(Mel Houser, Guest Columnist, 8/21/2024)
At least one in five people thinks, learns, or communicates differently than a person with a so-called “typical” brain. Some have been identified with specific diagnoses (i.e., autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], dyslexia, bipolar disorder, traumatic brain injury). Many have not. Neurodivergent people are more likely to struggle to access critical resources — healthcare, education, work, social connection, and more. Why? Because so many things in society are offered in a “one size fits all” default way, even though there’s no such thing as a “default” brain.
In addition to specific barriers to access, neurodivergent people often receive the message — both explicitly and implicitly — that there is one “right” way to play, to socialize, to learn, think, communicate, and everything else. Neurodivergent people often internalize the message that they are defective, deficient, and broken. We know this is far from true. And yet this message persists and carries with it a subtle yet profound long-term impact on health.