We all learn and approach our surroundings differently. Our strengths and weaknesses vary because we are all unique. This all comes down to how your brain works. Thinking, problem solving, and information processing are related to the brain. For some people, these functions can be carried out in a way that allows them to interpret the world around them differently.

Neurodivergent is the term used to describe someone’s brain that works differently than what we consider average (neurotypical). There is a wide range of neurodivergence which allows the experiences of this to vary from person to person.

“Neurodivergence has a spectrum of differences. You could be just a little bit neurodivergent and have just different kinds of thoughts and approach things a little bit differently or it could be that your neurodivergence is severe. You could have a completely different view of the world, thoughts, and how to get around with life,” Psychologist Kelly O’Toole said.

There are a variety of types of neurodivergence. Autism, dyslexia, and ADHD are common examples that impact many people.

“Whether they are diagnosed or not, about 20% of students today are neurodivergent. That’s one in five students,” Psychologist Terrin Dorathy said.

School can be difficult for neurodivergent students when curriculum and learning strategies are geared toward neurotypical students. This can make it hard for neurodivergent students to learn the same way in the classroom.

“I think school is often challenging for people who are neurodivergent because our curriculum, our lessons, and our teachers training are all based on neurotypical brains and how neurotypical brains work and learn and get around in the world. For neurodivergent people that doesn’t necessarily work for them all the time so it’s hard for neurotypical brain people to try to understand how to modify their teaching and their ways of interacting to best help people that are neurodivergent” O’Toole said.

To help with this, there are several support systems at school that help neurodivergent students learn. Individualized education plans are specifically written to fit each student in school and the transition to after high school life. There are also specialized classes designed to help students prepare for future jobs with their condition.

“They get to work on what they should be doing in their job to be asking for different accommodations to say, here’s how my thought process works, can we adjust this process at work to help with this and filling out applications and how they should be done and the professionalism associated with that,” Department Head of Special Education Blaise Scheef said.

School psychologists also work with students to help them manage their daily life whether it be with their learning plan or just having a chat.

“I will often talk to them about learning what it means to have a neurodivergent brain or to have autism spectrum disorder and learn what it means for them. If they can understand it and what it means for them, they can help others understand it as well,” O’Toole said.

Although learning can be challenging for neurodivergent students, they often have other areas of strength. This could include memory, attention to detail, and more.

“Their brains work differently. They are able to see things differently and they’re able to really interact in different ways. Some things are amazing and great strengths, the things that they can do with their brains that I wish I could do,” Dorathy said.

Along with students figuring out their strengths and weaknesses, many have also figured out who they are. Knowing who they are has allowed them to become successful learners in and out of school.

“We have quite a few students who have really taken on the ownership of this is me, this is who I am. I love their confidence and this is how I learn best, and this is what it is. I think that it gives them that leadership, the power, and ability to really say who they are as a student and individual,” Dorathy said.

Neurodivergence not only affects the individual, but also their loved ones. Parents have learned how to understand their child and how to best support them.

“Being a parent of a child with ADHD and anxiety has taught me to be a better parent and a much more patient, tolerant, and all-around better human. It has also made my life much more exciting, chaotic, and joyful,” MN parent Jackie Johnson* said.

Misconceptions about neurodivergence are common when people are uneducated about it. Some people believe that having a neurodivergent brain is a weakness when really it’s not. Different thinking patterns and thoughts create more perspectives that we can learn from.

“I think they don’t realize that being neurodivergent is just a different way of your brain working. It’s not that there’s something wrong with them. The pathways in their brain just fire differently and their thoughts go down different paths,” O’Toole said.

Although there are still many misunderstandings, awareness and acceptance have increased over the years.

“I think we are at the point in society where we’re starting to accept people a little bit more with a different brain. I think that it’s becoming common knowledge and so I think people are willing to listen and understand and learn about how others think. It just takes some education and conversations about what that means for them,” O’Toole said.

As more light is shone on this topic, we learn that, whether we are neurotypical or neurodivergent, everyone has unique ways of looking at the world. We learn from each other and benefit from different perspectives.