Understanding Variety: A Look at Diversity
Published on October 21, 2021
In a world where diversity is increasingly celebrated, the promotion and cultivation of neurodiversity - variations in brain function and cognitive styles - presents several significant challenges that must be addressed to ensure a truly inclusive society.
One of the main obstacles is the tension between acceptance and intervention approaches. Therapies such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) have been controversial due to their emphasis on conformity to neurotypical norms, which can suppress natural behaviours and potentially harm the identity and diversity of neurodivergent individuals.
Moreover, traditional assessment methods for autism and other neurodivergent conditions often focus on deficits, leading to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, or the overlooking of diverse experiences and contributions, particularly in marginalized groups.
Environmental mismatches also pose a barrier to neurodivergent individuals. Many difficulties faced by neurodivergent people stem not from inherent deficits but from a mismatch between their needs and societal or environmental demands. Changing environments to better fit neurodivergent ways of thinking is crucial but challenging, especially in complex, diverse societies.
Persistent societal biases and misconceptions also hinder the promotion of neurodiversity. Overcoming long-standing stigmas and deficit-focused perspectives that still permeate education, healthcare, and workplaces is essential for true inclusivity and appreciation of different cognitive styles.
In ethnically and culturally diverse societies, properly acknowledging and supporting neurodivergent individuals requires culturally sensitive approaches that respect unique cultural contexts and traditions. Uniform interventions or understandings may fail to embrace this complexity.
Navigating differences is a prosocial skill that can increase well-being, especially in diverse societies. Cultivating the ability to form relationships across differences can enhance well-being in diverse communities, as research indicates that intolerance negatively impacts human well-being, while embracing diversity contributes to individual thriving.
The articles "What Does Prejudice Reveal About What It Means to be Human?" (October 21, 2013) and "What I Skipped This 'Diversity' Bake Sale" by Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton (September 29, 2011) explore the implications of defining some people as more human than others, while "Why I Skipped This 'Diversity' Bake Sale" (2011) discusses misunderstandings of racism and colorblindness by UC Berkley's College Republicans.
The article "How to Close the Gap Between Us and Them" by Jill Suttie features a Q&A with Moral Tribes author Joshua Greene about emotion, reason, and conflict. These articles underscore the importance of understanding and navigating differences in diverse societies.
In conclusion, addressing the limitations in promoting neurodiversity requires balancing respect for individual differences with providing support, and transforming societal structures to be genuinely inclusive rather than simply tolerant. Embracing neurodiversity is not just about accommodating differences; it's about celebrating the unique contributions each individual brings to our diverse world.
- To foster a genuinely inclusive society that celebrates neurodiversity, it's crucial to reconsider traditional methods of education-and-self-development, focusing on personal-growth that embraces diverse cognitive styles and experiences, rather than underlining deficits.
- As relationships serve as a significant contributor to individual well-being, particularly in ethnically and culturally diverse communities, cultivating the ability to form effective relationships across various differences, including those related to lifestyle and personal-growth, can lead to thriving communities that appreciate their collective diversity.
