Our Center for Healing and Life Transformation in South Africa has specialised in private, world-class healing programs such our Neurodiversity Centre Program. A Neurodiversity Centre Program removes the labels from our adolescents and adults who no longer want to be medically boxed in, labelled, fixed, reduced to less-than or misunderstood.
What is a Neurodiversity Centre Program?
“Neurodiversity” is a word used to explain the unique ways people’s brains work. While everyone’s brain develops similarly, no two brains function just alike. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person.
Our private Neurodiversity Centre program that we run at our wellness centre was established to provide multi-disciplinary assessment, support, and intervention to adolescents and adults presenting with neurodevelopmental challenges. We learned over a decade ago that mainstream diagnosis, treatment, and psychiatric care or clinics are not suitable for everyone. In fact, most people refrain from seeking such treatment and therefore receive no help at all. We work together as a team with our own psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists, and life coaches to provide what is essentially out-of-the-box treatment that goes beyond the labels of conditions such as OCD and ADHD.
Having a brain that functions differently from the average, or what is considered “neurotypical,” means that treatment approaches must also be different. Sometimes, we collaborate with consultants who specialize in Adolescent Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry, Speech and Language Therapy, and other educational disciplines. We utilize a holistic approach that encompasses everything from sports to nature therapy, as well as meditation and mindfulness practices.
Definitions of Neurodiversity
Wikipedia says the definition of Neurodiversity is that Neurodiversity is a proposed framework that argues there is intrinsic diversity in human brain function and cognition, and that certain things currently classified as neuro-developmental disorders are differences and disabilities but are not necessarily pathological.
When trying to define Neurodiversity, you will probably need to know the meaning of these 3 concepts. Neurodiversity, Neurodiverse and Neurodivergent that are terms that have been embraced in the mental health arena.
Harvard Health defines the subject of Neurodiversity as follows. They state that “Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.
Neurodiversity is the concept that people have different brain functions, and that is normal, rather than identifying people with differently functioning brains as abnormal. It treats the differences in a neutral manner and not as “good” or “bad.” Neurodivergence is the term for people whose brains, thinking, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions differ from mainstream thought. These differences can manifest as autism, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, or various other conditions. It can also encompass mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette’s syndrome, dysgraphia, anxiety, and depression.
Some neurodiversity advocates and researchers argue that the neurodiversity paradigm is the middle ground between a strong medical model and strong social model. Autism activists don’t like people being put into neat little boxes that suit a medical or psychological model only. They argue for social aspects that create differences and they may be right. Neurodiversity in terms of pronouns is the idea that neurological differences between people should be considered and respected.
The term neurodiversity is aimed at appreciating the differences between people and how their brains work. The premise is that our brains are all the same, they just work differently.
What I love about the idea of Neurodiversity as we value variety is that it makes us think about the labels we are giving ourselves and our children. The neat little boxes we have used thus far don’t work for everybody and there is no one size that fits all.
Mark L Lockwood BA(hons)(psy)
Mark continues, “Labels can, for example, steer away from accountability for our neurotic or narcissistic tendencies, while other labels like ADHD can box up kids who just like to learn, think, and move differently. Diversity can be a good thing, and to be honest, if we look at our history, something about the way we think has got to change anyway.” Neurodiversity may be as essential as biodiversity is for life as we know it. There are numerous benefits to hiring neurodiverse people. In fact, because they think differently, they bring totally new perspectives and challenge our thinking that what we think is always ‘high-level’.
Who is not Neurodivergent, one may ask? People who are not neurodivergent are called Neurotypical. Neurotypical (NT) is a neologism widely used in the neurodiversity movement as a label for anyone who has a typical neurotype and fits into the norm of thinking patterns. Thus, neurotypicals are anyone who is not autistic. So again, that leaves us with another problem. After all, who wants to be called Neurotypical!
Treatment for Neurodiversity
People who practice neurodivergent therapy from the professionals in the medical model to holistic healers neurodivergent treatment try to better understand the unique challenges that neurodivergent folks face. They don’t try and cure these people and make them Neurotypical. They try and help them with functioning and with emotional and psychological wellbeing.
We use Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy that challenges the worlds mainstream views on mental illness. The mainstream hates challenges, yet sometimes they are necessary.
Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy used in a typically decent Neurodiversity Centre Program uses an affirmative approach, meaning it seeks to foster an environment of acceptance and understanding. It seeks to transcend and include and integrate and dissolve, much like Carl Jung suggested we do.
Conclusion about Neurodiversity
In conclusion we need to understand that any decent Neurodiversity Centre Program is not about treating a fault, flaw or failing that needs to be “fixed” or corrected. They recognize that neurodivergence can come with its own set of strengths that can be fostered.
- Neurodiversity is a viewpoint that brain differences are normal, rather than deficits.
- Neurodiversity gets people out of their extremely limited thinking bubbles. Psychologists are just as good or bad as our educators. No one is above the other.
- Neurodivergent people experience, interact with, and interpret the world in unique ways.
- Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy affirms rather than denies the problem and the person. We are tired of seeing adolescents with ADHD think they are less than.
- This concept can help reduce stigma around learning and thinking differences.
For more information on our Neurodiversity Centre Program, our philosophy and for out of the box help with everything from ADHD to OCD and addictions, burnout and life purpose get in touch centerforhealingandlife@gmail.com
