We'll be doing things a bit differently than we did over at Substack…and we're still figuring out what that means.
Regardless, each edition of this Lens Not Label newsletter will include something useful to help you have better conversations with the neurodivergent people in your life. As well as updates on the book, Lens Not Label. Plus, the companion book, Uncontained, which is a specialist text for neurodivergent coaches (more on that below).
But now that we're here and all moved in…
Let's unpack some things!
A great place to start is by looking at the word neurodiversity — what it actually means, where it comes from, and how to talk about it:
Neurodiversity describes the natural variation in neurocognitive functioning between humans. This results in different ways people think, learn, process information, and interact with others.
These differences are understood as part of normal human diversity rather than defects or disorders. Neurodiversity is not a disease, a disorder or a condition. Nor is it a political position, a belief or a movement. Neurodiversity is a biological fact.
Simply put, some people are wired differently; our brains and nervous systems – the neuro part* – diverge from the dominant societal standard, from what is considered typical. As such, neurodivergent and neurotypical are labels that describe these two broad categories of human thinking, behaving and perceiving.
*Neuro is a Greek root word relating to the brain and nervous system.
The word neurodiversity was first published in academic literature by sociologist Judy Singer in her 1998 thesis, although the term was collectively developed by neurodivergent people in online communities throughout the 1990s.
More on what neurodiversity is and isn't
Quick Usage Tips For Talking About Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity and neurodiverse refer to groups of people. A person does not "have neurodiversity" nor are they “neurodiverse”.
A person can be neurotypical or neurodivergent. You can refer to an individual person as either neurotypical or neurodivergent, but not both.
Next week, we'll unpack these words a bit more! Stick around.
In the meantime…
Can you help us with our next book on Neurodiversity and Coaching?
Our next book is Uncontained. Claire Pedrick and Kim Witten (that's me!) are writing it now, and we need your help. Because there is a question on our minds that only you can answer…
Our wish for this book is that it changes your perception about “not doing coaching right.” That you don't have to bend yourself into weird shapes to be effective. You can do things differently. And that might make all the difference.
When you start exploring neurodiversity, whether that’s to help yourself, to support others, or out of general curiosity, you may find a lot of focus on limitations, weaknesses and what you can’t do.
What’s perhaps more helpful than limitations and rules to work around them is to focus on the strengths. Without elevating them to superpowers…that can be just as harmful!
We’ve taken this perspective as we write the book. We want to give unconventional coaches permission to focus on all the things they can do, that they’re allowed to do, and in fact, that they may do naturally or better than others. Same for the thinkers they work with.
Which is why we want to know, what exactly are those strengths that come up in the coaching space? What do you notice in yourself (if you’re neurodivergent) or in the neurodivergent thinkers you work with?
Please hit reply and let us know!
That's enough for today
Before we go, here's two prompts to keep the thinking going:
- What here was new or different to you?
- How might that change things?
More to unpack next week,
Kim and the LNL team
