What is Advocacy?
What is Neurodivergent Advocacy?
Neurodivergent advocacy is about actively promoting the rights, needs, and well-being of individuals with neurodivergence. It involves creating an inclusive environment that supports the unique needs of every child, helping them understand their strengths, vulnerabilities, and rights, and celebrating neurodiversity.
- Mentra: A neurodiversity advocate network that supports creating an inclusive job market for neurodivergent individuals.
- Voices for Children: Recruits and trains Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to provide support services for youth in foster care.
How can you Support Neurodivergent Children?
Supporting neurodivergent children involves a neuro-affirming practice that recognizes all children's unique strengths, interests, and needs. Empowering your child to understand their strengths, vulnerabilities, and rights is also crucial. Celebrating neurodiversity and explaining it positively can help children turn their hyperfocused interests into career choices.
- Neuro-affirming practice: This practice focuses on creating an inclusive environment that supports the unique needs of every child.
- Empower your child: Encourage them to express their needs and preferences, advocate for accommodations, and communicate effectively with teachers, peers, and other adults.
- Celebrate neurodiversity: Positively explain neurodiversity so children can turn their hyperfocused interests into career choices.
What is the First Step in Understanding Neurodivergence?
The first step in understanding neurodivergence is to talk about it with kids of all backgrounds, emphasizing that everyone's brain works a little differently, and that's okay. Sharing age-appropriate books or resources that celebrate neurodivergence can also be beneficial.
How can you be there for Neurodivergent Children?
Being there for neurodivergent children involves letting them know that you are here for them. Sometimes, just knowing that someone is in their corner can help brighten their spirits if they feel alone.
What Resources can Help with Neurodivergent Advocacy?
Several resources can help with neurodivergent advocacy, including Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy, Neurodiversity Affirming Practice, accessibility tools, accommodations, and D&I training.
- Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy: Uses mindfulness techniques to help people become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It also uses creative therapies like art, music, and movement to help people express themselves and build self-esteem.
- Neurodiversity Affirming Practice: Supports self-advocacy skills by teaching people to identify their needs, teaching people about their differences, exploring strategies and tools together, providing space for people to express concerns, honoring an individual's decisions, and giving individuals choices.
- Accessibility tools: Tools like Grammarly, Read&Write, and Kapwing can help neurodiverse employees who may struggle with writing, reading, or other cognitive tasks.
What Accommodations can Support Neurodivergent Individuals?
Accommodations can better support employees with differing needs including differing sensory needs, communication needs, processing differences, and social environments.
How can D&I Training Help with Neurodivergent Advocacy?
D&I training can help upskill the workforce so that neurodiversity is better understood. This can contribute significantly to neurodivergent advocacy by creating a more inclusive and understanding environment.