Linguistpd

According to several (admittedly questionable) mainstream newspapers, everyone is claiming to be neurodivergent nowadays, and autism and ADHD are being over-diagnosed by greedy service providers looking to cash in…

The truth is that statistics suggest that approximately 10%-30% of the population are likely to meet the diagnostic threshold of at least one neurodivergent condition, but rate of diagnoses falls far below those figures. What does this mean and why is it important? It means that many of us will embody certain neurodivergent traits, possibly enough to meet the diagnostic threshold, but may not recognise it. It is important, because without accurate framing, people are more likely to view those traits as character flaws. Re-framing that narrative helps to remove the element of shame and instead creates opportunity.

This workshop will take you through several topics related to both neurodiversity and neurodivergency; taking time to understand the community history as well as the evolving terminology that is in use. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about executive function and cognitive load theories, with regular opportunities to discuss the application of the theory in the context of our professional roles.

By the end of this workshop you will have an introduction to neurodiversity… from a neurodivergent perspective.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the history of neurodiversity and the neurodivergent community
• Explore our understanding of relevant language and terminology
• Learn about executive function and cognitive load theories
• Begin to apply theoretical knowledge to professional practice