The concept of neurodiversity emerged in the 1990’s as a way for autism advocates to affirm their identity as people with neurological differences rather than as disabled individuals.  The idea has spread as other advocates (including myself) have sought to articulate the ”diversity rather than disability” message to a broader segment of the population than...Read More

Today I was in Plymouth, Minnesota, in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, to speak to around thirty educators at a workshop on ”Neurodiversity in the Classroom” sponsored by The Grants and Research Office (GRO) of Intermediate School District 287 and Northeast Metro District 916.  We spent the day exploring principles and applications from my ASCD...Read More

Today I led a full-day workshop (9am-4pm) on ”Neurodiversity in the Classroom:  Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Learning Disabilities Succeed in School and Life,” sponsored by Jack Hirose & Associates here in Canada.  It was a terrific group of forty educators who shared their success experiences in working with students with special needs that...Read More

Yesterday we looked at the impact that Universal Design for Learning tools can have for a neurodiversity classroom.  Today, we examine the role that assistive technologies can have in promoting "niche construction" for neurodiverse brains.  As we noted in our earlier post on neurodiversity and niche construction, one critical ingredient in improving the lives of...Read More

In my forthcoming book Neurodiversity:  Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Other Brain Differences, I explore the idea of niche construction as a way of thinking about neurodiversity.  When I suggest that neurodiverse individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD, might have been labeled gifted in other times and in other...Read More