What is the NeuroDiversity Movement? Who, When, Why, Where, How? Well before that, We believe that with an understanding of what is happening comes authentic awareness and allyship. So cue the learning and let's get up to date on Our Current Culture. *DISCLAIMER* An OVERLY SIMPLISTIC view of Our Current Culture. (It's a lot to fit into a to a few paragraphs!) Our Current Culture; which includes yourself, ourselves and our Society as a whole; has its' collective views, goals, values and priorities. Those collective views, goals, values and priorities shape how Our Current Culture is designed. It is currently designed for the majority of the citizens with average and typical, 'to be expected' needs, with the same priorities, values, objectives and views. Outside of typical needs, Our Current Culture tends to pathologize any need gap/variances/difference (a gap in needs being met) with an expectation for the person with the unmet needs to fix, correct, cure, adapt and/or adjust so the need gap no longer exists or to minimize the burden of such needs on society. The thing that happens with this model is there are a lot of humans [kids, parents, community members, people] that have different views, objectives, values and priorities AND therefore atypical needs, leaving wide gaps in their personal, familial and community needs being met. Many people who deal with unmet needs simply have been born with variances from the typical person (remember Our Current Culture is built around the majority and average). Many atypical people do not inherently have a need gap. In fact they have the exact same category of needs to be met as every human does. Just to meet those needs in Our Current Culture BECOMES the problem and then forms said need gap. And, if you remember, Our Current Culture, also says if you have a need gap, you get to go fix that; adapt to it, adjust it. (Not much talk about what are the actual needs and access to having them met IN Our Current Culture) So there is a person, with a need gap, and a society that doesn't want them to be a burden. Well, guess what happens? That person with a gap in having their needs met gets viewed as deficient; deficient because they can not get their needs met. Again not an inherent deficiency, a perceived inherent deficiency. A loudly perceived deficiency across a very large group of people, and the predominant conversation and mindset of most citizens of our society. Daily, regularly, over their many years, those with need differences [atypical/divergent], are in a system where they are related to as deficient ongoingly on loud speaker across many mediums and in thousands of ways. This is where damage can happen to the intactness of the person with need differences not having the ability to have their needs met. A separation, an other, a different and no real access has a degradation happen. And on top of this there is actual biological impact on any human when their needs are not met; an impact on their abilities, their function and the quality of life; physically, emotionally, mentally and/or fulfillment wise. When needs are not met our body is locked into a survival state with activated nervous systems, brain chemistry under or over stimulated, stress chemicals circulating the blood stream (which you can NOT always see from the outside in another human). Our Current Culture is not currently built and designed to make 'different' needs overly accessible, if at all. In fact, Our Current Culture is pretty loud with requesting people meet Our Current Cultures Needs and Standards and to adapt themselves accordingly. Those with different needs from the typical [atypical/divergent] tend to be out of luck for full/real inclusion and adaptations to have their full range of needs met and by virtue they lose access to live a FULL, RICH and MEANINGFUL life, empowered and intact as a human. If that is not enough (and it does deserve the significance given the impact and span and desperate need for an interruption and something brand new!); Our Current Culture's model, conversation and expectations are for all people to strive to have the same views meet the same goals, objectives, or again, at least not be a burden on others or the system. If you are lucky enough to be 'high functioning' (as Our Current Culture labels) you adopt an unhealthy mechanism; a drive; to adapt, to survive, to get by at a great cost to your physical, mental and emotional health and well being operating with exacerbated stressors bombarding your already overloaded system (Research suicide and addiction rates). If you have an even wider need variance (which Our Current Culture labels Low functioning) instead of an unhealthy drive you face a different lived experience of a life in therapies, procedures, and institutions; often dehumanized. Biological impact to not having needs met, losing access to a full rich life, being related to as deficient, exacerbated stressors, and risk of dehumanization isn't at all just about Neuro variances, it is unfortunately across the board and a collective conversation regarding how Our Current Culture operates with NEED VARIANCES. Thank you for reading all of that AND investing in learning and understanding. You are now up to date. That was a LOT at once. (might be time to move your body, stretch and sip some water to keep yourself hydrated!) What now? |
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