Neuro-Diversity and Disability Special Interest Group
This Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to bring together professionals, practitioners and academics in order to advocate for and support the recognition and understanding of neurodiversity and neurodisability across our institutions in society.
Our focus is on how using a whole systems approach can help to identify appropriate intervention points, spread best practice and propagate awareness across the system, and, ultimately, reduce vulnerability and difficulties associated with neurodiversity/disability.
What is neurodisability?
Neurodisability refers to a range of functional challenges resulting from problems in the development of the brain or nervous system. There is significant diversity in presentation amongst neurodisabled people but most conditions are characterised by a combination of functional difficulties, typically including:
- Cognition (acquiring, understanding, and applying knowledge, including skills related to learning, memory, attention, evaluation, or reasoning);
- Executive functioning (complex goal-oriented thought and action, including the initiation, planning, and sequencing of complex tasks, the use of long-term memory, concentration, inhibitory and attention control, and responsivity to novel or changing circumstances);
- Emotional functioning (withdrawal, anxiety, impulsivity, regulating and expressing emotions, such as difficulties in restraining emotional reactions, or understanding the emotions of others);
- and communication (speech, expressive language, or receptive language).
Conditions may vary over time, occur alone or in combination, and include a broad range of severity and complexity.
Conditions include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum conditions, acquired brain injury, epilepsy, dyslexia, dyspraxia and a range of speech/language developmental impediments.
As with all our Special Interest Groups it is closed to the public. It is a professional network for practitioners, academics and researchers working on this area.
If you are interested in becoming a member please contact us.
