A Young Person’s Perspective on Neurodiversity and Ableism

The organisation Special Needs Jungle (SNJ) recently shared the story of Kyle Thapar, a young teenager who is neurodiverse. Kyle attends a mainstream educational provision and chose the subject of neurodiversity and ableism for his spoken English exam presentation.

According to the ‘UK Findings from My Neuro Survey’ report, 76% of children and young people said that their neurological condition affected their day-to-day activities to a great or moderate extent. By talking about his own experiences, Kyle hopes to raise awareness and encourage and empower others to do the same.

Ableism as a Form of Discrimination

As part of his presentation, Kyle discussed ableism, specifically as it relates to neurological disorders, and how there is currently a lack of education and awareness on this topic. Ableism is a type of discrimination that targets those with disabilities. Kyle spoke about how this topic is frequently overlooked or under-represented in public discussions around social justice and discrimination — this is even more the case when it comes to neurological disorders, which may not be immediately visible and can be difficult to understand.

Personal Experiences

During the presentation, Kyle recalled how he had experienced problems with concentrating during lectures as his mind continually wandered, meaning that he regularly missed part of the lesson. He spoke about how he had often been labelled ‘lazy’ before his diagnosis with ADHD.

Kyle also discussed how his neurodiversity means that he may unintentionally overreact to a situation or have an emotionally disproportionate response. He finds social communication challenging and finds it difficult to maintain eye contact with others naturally — education experts like Sir Peter Birkett know that this struggle to maintain eye contact is commonly experienced by those with ADHD.

Why is This Issue Not Discussed?

Kyle suggested in his presentation that a key reason that ableism towards neurological disorders is not discussed is because it’s often hard (or impossible) to tell if someone has a disorder simply by looking at them — not to mention the fact that the individual themselves may not be aware that they have a neurological disorder. The stereotypes that have resulted from a misunderstanding of these disorders can lead to those with them being perceived as unreliable, lazy and even dangerous.

Facts About Neurological Disorders

Towards the end of the presentation, Kyle related some key facts on the subject of neurodiversity and ableism including that an estimated one in six people in the UK has a neurological disorder — which represents approximately ten million individuals. Despite this, many of those with such disorders face barriers in accessing education, employment and healthcare. For Kyle, this situation is unacceptable, and he strongly believes that it is up to everyone to work towards greater inclusivity and understanding.