|
|
NeurodiversityNeurodiversity is a concept that atypical neurological wiring is a normal human difference that is to be tolerated and respected as any other human difference. The concept of neurodiversity was created by autistic individuals who believe that autism is not a disorder but a part of who they are and that curing them would be the same as killing them and replacing them with different people.
Response to PrejudiceThe term neurodiversity is usually used as a statement against prejudice and bigotry towards autism, which has been claimed to be the following by neurodiversity proponents:
Who are the proponents?Most supporters of neurodiversity are anti-cure autistics who are engaged in civil rights advocacy. Many parents of autistic children also support neurodiversity and the view that autism is a unique way of being, rather than a disease to be cured. Such parents value their children's individuality and want to allow their children to develop naturally. Opposing viewsThere are many parents of autistic children who believe autism causes their child to have great difficulty in life. They believe a cure for autism is the best way to help their children and therefore see it as unfair to characterize the desire to cure autism as bigotry. History of the termThe first citation of the term "neurodiversity" is generally held to have occurred in an essay by Judy Singer: Judy Singer, "'Why can't you be normal for once in your life?'" in Disability Discourse, Mairian Corker ed., Open University Press, February 1, 1999) where it is used to describe a post modernist critique and addition to the social cleavages of class, gender, race and so on. However, Judy Singer actually first used this term in her Honours Thesis, written in 1996-7 and presented in 1998. Singer, J (1998) "Odd People In: The Birth of Community Amongst People on the “Autistic Spectrum”: A personal exploration of a New Social Movement based on Neurological Diversity" Faculty of Humanities and Social Science University of Technology, Sydney, 1998. Judy Singer wrote: For me, the significance of the “Autistic Spectrum” lies in its call for and anticipation of a “Politics of Neurodiversity”. The “Neurologically Different” represent a new addition to the familiar political categories of class / gender / race and will augment the insights of the Social Model of Disability. The rise of Neurodiversity takes postmodern fragmentation one step further. Just as the postmodern era sees every once too solid belief melt into air, even our most taken-for granted assumptions: that we all more or less see, feel, touch, hear, smell, and sort information, in more or less the same way, (unless visibly disabled) are being dissolved. (pp 12-13) Judy Singer believes she coined the term, as she had done extensive literature and internet searches, and had not come up with the term anywhere. Nor was it mentioned in any of the Autistic egroups ANI, InLv, Autinet that she was a member of. Since the idea was meant to bring together the insights of socio-biology/evolutionary psychology and sociology/ disability studies in a positive synthesis, it's unlikely that anyone else would have thought of it since sociologists and disability activists abhor sociobiology. Judy Singer talked about the politics and sociology of neurodiversity on the InLv forum for Autistics at the time, and it may have spread from there. Judy Singer knows that Jane Meyerding asked her for (and she gave) permission to use the term on her website [1].
"Neurodiversity is a word that has been around since autistic people started putting sites on the internet. It has since been expanded to include not just people who are known as "autistics and cousins", but to express the idea that a diversity of ways of human thinking is a good thing, and dyslexic, autistic, ADHD, dyspraxic and tourettes people to name but a few all have some element in common not being neurotypical in the way our brains work." http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7138/rights/neurodiversity.htm Whilst the term most appears to have originated within the online autistic community, its usage has spread outside to a more general meaning sometimes hotly disputed between its proponents as to whether it is inclusive of people with conditions like Cerebral Palsy, Parkinsons Disease, Multiple Sclerosis etc. Whilst others prefer to confine it to the invisible conditions such as those outlined by the Developmental Adult Neurodiversity Association in the UK Certainly the term has been eagerly sought amongst top level domain name registrations, with neurodiversity.com and neurodiversity.info being examples, and there is no doubt that the term has seen a boost with the New York Times article by Amy Harmon Amy Harmon, "The Disability Movement Turns to Brains," The New York Times, May 9, 2004 See AlsoTopics related to neurodiversityTopics in autism in general
External links
|
|
The contents of this article are licensed from Wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. How to see transparent copy
|
BiologyDaily.com 2005. Legal info Privacy |