Growing up as a neurodiverse kid, I piggy-backed on my daydreams to get me through my school years. Although my daydreams accompany me while at University, I now walk on sturdy feet. This transition, although unpleasant — all transitions are unpleasant to me — , was instrumental in gaining perspective about how my heart and brain need to work synergistically as a neurodivergent student. 

Neurodivergent vocabulary is becoming more available to the population via social media. However, pervasive stigma and misunderstanding is a close companion to the recent visibility of neurodivergent people. Neurodiverse people have been historically misunderstood. 

Although with the spread of misinformation and also a general lack of proper representation, neurodivergent populations such as people of color, women and queer people bear the brunt of ignorance — as always —.  

People who exist as both neurodivergent and marginalized often go misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or simply pinned as “not good enough” by educational systems.  Those who are undiagnosed — usually due to the high costs of testing — , but clearly display symptoms of neurodiversity, are consequently regarded as neurotypical. This could mean that they never get the proper accommodations and attention that they require. 

From an article entitled, “What is Neurodiversity”  from Psychology Today, John Elder Robinson writes, “neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal, natural variation in the human genome.”

Elder himself has Aspergers. 

He continues, “There is no question that neurodiverse people have brought many great things to human society. If those achievements were indeed facilitated by neurology, it logically follows that an attempt to ‘cure’ future disability by eliminating our differences would be tremendously harmful to humanity.” 

This is completely true, anytime I have attempted to ‘cure’ my neurodivergence, I blew out my creativity, my innovation and my quirks alongside it. My special interests fuel my torch and illuminate the path of my life. 

Neurodivergent people often have the ability to give themselves over almost obsessively to anything that they find interesting. This is why university can be such an exhilarating time for us. If allowed, and encouraged to be cloaked in our authenticity, we will gather at the hem of success.  

However, at some point during our time in school, we have to take courses that we may not be jumping for joy about. Albeit, we can hop around a little, when there is both internal and external support. The internal supersedes when the external is not available. 

Yet when the external world interprets neurodivergence as a failing of an individual’s will rather than an expression of different experience to stimuli, we may not understand how to adequately support ourselves. This in turn, makes divergent thinkers feel “wrong” and flustered by the structure of academia. 

I asked some of my neurodiverse peers at the University of Miami about how they manage their academic life and their natural work habits. Admittedly, it proved difficult to find people who were willing to talk about this topic. The interviewing process was like probing the sand for silver on South Beach. The fear of being stigmatized by professors and colleagues runs rampant in institutions of higher learning and in the workplace. 

Senior, Ashley Toscano has ADHD and describes her workflow as being, “incredibly sporadic. It is either that I will finish half of the course load or I will finish the entire course load the day before it is due. It is a big hassle.” 

Time management can be one of the biggest struggles for neurodivergent people. We have an incredible knack for stamina when deadlines are close.

Similarly, junior Lauranne Devos, who is diagnosed with ADD says, “I work best under pressure, even though I know other people can’t work that way. Although, when I am in my flow of thinking, I can’t stop.” 

Devos describes a phenomenon called “hyperfocus”, a state of intense concentration commonly experienced by those with ADHD/ADD. This unique frame of mind gives ADD/ADHD people a unique advantage when absorbed with a project.  Devos has accommodations through UM’s Office of Disability Services — ODS — .

“Every time I have an exam, I have to make sure I book a room — through ODS — by myself for an exam. If not, I will be put in a room with everyone else and all the rustling noises and other people distract me.”  

Hypersensitivity to the environment is a common occurrence in neurodivergent people.  Growing up this way, my mind was crowded with colors and oscillating visions, and I constantly engaged in my “stims.” As a student, my mind still crowds with colors and oscillating visions, but I write them down in poetry. 

In university, my specific neurodiversity presents itself in varying ways. So yes, sometimes I may be a couple minutes late to class because I underestimated the walk time — time blindness —. I may energetically chatter in discussion about my special interest for the last three years if the discussion veers off in that direction. 

Despite my differences, I have made an effort to advocate for myself and my unique needs. I am a big proponent of body-doubling, and sitting with a professor or peer whilst I am working on a task that is not my special interest. Often having a community of people for moral support in the obligatory responsibilities, provides the regulation that I need in the moment. 

What has been crucial for me is a channel of clear communication, but much more work needs to be done on a systematic scale. How can we restructure academia so it is neurodivergent-friendly? For a more inclusive future, destigmatizing learning differences is the first step to inciting dialogue and implementing change. 

Self-acceptance is the earth on which I erected my sense of self. I learned to love my mind, although being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world has been infuriating at the worst of times, and evocative at best. I am celebrating the day when another day-dreamer schoolgirl like me, gets all the assistance she needs to learn effectively and accept herself. 

words_nia doyley. design_nicole facchina.

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