June 10, 2023

Quote of the Week

"Different, not less." -- Temple Grandin

Neurodiversity: A Guide For Families

"Neurodiversity is the idea that there’s natural variation in how people’s brains work and how people experience, understand and interact with the world. This means there are natural differences in the way people learn and communicate. Embracing neurodiversity is about accepting, including, celebrating and supporting neurodivergent children. Their differences are part of natural variation and don’t need to be treated or changed.

When families and communities embrace neurodiversity, it’s good for neurodivergent children’s mental health, wellbeing, sense of self and identity. Embracing neurodiversity takes away the pressure for neurodivergent children to behave in neurotypical ways, hide behaviour like stimming, mask or hide who they are, or cope with sensory overstimulation. This kind of pressure can be physically and mentally exhausting. And it can make it hard for children to focus on schoolwork and take part in social activities.

Embracing neurodiversity is also good for society. Just like the planet needs a diversity of plants and animals to survive, society needs neurodiversity to thrive. Neurodivergent people bring many strengths to society. These include strengths in creative, innovative and analytical thinking and expertise in areas of special interest."

This week’s article provides practical tips for embracing neurodiversity in family life, in schools and in the community. [Read]

For those with neurodivergent children, we offer this wonderful article about how to support them to embrace their neurodiversity, enabling them to blossom. [Read]

Reading Corner

Title: The Brain Forest
By: Sandhya Menon
Ages: 4-8

"Come explore The Brain Forest, which follows a mother and her son down the path of understanding the different ways brains can be.

Brains that go fast, brains that go slow, brains that do what they're told, brains that say NO!

A heart-warming read that helps celebrate neurodiversity without dismissing its challenges, and centers around building a strengths-based society where everyone is valued for what they have to offer. This book helps start conversations and offers ideas to the reader about what they can do to create more inclusive environments." -- Publisher
 

Be the Change

Talk to your child about neurodivergence and how it’s normal for our brains to work differently. If your child is neurodivergent, find out one thing that could be helpful to support them and try to make it happen, whether at home, school or elsewhere.