(2-minute read – and well worth your time)
Claire and I have worked with thousands of parents, and one thing we see, again and again, is that when a young person is struggling with their emotions or mental health, neurodiversity is VERY often in the mix.
In fact, I’d probably go as far as to say that neurodiversity is a contributing factor in 7 out of 10 of the young people we work with.
You may already know all about neurodiversity, perhaps your child has a diagnosis or they’re on the pathway to getting one. But before you scroll on, I just want to emphasise that getting a diagnosis is just the BEGINNING and won’t, in itself, solve all your child’s problems.
It will allow you to access more support and understanding from their school and perhaps other support services, but what’s really vital too, is that YOU really understand your child’s particular neurodiversity profile – because every child is different.
Anyway…neurodiversity is a ‘catch-all’ term for quite a few conditions, many of which you’ve probably heard of. A common one is Autism or ASD, which stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder. And very, very briefly, autistic young people can find social interactions really difficult because they struggle to pick up social cues and can be overwhelmed by busy and noisy environments. And then there’s ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – and these are the young people who find it really hard to concentrate and are often fidgeting or struggling to sit still. And lastly, there’s Dyslexia, where young people have trouble reading and writing; Dyscalculia, where the difficulty is with numbers; and Dyspraxia, which affects physical coordination and movement. Anyway, these are the most common, but there are quite a few others, too.
Whatever type of neurodiversity a young person has, it basically means that their brain is wired differently to 75 to 80% of the world that we call neurotypical, and this means they’ll think differently, process information differently, communicate differently, learn differently, and understand the world around them differently
…and I want to pause here, can we ditch the word “disorder” in ASD and ADHD because there’s nothing wrong with being different!
Just because a child struggles to listen and sit still in a classroom doesn’t make them wrong or broken. Did you know that some of the greatest people in our history were neurodivergent, and it was precisely their neurodivergence that allowed them to reach their greatness?
Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Thomas Eddison, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, some of the greatest minds that have ever lived were ALL neurodivergent
So whilst a neurodiverse child will find some situations deeply challenging, perhaps sitting still for hours in a classroom or dealing with a noisy, smelly lunch-hall, they VERY often have AMAZING strengths and gifting, and can REALLY flourish when they’re understood, their qualities are valued, and they’re in the right environment that suits them…
So whilst it’s clear that a neurodiverse young person can really excel in the right environment with the right opportunities, it’s ALSO easy to see how they can really struggle when they’re not understood and have to cope with an environment that doesn’t suit them. Perhaps it’s an ADHD child who is constantly in trouble with teachers for not concentrating in class, and after a few years finds their confidence and self-esteem hit rock bottom…or perhaps it’s the autistic teenager who doesn’t understand the social dynamics of friendship groups and is made-fun-of by classmates for coming across differently. These are just a couple of examples of how neurodiversity can be an underlying cause of a young person’s struggles.
So if you’re wondering whether your child is neurodiverse, and you want to find out more, then I really recommend spending a little time reading through the websites of some of the leading neurodiversity organisations.
Written by Joel Sutton (Co-founder at Youth Mental Health Foundation)
Please visit our website for loads of free resources to better support a child or young person struggling with emotions, behaviour or mental health: www.YouthMentalHealthFoundation.org