NEORODIVERSITY – Disability and Ability
I am neurodiverse, I like to take long walk alone to find a still place to stop my racing thoughts, this is one of my favourite places, Broadstairs Beach, photo taken early one morning April 2022.
A THOUGHT – I was inspired to find that last week, (18th – 22nd March 2024) while I was completing the research on the divergent brain blog, that is was Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. Follow the link to read about some amazingly successful people who are/were neurodiverse. (Draper, J., (2024), Successful People with Neurodivergent Disabilities)
It is speculated that Andy Warhol was an undiagnosed neurodiverse person – Specialists studying Warhol’s artwork, notebooks and personal correspondence have diagnosed him with dyslexia and autism. They believe his neurodiverse tendency for repetition is responsible for his great works of art. I find stories about other people with neurodiverse brains very comforting and inspiring. As I experience, many students don’t share diagnosis, as noted by Hamilton L.G, Petty S., (2024) , or even discuss difficulty openly. Difficulties may presents themselves through procrastination or poor mental health. If I feel mental health is an issue, of course will direct them accordingly to college support. However, with procrastination (often associated with ADHD) I will share how I like to walk in open spaces, clear my mind, this often resonates with my students, and I share lovely places to walk safely. I find this a very powerful tool to help students (most especially overseas students) connect with their world outside college, building confidence and aiding well-being.
‘Obtaining a clear picture of outcomes for neurodivergent students at university is complex, not least because many do not disclose their diagnosis, and others may not have a formal diagnosis when they commence their studies (McLeod et al., 2019; Clouder et al., 2020). Evidence to date, which often relates specifically to autism, dyslexia and/or ADHD, suggests that academic attainment can be good, if students are well supported to complete their studies (Richardson, 2009; Fabri and Andrews, 2016; Richardson, 2017). However, attrition rates are relatively high in this population, with poor mental health being just one of many contributing reasons (Van Hees et al., 2015; Ghisi et al., 2016; Griffiths et al., 2019).’ Hamilton L.G, Petty S., (2024) Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity: a conceptual analysis.
As a recently diagnosed neurodiverse student – I am grappling with my own emotional response to this information – and feel compelled to consider how my students with this diagnosis might feel if they elect to be tested or choose to share their diagnosis. I am now in a disability ‘niche’ because I have been tested and have a label. I also have a sub label – neurodiverse! There are district positives attached to these labels, I will receive extra care, time, and consideration as a student within the UAL system. All that is positive, but why do I feel dis-stressed by the information, by the labels? If I break it down, it’s the word disabled – I am at a disability within formal education, but I do not feel like a disabled person. In actual fact the very part of the brain that I am encouraging my students, when wearing my tutor hat, is to be divergent thinkers, to access that part of the brain, to be ignite creative thinking and problem solving – the very thing that has always been my super power – So am I in actual fact double abled?, with my neurodivergent brain – Disability is used to describe, any person effected by a mobility, impairment or mental condition. While I am aware this is a complex issue to upick, I question if disabled will be a term I use as an ‘umbrella description’, or whether celebrating difference is an authentic inclusive approach. I will re-frame the use of the word disabled, and quite simple replace DIS with DIFF and define myself as a person with Diffabilities.
DISABILITY – Noun : a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions Those people defined as disabled can include those with impairments such as perceptual (e.g., visual and hearing impairments, learning disabilities); illness-related (e.g., multiple sclerosis, AIDS); physical (e.g., cerebral palsy); developmental (e.g., Down Syndrome); psychiatric (e.g., bi-polar, chronic depression, manic-depressive syndrome); mobility (e.g., quadriplegia, paraplegia); and environmental (e.g., asthma, sensitivities to allergens and chemicals in the environment), though not everyone who has such impairments would consider themselves as disabled…(Oxford Reference)
I consider with new insight how I may better support students with different learning abilities, or Diffabilities, either diagnosed or those I observe struggling to keep up with workload or organisation of time or my nemesis – processing information. I am inspired by the works of Hamilton L.G, Petty S., (quoted above) and their analytical paper on the application of Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity. I agree that ‘adopting compassionate pedagogies, including universal design for learning and strengths-based approaches (Gibbs, 2017; Elsherif et al., 2022). Neurodivergent students, like all students, deserve fit-for-purpose learning experiences, and should not hold responsibility for educating their educators about their differences. The structures and policy context of higher education can act as a disincentive to personalised learning and teaching (Waddington, 2017).’
I observe that students on my course, predominantly Chinese have very high expectations for their master’s outcome, and focus on grades, partly due to peer comparison, and parental pressure and exppectation, as I understand through conversation. Unlike my choice to seek formal support for my learning difficulties, some individuals are hesitant to seek a diagnosis through disability services. I assume, for my students the stigma attached to diagnosis, is not outweighed by the incentive of individual learning support and time allocation. I am aware that certain students need more of my time in tutorials and technical guidance, to insure they complete the course, but despite all efforts as a tutor, too often poor mental health, and stress related illness, results in deferral from the course. I can empathise deeply with this dilemma of stigma versus support. Going forward I will use new insight, and lived experience to encourage students to seek ALL the help they are afforded within the UAL system and share my own experience on viewing diagnosis as a creative superpower – a DIFFABILITY.
NOTE: I must at this point pay gratitude to my masterful tutors on the PG Cert, Rachel and Carys and the Disability Services at UAL, for supporting and encouraging my learning support.
Sharing Inspiring Stories:
In 1964, four of Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe screen prints were shot by an acquaintance in his studio. Since then, the so-called “Shot Marilyns” have become perhaps the most coveted Warhols of all time. One of these canvases, the Sage Blue Shot Marilyn, has recently re-entered the public stage, making waves in the media as it is expected to sell at auction this month for an estimated $200,000,000. These Marilyn canvases are among his most iconic silkscreens, and occupy an intriguing moment in the Warhol story. REVOLVER: https://revolverwarholgallery.com/andy-warhol-the-shot-marilyns-and-his-early-silkscreens/
References:
Ahern, S., (2019) ‘Compassionate Pedagogy In Practise’. Available at: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/digital-education/2019/07/03/compassionate-pedagogy-in-practice/(Accessed 10th January 2024)
Elsherif, M. M., Middleton, S. L., Phan, J. M., Azevedo, F., Iley, B., Grose-Hodge, M., et al. (2022). ‘Bridging neurodiversity and open scholarship: how shared values can guide best practices for research integrity, social justice, and principled education;. Preprint. doi: 10.31222/osf.io/k7a9p
Gibbs, P. (2017). “Higher education: a compassion business or edifying experience?” in The Pedagogy of Compassion at the Heart of Higher Education. ed. P. Gibbs (New York: Springer), 1–18.
Gilbert, P., Catarino, F.,Duarte,C., Matos.M., Kolts,R., Stubbs,J., Ceresatto,L., Duarte,J., Pinto-Gouveia,J.,Basran,J., (2017). ‘Journal of Compassionate Heath – The development of compassionate engagement and action scales for self and others’. Available at: https://jcompassionatehc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40639-017-0033-3#Bib1(Aceessed 10th January 2024).
Hamilton, L.G, Petty, S., (2024) Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: a conceptual analysis: Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093290/full (Accessed 10th January 2024).
Medium.com, The End of Education, (2020), Available at: https://medium.com/@connect_75384/the-end-of-education-94f3a39fe97c
Oxford Reference: Available at: https://www.oxfordreference.com (Accessed 10th January 2024)
Waddington, K. (2017). “Creating Conditions for Compassion” in The Pedagogy of Compassion at the Heart of Higher Education. ed. P. Gibbs (New York: Springer), 49–72.