“That's my father. That's MY DAD!” a visibly moved Gus Walz shouted with tears in his eyes on the Democratic National Convention. It's rare for a teen to indicate such real love and admiration for his or her parents, especially in a public setting.
For most Americans, this was their first encounter with Gus, the neurodiverse son of Minnesota Governor and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz. Personal interview In the paper published through the conference, Tim Walz and his wife Gwen described Gus's particular type of neurodivergence, noting that he has been diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety.
The public response to Gus's emotional outburst was mixed. There were negative reactions corresponding to that of conservative commentator Ann Coulterwho wrote in a now-deleted post on social media platform X: “Speaking of weird…” Others initially made fun of Gus, a male teenager, for crying, but then apologized after they learned he was neurodivergent.
But there have been also positive reactions, corresponding to that of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who posted on Instagram: “I was touched to see Gus Walz's joy when his father @TimWalz took the stage last night. I am grateful that you showed us all what true love looks like, Gus.” Some of the positive reactions came from other families with neurodivergent members who saw themselves represented at that moment.
As a researcher of applied behavior evaluation and disability research, I see this moment as a chance, especially for people whose brain functions, behaviors and processing are considered “standard” or “typical” from large parts of society to learn the best way to higher understand and support neurodiversity.
The breadth of neurodiversity
Neurodiversity in and of itself is just a biological fact. No two brains function in the exact same way, and there are various brain and behavioral differences that result in human differences, very like race or sexual orientation. Neurodivergent is a term used to explain people whose brains differ in the way in which they develop and performanceNeurodiverse people may be diagnosed with various related disorders, corresponding to ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
Studies suggest that 15 to twenty% of the US population is neurodivergent, and this number might be underrepresented. That is possibly 1 in 5 people.
Neurodevelopmental disorders have many comorbidities. Different diagnoses may be considered a spectrum with other diagnoses. For example, anxiety and depression often have overlapping symptoms or may be considered a spectrum of mental illness. Neurodevelopmental disorders corresponding to nonverbal learning disorders often exist side by side Anxiety and ADHD.
What the DSM has to say
To learn more about neurodivergences corresponding to nonverbal learning disorders, ADHD and anxiety, you may think that a psychologist like me would recommend contacting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)the gold standard reference work for the sector of mental health.
However, I don’t recommend this for 2 reasons. First, nonverbal learning disorder is a broad category that isn’t actually included within the DSM-5. Researchers describe it as Developmental disorder of visual-spatial vision, discovered in 1967.
The symptoms overlap with many other diagnoses, corresponding to autism spectrum disorders, developmental coordination disorders, specific learning disorders and ADHD.
Second, the usual criteria for many of those diagnoses are created exclusively by professionals who may not know what the experience is like. Traditionally medical and psychological understanding Neurodivergence characterizes these differences as deficits that must be treated or cured.
Maybe Gus experienced a few of these symptoms on the DNC, or perhaps not. This variety of societal response, by which a difference is characterised as a deficit, has led to societal oppression by neurodivergent person to vary their behavior to adapt to neurotypical behavior.
This attitude that any deviation from the perceived societal norm must be shamed or ridiculed persists in our society to this present day, as evidenced by posts on X like Coulter's. Unfortunately, these views have change into deeply ingrained in society, on account of the Medical model of disabilitysuggesting that neurodiverse people should learn to ‘fit in’ fairly than join the remainder of society and create more inclusive communities.
Paradigm shift
Although the DSM can provide information concerning the symptoms of neurodivergence, I believe it is necessary to transcend the sort of textbook information that treats neurodivergence as a deficit and learn from the lived experiences of neurodivergent people.
Neurodivergences corresponding to autism or ADHD may be higher understood through speak directly with neurodiverse people in order that society and therapists alike can understand their desires and support needs as an alternative of projecting neurotypical norms onto them.
This approach led me to co-author a book: “Understanding the life experiences of autistic adults”, with Adam Paul Valerius, an autistic adult and activist in California. My conversations with Valerius over two years taught me more about autism than 10 years of studying psychology, and now we frequently collaborate and present together at skilled conferences.
The Walz family has demonstrated on a world stage that while there are obstacles related to neurodivergence, there are also great strengths. Just as neurotypical people have the autonomy to make a decision which of their challenges they seek support for and the way they receive that support, research shows that Neurodivergent voices must be the main focus in determining which support and solutions best fit their needs.
This paradigm shift moves away from the medical or deficit model of disability to what’s Social model of disabilityThis approach focuses on the voices of disabled people and assumes that disability is influenced by societal and cultural expectations.
The social model puts the reactions to Gus's emotional outburst on the DNC in a brand new light. It offers space for questions like: Why was it acceptable to make fun of a teen for showing emotion, but not acceptable after checking out that person was neurodivergent?
Resources for further learning
In the courses I teach on the University of Southern CaliforniaI ask my students to read a book from an inventory of about 50 autobiographies by neurodivergent authors.
I also invite neurodiverse guest speakers to my classes to confer with students about their hopes, dreams, and challenges. We study the history of disability in America, its various diagnostic criteria, and the way educational plans have been heavily influenced by societal and cultural ideas about neurodiversity and disability during this time period.
The derisive and shaming reactions to Gus Walz's emotional outburst on the DNC show that society still has a protracted approach to go before it each understands and accepts neurodivergent behavior.
The excellent news is that it’s now easier than ever to learn. You don’t must be a clinician or a student to raised understand the experiences of neurodiverse people. There are many blogs, YouTube channels, social media sites and autistic autobiographies where you may learn directly from a neurodiverse person.
image credit : theconversation.com