Neurodiversity

Please categorize the Neurodiverse diagnosis by matching some common presentations.

Groups:

(a) Autism

,

(b) Dyslexic

,

(c) ADHD

• Some people may be nonverbal or minimally verbal while others are quite verbal

• Looks different for every person with a distinct set of strengths & challenges

• Affects how people may learn or behave, including sensitivity to light, sounds, and textures

• The brain processes the individual sounds of letters differently in words

• Can affect the ability to get organized and get started

• Challenging to keep one thing in mind while doing something else

• Can affect the ability to stay tuned to something and then shift focus when needed

• Can be challenging to regulate alertness and let yourself relax when you need to

• Impacts reading, spelling, and writing

• Can impact social interaction, especially understanding nonverbal cues and body language

Having a neurodivergent brain has everything to do with intelligence.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Having a brain that is neurodiverse has no impact on intelligence. It just means that your brain processes information differently than a neurotypical brain.

Please match the following neurodivergent celebrity with their diagnosis.

• Autism & Tourette's Syndrome

• 
• Dyspraxia (affects small motor skills)

• 
• ADHD

• 
• Dyslexic

• 
• Tourette's Syndrome

• 

Answer explanation

Gavin Newsom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ejfAWlMbI&list=PL0Kjy0JtEbaS9xyTAzF42Xyd7GzNg8TmO&index=9&t=29s

Dan Akyroyd:

https://childmind.org/blog/dan-aykroyd-says-being-on-the-spectrum-helped-him-make-ghostbusters/

Daniel Radcliffe: .

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5605093&page=1

Simone Biles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxV5Nfnwz2g

Neurodivergence like ADHD, Tourette's, and Autism tend to run in families.

• True

• False

Tourette Syndrome is characterized as having sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Motor tics are movements. Simple motor tics include but are not limited to: eye blinking, facial grimacing, jaw movements, head bobbing/jerking, shoulder shrugging, neck stretching, and arm jerking. Complex motor tics involve multiple muscle groups or combinations of movements and tend to be slower and more purposeful in appearance,(e.g., hopping, twirling, jumping).

Vocal (phonic) tics produce a sound. Simple vocal tics include but are not limited to sniffing, throat clearing, grunting, hooting, and shouting. Complex vocal tics are words or phrases that may or may not be recognizable but that consistently occur out of context. In 10-15% of cases, the words may be inappropriate (i.e., swear words, ethnic slurs, or other socially unacceptable words or phrases). This type of vocal tic, called coprolalia, is often portrayed or mocked in the media as a common symptom of TS.

All people with Tourette Syndrome have coprolalia, which is a vocal tic where the words may be inappropriate (i.e., swear words, ethnic slurs, or other socially unacceptable words or phrases).

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Only 10-15% of Tourette diagnosis have coprolalia, though this is what the media and television often portray or mock.

Boys are​ ​ (a)   likely than girls to have an​ (b)  

• more
• Autism diagnosis
• less
• ADHD diagnosis

Answer explanation

Boys are four times more likely to have an autism diagnosis than girls.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd#:~:text=Boys%20are%20nearly%204%20times,Black%20%E2%80%93%202.9%25

People can grow out of their neurodivergence.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Neurodivergence is how your brain was designed to think, learn, and process the world around you. Though you cannot outgrow this, many people have learned to adapt and have grown with their differences to thrive.

All people with an Autism diagnosis are incredibly gifted or smart in one specialty area.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

While many autistic people can hyperfocus their attention on their interests, not all autistic people do this. It is a stereotype to assume that all autistic individuals are gifted like "Rainman."

An autistic person's needs, strengths, and challenges may​ __ over time.