Challenging our disordered thinking about Neurodiversity | A/Prof. Sarah Verdon | TEDxWagga Wagga

Throughout history people with Autism and ADHD have faced stigma and barriers that have prevented them from really being seen.
But what if we’ve got it all wrong?
This talk will challenge everything you know about neurodiversity, busting myths and shedding new light on the positives of embracing the diversity of all people. Sarah is a speech pathologist, early childhood researcher and mother of three. An Associate Professor in Speech Pathology in the Faculty of Science and Health at Charles Sturt University, her research spans five continents and focuses on embracing the diversity of children from different cultures, languages, geographic areas, socioeconomic backgrounds and levels of ability to create equitable opportunities for all.
Sarah has represented Australia on the World Health Organisation Development Group for Autism Spectrum Disorder, overseen the development of the Speech Pathology Australia national position paper and clinical guidelines for “working in a culturally and linguistically diverse society” and hosts the “Talking Children Podcast”, a podcast designed to support caregivers and educators to give their children the best start to life.
She also runs a rural speech pathology practice to provide much needed services to geographically isolated children with communication needs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@SpectrumUncensored]

You're a legend, Sarah Verdon! Thank you so much!

[@megandtheworld]

Wow this is awesome. So insightful. 🙌

[@careymenz6324]

Great work Sarah

[@beckjoseph5123]

HI Sarah, Thanks for being an advocate and explaning the myth of the 'disordered' brain. Just ....FYI- I think you mean neurodivergent when you said neurodiverse... I am only one minute in, but as a neurodivergent speech pathologist, the terminology matters to me... and it grinds... sorry. So just review your terminology so we aren't spreading the wrong terms. Neurodiverse is used for a group of people with different types of brains- including neurotypical. Neurodivergent is used to describe people, whether a group or individual who do not have a neurotypical brain. A group is neurodiverse if it has some neurodivergent and some neurotypicals. e.g. a group of 5 Autistics and 5 ADHDers is NOT neurodiverse, even though they would have differences in their presentation... because they are all neurodivergent. Whereas a group of 5 autistics and 3 neurotypicals is neurodiverse as its a mix of neurotypical and neurodivergent.