What is Neurodiversity? Why does it matter? What do I do with it?

Format

Individual Presentation

Sam MarionFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Sam Marion Counseling and Consulting

First Presenter’s Email Address

sam@sammarion.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Sam Marion, MSW, LCSW is the owner and therapist at Sam Marion Counseling and Consulting located in Buford, GA. He received his MSW from the University of Georgia. Sam has been in clinical and leadership roles in levels of care ranging from private practice to inpatient, and he has worked in settings from a large corporate-owned treatment center, a statewide agency, and his own solo practice. He works with many professionals from various disciplines and neurodivergent individuals of all ages. Sam has an interest in neurodivergence and sorts through available trainings and material to find material that is presented in a neurodiversity affirming manner. As he is able to filter available information, he packages it with his experience as a clinician and his lived experience as a multiply neurodivergent individual, and he offers the distilled information to others through a social media presence and his own online workshops. Sam attained a Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies through the Trauma Center at JRI, is trained in EMDR, SandTray, and Art-Based Supervision. Sam frequently integrates expressive approaches with traditional therapies to bridge limitations of spoken language and is specifically interested in the intersection of neurodivergence and trauma.

Location

Session Four

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

This proposal relates to the Heart strand because it promotes seeing students and their differences from an affirming perspective and has the potential to change classroom and school cultures. It relates to the Health strand because neurodiversity includes brain differences that meet diagnostic criteria.

Brief Program Description

Neurodiversity is a term coined in the 1990s, and it has become a buzzword language over the last few years. However, it can be difficult to find clear definitions of different words within this domain. This presentation is for those who want to use supportive and affirming language and approaches but need some initial clarity about what to use, when, and why.

Summary

The coining of the term Neurodiversity is most often credited to sociologist Judy Singer in 1998. For many people today, the concept of neurodiversity seems obvious and natural, and its positive reception by people as they are exposed to the idea helps explain why use of language associated with neurodiversity has recently increased so much. As is often the case in times of concept growth, interested individuals seek information to stay current. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine what information is reliable or useful, but a broader understanding of the topic can help attendees understand the reasons for the definitions and what distinguishes an approach as neurodiversity affirming.

This presentation aims to offer a foundation on neurodiversity and neurodivergence from the aggregation of research, clinical experience, and lived experience. Attendees will be provided an overview of the neurodiversity movement including the particularly relevant impact of lived-experience voices being elevated and the ongoing evolution of how information is taught to a range of professionals. Definitions will be given for words such as neurodiversity, neurodivergent, neurodivergence, and others, and appropriate usage of these words will be included. The combination of the context in the neurodiversity movement and definitions will give the attendees confidence in the foundation gained.

This foundational understanding is critical to building towards being a neurodiversity-affirming professional, and this presentation will build on the theoretical foundation by providing concrete yet manageable examples of changes that an educator can make to reach this goal of being more affirming. These examples will include what language may be perceived as more or less affirming by neurodivergent individuals. Examples will also include aspects of a classroom or other learning environments that may be considered in order to become more neurodiversity affirming. Finally, the attendees will be reminded that the openness demonstrated by attending a conference with a focus such as NYAR, and specifically a workshop on neurodiversity, is such a key part of the paradigm shift

Evidence

This presentation will be based on recent research and writings in order to give the most up to date perspectives possible. There has been so much evolution on this topic in the last few years that even some publications from as recent as five years ago are now outdated. Some of the research will simply be to give the history or the neurodiversity movement. Other research will demonstrate the need for further progress from the neurodiversity movement.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.).

Ashburn, M. & Edwards, J. (2023). I will die on this hill: Autistic adults, autism parents, and the children who deserve a better world. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but scattered: The revolutionary “executive skills” approach to helping kids reach their potential (First edition.). Guilford Press.

Grandin, T. (2013). The autistic brain: Thinking across the spectrum. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Hayden, C. (2023). Different, not less: A neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after. Murdoch Books.

Monteiro, M. (2010). Autism conversations: Evaluating children on the autism spectrum through authentic conversations. Western Psychological Services.

Nerenberg, J. (2020). Divergent mind: thriving in a world that wasn't designed for you. New York, NY, HarperOne, of HarperCollins. Publishers.

Price, D. (2022). Unmasking autism: discovering the new faces of neurodiversity (First edition.). Harmony Books.

Rogers, A. (2023). Thriving together: An essential guide: finding support and mastering self-care for caregivers of children with differences and disabilities.

Rogers, S., Dawson, G., Vismara, L. (2012). An early start for your child with autism: using everyday activities to help kids connect, communicate, and learn (First edition.). Guilford Press. Van Reusen, A.& Bos, C. (1994). Facilitating student participation in individualized education programs through motivation strategy instruction. Exceptional Children, 60(5), 466-475. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440299406000510

Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities. Autonomous Press.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to outline the history of the neurodiversity movement.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to define words such as neurodiversity, neurodivergence, and neurodiverse, and they will be able to explain why the words are not interchangeable.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to immediately apply principles of a neurodiversity affirming approach into their work.

Keyword Descriptors

neurodiversity, neurodiversity-affirming, neurodivergent, neurodiverse

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-5-2024 8:30 AM

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Mar 5th, 8:30 AM

What is Neurodiversity? Why does it matter? What do I do with it?

Session Four

Neurodiversity is a term coined in the 1990s, and it has become a buzzword language over the last few years. However, it can be difficult to find clear definitions of different words within this domain. This presentation is for those who want to use supportive and affirming language and approaches but need some initial clarity about what to use, when, and why.