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Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Published on

18th – 24th March saw the 2024 Neurodiversity Celebration Week take place! 

Department of Physics PhD student, Tea Hall, worked hard to celebrate Neurodiversity week in the department and consistently raises awareness of this all-year round. She has put together guidance below on how to support Neurodiversity across all fields.

What is Neurodiversity?

The human brain is so complex that no one is identical to another, hence people have their own unique way of thinking, processing information, communicating, and experiencing the world around them; therefore, leading to a difference in abilities and needs. Neurodiversity centres around the recognition of this wide variety in the neurological differences between individuals, embracing and celebrating their strengths and the fact that no-one is alike. Neurodiversity is a crucial aspect of society; research suggests that projects which involve neurodivergent people can be up to 30% more productive than those comprising of only neurotypical people, as these workers can provide unique cognitive abilities and skills which support productivity.

Harmful Stereotypes:

There are many harmful stereotypes around neurodivergent people:

  • “Neurodiversity only includes Autism” – Neurodiversity is not exclusive to Autism, there is a wide range of neurological conditions which fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity.
  • “All neurodivergent people are the same” – Neurodiversity includes a large spectrum of neurological differences; hence each neurodivergent person’s abilities and experiences vary from another’s.
  • “Neurodivergent people can be cured” – Individuals who are neurodivergent are not diseased nor is neurodiversity classed as a disease; it is simply a naturally occurring variation in the human brain.
  • “Only men can be neurodivergent” – Studies display that women often remain undiagnosed, as there is currently a poor understanding of how conditions manifest for different genders.
  • “Neurodivergent people are unable to succeed” – Although neurodivergent individuals can face more challenges, many can provide out of the box thinking and be successful in their fields.

Support your peers and students!

Going forward from Neurodiversity Celebration Week, lets remind ourselves how to support our peers and students:

  • Throw out your stereotypes.
  • Communicate directly.
  • Respect boundaries.
  • Be empathetic, not sympathetic.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
  • Use identity first language, e.g. ‘autistic person’ rather than ‘person with autism’.
  • Understand that every neurodivergent person is different and falls on a spectrum.

Do you need support?

Being neurodivergent can be hard and each person has their own unique set of difficulties. If you are struggling, whether you have a diagnosis or not, reach out as soon as you can and seek help from the University to support you. The University offers support to students through a variety of ways:

  • Disability Advice and Guidance – they can help you gain support documentation for daily and exam adjustments. To arrange an appointment, email disteam@liverpool.ac.uk or drop in @ The Alsop Building (11 – 3pm during term time).

Want to learn more?

Take a look at the following resources: