Why building a neurodiverse team is a Good Thing for your AI business, and how being more inclusive of neurodivergent people benefits all. (Audio; 9:02)
I don't understand how you can be "neurodiverse" (as in a bit neurodivergent and a bit neurotypical). I would think "neurodiverse" would mean that someone is, say, autistic AND ADHD or something like that.
Fair question, @CynthiaCM - I know the terminology can be confusing, and I'm glad you asked! "Neurodiverse" applies to groups, not individuals. Only a group of 2 or more people can be "neurodiverse". An individual person isn't "neurodiverse". They are either "neurotypical" or they are "neurodivergent".
Being autistic, alone, is enough to mean someone is neurodivergent. Having any one of ADHD, or dyscalculia, or dyslexia, ... also means someone is neurodivergent. There are many conditions where people's brains work in atypical ways. (Some people do have more than one condition.) A neurodivergent person is someone that has at least one of these conditions.
I just realized that two reference links in my draft that had detailed info explaining neurodivergence somehow got lost! I've now added them back. Here's the info, for convenience:
“Neurodivergence is the idea that some brains function differently than the "typical" brain, and that these differences should not necessarily be considered a mental illness. In the past, we may have considered autism, for example, to be an inherently bad or abnormal condition that needed to be treated like other mental illnesses.
As we come to learn more about how the human brain works, and the differences that can occur from person to person, we now look at the topic of neurodiversity in a completely new light. The more we learn, the more we can push back against the stigmas that have harmed many individuals in the past.”
“Neurodivergent isn’t a medical term. Instead, it’s a way to describe people using words other than “normal” and “abnormal.” That’s important because there’s no single definition of “normal” for how the human brain works.
The word for people who aren’t neurodivergent is “neurotypical.” That means their strengths and challenges aren't affected by any kind of difference that changes how their brains work.”
What a fantastic coverage of this topic, thank you for putting this together! This is a really important topic for tech companies to understand - and act on.
And personally, it feels great to see my super-powers of seeing the big picture and being able to connect dots that many others didn’t even notice were there, both called out and framed in such a positive and appreciative light 💡 💗
Superpowers is a good word for it! And you’ll probably keep getting even better at both over time - conventional wisdom is that people improve in big picture thinking and synthesis as they mature 😊
Ha well maybe why it seemed like I'd reached a new level of ability on this sort of thing in my last big project... apparently it is a sign that I'm getting old 😆😉 Thanks for the encouragement!
I don't understand how you can be "neurodiverse" (as in a bit neurodivergent and a bit neurotypical). I would think "neurodiverse" would mean that someone is, say, autistic AND ADHD or something like that.
Fair question, @CynthiaCM - I know the terminology can be confusing, and I'm glad you asked! "Neurodiverse" applies to groups, not individuals. Only a group of 2 or more people can be "neurodiverse". An individual person isn't "neurodiverse". They are either "neurotypical" or they are "neurodivergent".
Being autistic, alone, is enough to mean someone is neurodivergent. Having any one of ADHD, or dyscalculia, or dyslexia, ... also means someone is neurodivergent. There are many conditions where people's brains work in atypical ways. (Some people do have more than one condition.) A neurodivergent person is someone that has at least one of these conditions.
I just realized that two reference links in my draft that had detailed info explaining neurodivergence somehow got lost! I've now added them back. Here's the info, for convenience:
https://www.verywellmind.com/neurodivergence-8609229 :
“Neurodivergence is the idea that some brains function differently than the "typical" brain, and that these differences should not necessarily be considered a mental illness. In the past, we may have considered autism, for example, to be an inherently bad or abnormal condition that needed to be treated like other mental illnesses.
As we come to learn more about how the human brain works, and the differences that can occur from person to person, we now look at the topic of neurodiversity in a completely new light. The more we learn, the more we can push back against the stigmas that have harmed many individuals in the past.”
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent :
“Neurodivergent isn’t a medical term. Instead, it’s a way to describe people using words other than “normal” and “abnormal.” That’s important because there’s no single definition of “normal” for how the human brain works.
The word for people who aren’t neurodivergent is “neurotypical.” That means their strengths and challenges aren't affected by any kind of difference that changes how their brains work.”
What a fantastic coverage of this topic, thank you for putting this together! This is a really important topic for tech companies to understand - and act on.
And personally, it feels great to see my super-powers of seeing the big picture and being able to connect dots that many others didn’t even notice were there, both called out and framed in such a positive and appreciative light 💡 💗
Superpowers is a good word for it! And you’ll probably keep getting even better at both over time - conventional wisdom is that people improve in big picture thinking and synthesis as they mature 😊
Ha well maybe why it seemed like I'd reached a new level of ability on this sort of thing in my last big project... apparently it is a sign that I'm getting old 😆😉 Thanks for the encouragement!