Neurodiversity, Networks, and Narratives: Exploring Intimacy and Expressive Freedom in the Time of Covid‐19

Abstract

The Narratives of Neurodiversity Network (NNN) is a neurodivergent academic, creative, and educator collective that came together with allies during the Covid‐19 pandemic to create a network centred around emerging narratives about neuro-diversity and exploring new ways of learning and socialising. The network focuses on exploring the roles of written, spoken, and visual narratives across cultural locations about neuro‐atypical experiences in generating improved agency and self‐advocacy for those who have been subject to pathologization through neuro‐normativity and intersecting oppression. During the last year, widening access to digital platforms has provided a space to explore these issues outside of traditional academic spaces. We run a monthly “Salon,” our mixed‐media “reading, listening, and watching” group, in an effort to find positive representation within contemporary culture. Discussions have moved beyond mimesis and into a consideration of how narrative and storyworlds can question the supposed naturalness of certain ways of being in and perceiving the world. This article interrogates the network’s core principles of nonhierarchical co‐production, including the roles of creativity, community, identity, and emancipatory research which were animated by the new techno‐social context. We consider the cultural lives of neurodiversity in the West and beyond, including ethical and aesthetic dimensions. We share a faith in the power of storytelling to inform new social identities for neurodivergent people and to inform scientific understandings of atypical cognition. In exploring this, we speak through a porous first‐person plural narrator, to unsettle the idea that there is a hegemonic “we” speaking on behalf of all neurodivergent people.

Disability and Social Inclusion: Lessons From the Pandemic

“…Furthermore, it demanded imagination, ingenuity, and served as a reminder of the interdependent state in which we all live. Evidencing this is the contribution by Betts et al (2023), which reflects on the development of a "techno-social" space to increase agency and self-advocacy, and that of Nowakowski (2023), which confirms the experience that many disabled people had, in terms of increased accessibility and inclusion in work. Finally, a number of the articles in this issue emphasise the importance of intersectionality in any assessment of the impact of the pandemic.…”

Exploring Career Pathways for People With Special Needs in Stem and Beyond

“…Establishing mentorship relationships with experienced professionals in STEM fields provides valuable insights, advice, and support. Peer support networks within educational institutions and workplaces can also contribute to a sense of community and inclusion, offering individuals with disabilities a platform to share experiences and navigate challenges collectively (Betts et al, 2023;Collective et al, 2021;Naslund, Grande, Aschbrenner, & Elwyn, 2014;Waters et al, 2022). Creating accessible and inclusive workplaces is crucial for the professional success of individuals with special needs.…”

From Puzzle to Progress: How Engaging With Neurodiversity Can Improve Cognitive Science

“…It would be unfortunate if this were the only frame of reference for areas of cognitive science less directly concerned with neurodiversity. Meanwhile, the humanities and social sciences have been applying the neurodiversity paradigm by rejecting oppressive medical models of disability in favor of social models * , which locate disability in the relationship between a person and their environment rather than being inherent to the person alone (Betts et al., in press; Chapman & Carel, 2022; Creechan, 2022; Kapp, 2013; Milton, 2012; Oliver, 1983, 2013; Stenning & Rosqvist, 2021).…”