Celebrating Uniqueness

This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which in essence, is a celebration of uniqueness. I started working with neurodivergent people in 1986. Of course, that was several decades before the term Neurodiversity existed. In fact, at that time there wasn’t even the notion of an autistic spectrum. To be diagnosed as autistic, you had to tick 9 out of 12 items on a checklist. Back then, those people who we now recognise as being neurodivergent were unkindly described as weird, slow or mentally handicapped.

Today, 40 years later (ouch!) I still have the privilege of working with wonderful, unique people. The recognition of neurodiversity is transforming the way we regard ourselves and others. Adults who would never have had a diagnosis as a child growing up in the 70s and 80s, feel relief and liberty through the awareness of neurodiversity; it explains everything about their struggles in the past. My husband tells the story of how he was in the ‘Remedial Class’ in school because he struggled with reading and writing, would crumble if asked to read aloud in class and was put in the ‘About France’ class because he couldn’t learn a different language. But he survived. He went on to get a good honors degree, which led to a career working with numbers, not words. He figured out for himself how to overcome his challenges and build up his self confidence.

So this week, I am joining my voice to shout about Celebrating Uniqueness. I have been spending some time putting together a short presentation and would like to share it with you here. I hope that you will catch some of my passion as you read it. If you enjoy this blog, please add a comment and click to be notified next time I post a new one. Have a great day, Sharon x

God made us all different and he loves our uniqueness!​

Psalm 139: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

Whoever

• March – Neurodiversity Celebration Week​
• April – World Autism Acceptance Month​
• ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16​
• Everyone is included

What is Neurodiversity?

• Everyone has a differently-wired brain and their own unique way of thinking, interacting and experiencing the world. ​
• ​
• Neurodiversity is based on the concept that neurological variances should be recognised and respected just like any other human variation, such as gender, race or personality.

Neurodiversity is about recognising that everyone’s brain works differently.

You might have heard terms such as:​

• Autism (ASD)​
• ADHD​
• Dyslexia​
• Dyspraxia​
• Dyscalculia​
• Tourette’s Syndrome

Around 15% of the UK population is described as neurodivergent BUT…

• …this figure does not include people who have not been given a label​
• Since 1986 I can now recognise that there are many, many more of us could be described as neurodivergent​
• By raising awareness and acceptance of ‘thinking differences’, we can begin to appreciate each other’s uniqueness​
• God made us exactly how he wanted us to be and we each have a purpose in life

Superpower not Disability

• Neurodiversity Celebration Week and World Autism Acceptance Month are about celebrating the extraordinary abilities of neurodivergent people​
• For a start:​
• Adults with ADHD tend to be out-of-the-box thinkers and calm under pressure​
• People on the Autistic spectrum can be highly logical and good at absorbing and remembering facts, attention to detail, and recognising patterns​
• About 35% of entrepreneurs (business owners) are Dyslexic​
• Dyspraxic people are often creative, determined and resilient

Celebrating our own uniqueness

• As well as celebrating the unique gifts, qualities and abilities of others, let’s celebrate the way that God has made us too​
• Father God knows exactly how many hairs we have on our head (Matthew 10:31)​
• He knows every detail about you because he created every detail of YOU​
• So let’s conclude where we started, with praise: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139)​
• For further information, visit www.neurodiversityweek.com www.neurodivergencewales.org and www.autism.org.uk