The movement for learning difference, you know, was really demeaned by academic professionals, you know, for the longest time. 

It was a problem in the person. And anything that came from it was unrelated adaptation. And, you know, look, that, that deficit pathology model, I mean, it’s hung on for a long time. And I would still say that it’s still latent in the culture. It’s still embedded in textbooks, it’s still embedded in how folks are trained, it’s still embedded in the distribution of research funds which go disproportionately to identifying the root problem of autism or dyslexia or ADD, and then subsequently interventions to fix the problem in the person. 

But, the research is clear, while there are challenges that come with a whole constellation of neurodiversities, there’s also strengths, gifts, and talents that go hand in hand - not despite the challenges or differences -but because of them. And, you know, it may sound like a distinction without a difference to say ‘because’ opposed to ‘despite,’ but when we say despite it negates the intrinsic link between my reading challenges and my verbal ability. They go hand in hand. And when we sever that intrinsic link, we can go down the path of, well, let’s just get rid of dyslexia, you know?

And these things will still be in the culture. No, they won’t. There has been initiatives where the stated purpose of genetic sequencing is the removal from the genome of defective genomes that correlate with things like dyslexia, ADD, autism, down’s syndrome. And what a loss that’ll be. Because it’s not despite, it’s because. 

Because of dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, the genome for depression, autism, and many others we have creativity, entrepreneurship, and problem solving. Without ADD there would be no California, okay? [laughs] We know 50% of small businesses - this is a statistic from empirical research - were found or run by folks with learning differences.

We know that there’s a whole constellation of traits and talents that express themselves in folks like Einstein, of course, but also express themselves in everyday offices around America where the person who can’t sit still contributes to the team in a unique way that has to be valued, it has to be celebrated, it has to be valued and celebrated, not despite the challenges of sitting still and misspelling things, but because of those.

And we have to integrate neurodiversity into our broader diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation that’s happening in America right now. And I’ll be real, you know, from my perspective, often it’s excluded. You know, diversity at a corporation it’s race, class, gender, sexual orientation. Where’s ability status? Where’s neurodiversity? So that’s an area of advocacy for all of us to stand up and say these things that we have seen as deficiencies inside of people are differences that are valuable to the world, not despite the challenges, but because of those challenges.

For more information about learning disabilities, please visit LDOnLine.org. This video was made possible by a partnership between the National Education Association and WETA.