Neurodiversity club planning session

Would you like to participate in the creation of a campus club that supports and celebrates Neurodiversity? We are a group of neurodiverse students and allies at UW-Stout. Come share your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas with the group as we proceed with the creation of an official campus organization. ALL students are invited to join, including students who identify as neurodiverse, friends of neurodiverse people, and anyone interested in learning about neurodiversity.

During this meeting, we plan to talk about the logistics of club creation and start planning some spring events.

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity means that no two brains are exactly the same. Every person has things they are good at and things they need help with, and there is no such thing as a "normal" brain. The neurodiversity movement says that people with brain-based disabilities (like autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, or mental health disabilities) should be accepted and included in society just like neurotypical people (people without brain-based disabilities). The neurodiversity movement also says that we shouldn't try to cure or get rid of neurodiversity. Neurodiverse people should be allowed to exist, and we should work to make sure that everyone gets the accommodations we need to reach our full potential. (Adapted from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/what-we-believe/)

"The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences. Through online platforms, more and more autistic people were able to connect and form a self-advocacy movement. At the same time, Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, coined the term neurodiversity to promote equality and inclusion of "neurological minorities." While it is primarily a social justice movement, neurodiversity research and education is increasingly important in how clinicians view and address certain disabilities and neurological conditions." (Excerpt from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity-202111232645)

You do not need a medical diagnosis in order to identify as neurodiverse. "Neurodiversity" isn't a medical term, condition or diagnosis; however, some common diagnoses that have been considered neurodiverse are included below:
Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ADHD/ADD
Down Syndrome
Learning disabilities (includes dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia)
Meares-Irlen Syndrome
Hyperlexia
Intellectual disorders
Prader Willi Syndrome
Tourette's Syndrome
Synesthesia
Williams Syndrome
Mental health diagnoses (anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and more)
Many more!

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