Neurodiversity – A personal tale

It will not have escaped your eye that there is so much coming out about neurodiversity today. Our knowledge in this area is expanding exponentially, which is a blessing really. While, from a professional point of view, this represents more delving and study, it also means that we can more adequately support children, (and their families), in their education and life journeys. How I wish I had known more about this area in my youth, not only to support the children I have seen over the years but with respect to my own family, where neurodiversity abounds. 

“I have a badge that sits on my desk that says, “Celebrate Neurodiversity!” … and I do!”

I know through my work and through my personal experience how wonderful these individuals are and that one needs to emphasise the diversity in neurodiversity. No two people are ever the same, and the combination of presentations makes for a rich tapestry of possibilities, notwithstanding the fact that each person’s journey can still be precarious for some, due to a lack of public and professional awareness, occasional reduced inclusivity and lack of understanding. Thankfully all that is improving for children and their parents. If you think of a pebble dropping a pond, with the centre being neurodiversity, the rings are the knowledge that is ever expanding.

Way back in the 80s and 90s our understanding of ASD, (now known as high functioning Autism) was more focussed on communication differences. As a speech pathologist then, this was referred to as semanto- pragmatic disorder, (understanding social language disorder). These kids were often thought of as “quirky”. 

ADHD on the other hand, at that time was something that described hyperactive, usually inattentive children, who got into trouble a lot, especially in class, and were often referred to as “naughty boys”! We now know that these individuals were not usually intentionally naughty, and certainly not always boys either! As time has marched forward the collection of presentations and challenges under the neurodiverse umbrella has grown, with Dyslexia, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, High Functioning Autism, ADHD (hyperactive and inattentive) and DLD (delayed language disorder) all being represented. We also know that these can cooccur and that they in fact include many shared features. 

I see many children in my practice who have differing presentations around neurodiversity, some already identified, others noted during my assessment. In recent times, I have been hearing from parents who are enquiring about assessment, that they either suspect that they too are neurodivergent, or that indeed, recently, they have had an identification confirmed. What is that wonderful expression about apples and trees? … and indeed, what wonderful apples and trees! 

An exciting development that has come to my attention is a relatively new area of support called ADHD Coaching.

An exciting development that has come to my attention is a relatively new area of support called ADHD Coaching. This is not therapy per say, it involves skills-based building of self-awareness and facilitation of personalised systems through education and goal achievement. This is now available to both adults and children. Quite often these professionals have walked, and do walk in neurodiverse shoes, and can provide incredible insights. A further exciting development is around AuDHD … what is that do you ask? It goes back to that cooccurrence feature of neurodiversity. People can have ADHD and Autism cooccurring … but as it turns out, rather than just being a combination of both, it has its own presentation, much along the lines of, “the whole is more than and other than the sum of the parts”. This will make a lot of sense to a lot of people. Some interesting information around ADHD coaching and AuDHD coaching can be gained from the following link. I really recommend a look. 

https://www.brightfoxadhd.au

Throughout my professional life I have worked with children and their families. It has often felt exciting and daunting at the same time; the responsibility, weight of accountability and challenge spurring one on but sometimes blinding. What is just so wonderful after many years of professional and personal practice, is to see the horizon opening for so many people. I now see neurodiversity more like a lava lamp… the oil is contained, the image bright and ever changing, the possibilities endless!

Do I need a label to get some help for my learning?

When listening to, or looking at the media these days, there are frequent stories about “labelled” difficulties. ADHD, ASD (Aspergers) and Dyslexia get a frequent airing, each one often being depicted from an archetypal perspective that might fit some, but certainly won’t describe all. The terms “neurotypical” and “neurodiverse” are also a significant part of the discussion. While it is a blessing that more is known now about different behavioural and learning patterns, this can present as a double-edged sword, with people mislabelling or working to the “label” rather than the person.

“I think my child might have Dyslexia.”

“I think my child might have Dyslexia” is a frequent starting point in a discussion around assessment. Another is the question, “Do you diagnose Dyslexia?” When children present with learning issues there may be a myriad of reasons for their challenges. Not all reading difficulties for example are Dyslexia. Not all children with anxiety have ASD, and not all children with reduced attention have ADHD. Parents are sometimes seeking a “label” to get assistance for their child, and in truth, unfortunately, some schools and school systems are emphasising this as a prerequisite for the student to gain assistance. This is certainly contributing to unhelpful, overidentification and means that many individual needs can be missed.

When thinking about a student’s challenges, it is more helpful to think about the strengths and challenges with which they are presenting. What barriers get in the way of their accessing instruction? What barriers get in the way of them holding the instruction, and what impedes them demonstrating what they understand from the instruction? What strengths do they bring to the learning situation? Looked at in this way, an individual profile can be constructed that will inform what supports will help the person to access instruction, what will help them hold the learning, and then be able to demonstrate what they understand. Instead of saying, “Jeff is Dyslexic”, and then applying an intervention regime that is used with Dyslexics, it is far more helpful to say, “these are the barriers to Jeff’s learning”. Jeff needs certain things to help him learn and to help him to demonstrate to his teachers, parents, examiners, that he has understood. This personalises his learning on an individual needs and strengths basis rather than condemning him to the descriptors of a presumptive label.

Much of the discussion in education, indeed generally today, is about evidence-based practice, and so it should be. No person would want a medical intervention to be provided without due investigation into the symptoms and causes informing the medical management. Indeed, this is the case with learning challenges. Proper, in depth, evidence - based assessment is required to be undertaken to determine what the student’s needs are. If there is an identifiable cause, great, but it is critical that we ensure that the student’s needs are met, that the barriers are reduced and removed, and a positive learning outcome achieved. Comprehensive assessment might eventually lead to an identifying label but not in all cases, and it should never be the main desire of investigation.

Knowing the student’s needs, providing a safe and empowering learning environment, and facilitating an informed program that helps the student to engage in learning, as well as achieve their potential, is always the main desire. This helps us to know Jeff as a learner and person not see him as a category such as “Dyslexic”.

“This helps us to know Jeff as a learner and person, not see him as a category such as ‘Dyslexic’.”

In answer to the original question? No, you do not need a label to get help, but you do need to engage in timely and comprehensive assessment for your child to ensure that their needs and strengths are known, and properly supported, based on rigorous and proper evidence.