Library Home: Diversity Education & Cultural Research Resources: Neurodiversity

Food for Thought: Why would a student be hesitant to disclose their learning problems or disabilities?

Neurodiversity in higher education: a narrative synthesis
Emphasized that poor treatment and inflexibility by instructors can have a negative impact on students.

This paper include discussions of the experience of neurodiverse students in contemporary Higher Education (HE); Emotional reactions and wellbeing; Personal and social life; Academic life; Identity and possible selves; HE's response to neurodiversity;; Disclosure and diagnosis; Reasonable adjustments; Academic attitudes and expectations; Institutional support and pastoral care; Teaching, learning and assessment strategies; Teaching and learning approaches; Technological support; Assessment approaches; Discussion; Limitations; Conclusions

Pastoral Care (highschoolofglasgow.co.uk)
"Pastoral care is a provision from a school to make sure the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of pupils is cared for. The commitment to pastoral care feeds into everything a school does to ensure their pupils have the best chance at success."

What is Neurodiversity?

Image Source: What is Neurodiversity? (geniuswithin.org)
"Neurodiversity can be a competitive advantage when the individuals are in the right environment, making use of their strengths, instead of constantly trying to overcome challenges. To achieve this we must create inclusive spaces to work and learn that reduce disabling factors and amplify diverse abilities."
"Please note that the diagram provided offers common examples but is a simplification."

Thinking outside the box

Thinking Differently Manufacturers embrace neurodiversity at work By Lori Kaye Lodes Mar 14, 2023
"Visual cognitive skills (like pattern recognition), increased productivity, ability to handle complexity and repetition, innovation, and process/efficiency improvement are among the abilities often brought to the table by neurodiverse talent. These translate into problem-solving, visual spatial thinking and creative insights. A report by JPMorgan from its Autism at Work initiative found that neurodivergent workers made fewer errors and were 90% to 140% more productive than neurotypical employees."
JPMorgan Chase’s Autism at Work program opens doors for those on the spectrum
"JPMorgan Chase’s Autism at Work program has helped the company fill a talent gap in its software engineering and quality assurance departments."

Normal is a Variable. Neurodiversity is Normal.

The definition of "normal" differs per population studied. No two people are alike, even identical twins. Therefore, diversity is the norm.

There are different types of "norms".

Social Norms: Different people have different definitions for "normal", based on their experiences.

Mathematical Norms: Statistics

Medical: Common range of a variable.

BigThink VIDEO: The Strange Science Of 'Cultural Norms'

TED Talk VIDEO: What is “normal” and what is “different”? - Yana Buhrer Tavanier

Bing VIDEOS: The definition of "normal" differs per population studied.

Neurodiversity Education Research Center

Neurodiversity Education Research Center - Tool kits and guides

“The new terminology for ‘reasonable accommodations’ is ‘productivity enhancers’

Neurodiverse Hiring Brings Social and Business Benefits
"JPMorgan Chase launched Autism at Work in July 2015 as a four-person pilot. Since then, it’s grown to over 150 employees in eight countries. The program boast a 99% retention rate.

Most of the roles are technology functions, such as software engineering, app development, quality assurance, tech operations and business analysis, but one employee is a personal banker, which speaks to the breadth of roles available, said James Mahoney, Head of Global Technology Diversity and Inclusion."

Diversity Education & Cultural Research Resources: Neurodiversity