a Physics PhD student based at the Advanced Technology Institute. Before my PhD, I was an MPhys student here at Surrey. In the final year of my degree, I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and have been heavily involved with the neurodivergent community since. I am also […]
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