By John Shanahan, Student Support Services Director
Neurodiversity Week is dedicated to promoting awareness, understanding and appreciation for the diverse range of neurological differences. As an inclusive school this is a wonderful opportunity for HKA to recognise and celebrate the unique talents, strengths, and perspectives that each individual brings to our community. Regardless of labels, Neurodiversity Week is about recognising those who think differently.
Throughout Neurodiversity Week, students in Primary and Secondary School are engaging in a variety of age-appropriate activities which faculty are incorporating into their regular schedule to promote kindness, understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of the differences that make HKA the inclusive, diverse, and rich learning community that it is.
We have also been encouraging our parents to engage in conversations with their children using prompts such as:
- Ask your child how they are connecting with the different learnings and activities they will participate in
- Discuss with your child your own experiences with neurodiverse individuals and the impact they have had
- Discuss the impact neurodiverse people have had on culture, technology, and the advancement of civilization
- How your child may celebrate their uniqueness and those of others
- How you and your child may further develop understanding and how to connect to others who are neurodiverse
Acknowledging and celebrating neurodiversity is a reflection of the world we live in. It is not just schools that are focusing on the importance of neurodiversity, many organisations are also recognising the mutual benefit of actively recruiting neurodiverse individuals. A growing number of prominent companies have reformed their HR processes in order to access neurodiverse talent; among them are SAP, Microsoft, Ford, JPMorgan Chase, and UBS. Providing a platform for students to understand, accept, collaborate, and show empathy for those who are neurodiverse is not just a “nice thing” to do, but is another example of how HKA is actively preparing students for the world that they are growing up into.
