Neurodiversity Video #5 Positive Niche Construction |

This is video #5 in a series that promotes my upcoming book The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Neurodivergent Brain (Completely Revised and Updated Second Edition) In this video, I take a concept from evolutionary biology and apply it to human culture. Niche construction is the process through which animals build environments for themselves that allow them to flourish and pass their genes on to the next generation. Examples include: beavers building dams, spiders spinning webs, ants building ant hills, birds creating nests and bees building hives. Transplanted into the world of humans, positive niche construction involves building a positive self-image, surrounding yourself with people who see the best in you, using UDL and assistive technology tools to help you work around difficulties, employing inner resources like growth mindset and mindfulness meditation to boost your optimal functioning, and creating a harmonious outer environment for yourself whether at home, work, or school. These environments are meant to supplement one’s efforts to adapt to the world. In other words, they are designed to make the world adapt to YOU and your own uniqueness. In this way, we can empower neurodivergent children, teens, or adults to become more of who they really are.