Developed in the late 1990s by psychologist and sociologist Judy Singer, the notion of neurodiversity is associated with autism and the advocacy movement for the rights of people with autism; then, it widened to other cognitive divergences such as ADHD, learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysphasia), giftedness, hypersensitivity, synesthesia and intellectual disability. But the literature on this subject also teaches us that the word neurodiversity refers to all human cognitive profiles. Therefore, he does not identify only with people diagnosed as neuroatypical, but with all the neurocognitive variations of the human species.
As Juliette Speranza reminds us, in an article published in 2020, neurodiversity would be comparable to the biodiversity associated with the variety of life forms on Earth. Although this comparison to all living beings and ecosystems may seem useful to our understanding of the plurality of different cognitive profiles, this should not make us forget, as Singer notably wishes, that neurodiversity is not a natural phenomenon in decline, as we can see for biodiversity; on the contrary, it also identifies with a cultural movement that militates in favor of difference and the recognition of this difference.
As a movement, neurodiversity certainly presupposes the neurocognitive plurality of human beings, but it is first defined by the commitment to the greater inclusion of behavioral attitudes that do not correspond to neuronormativity. It is therefore understandable that inappropriate reactions are frequent towards people who are considered to lack the capacities to function according to the standards prescribed by society. This functioning different from the dominant norm is often judged as a deficiency leading to neuroexclusion. This inevitably generates discrimination, which the philosopher and professor at UQAM Amandine Catala calls “epistemic injustice”, and which is characterized by the refusal to consider the experience of neurodivergent individuals as capable of generating knowledge. In this case, beings with a “minority of mind” are undoubtedly marginalized, misunderstood and condemned to their mental universe that is incapable of reacting normally in society. Faced with this injustice based on prejudice and misunderstanding, the neurodiversity movement encourages a change of attitude towards neuroatypical people, whether at school, at work and in life in general. The norm will certainly always remain the norm, but the latter should be able, as much as possible, to accommodate other ways of thinking, of reasoning, of reacting to the surrounding world. By including different modes of existence, neurodiversity makes it possible to consider intelligence in various ways through which the need to create often seems to manifest itself. But to do this, there can be no question of imposing a mode of existence in particular, quite the contrary, as Erin Manning and Brian Massumi will say: “What must be taken care of is the relationship between the modes of existence. ‘existence. »
The texts in the “Neurodiversity” file — co-edited by Mélissa Sokoloff, art therapist — are presented in two aspects. On the one hand, there are those who emphasize the contribution of certain organizations involved in art therapy in the development of the autonomy of people with disabilities; on the other hand, there are those who offer, through interviews and testimonials, the words of art therapists or autistic artists on the environment favorable to artistic practice. In all of these texts, the valuing and inclusion of neurodivergent people becomes important. To achieve this, Quebec organizations such as Ruches d’art, Les Impatients or Le Cap offer creative activities that facilitate participatory practices where dialogue and listening are essential to develop a community spirit. Other texts give voice to autistic artists who openly display their cognitive specificity while wishing to break the taboos that persist around neurodiversity. Some of their statements highlight efforts to stand out in the arts community. In the “essay” section of this dossier, Map, a non-binary artist, more specifically takes a critical look at the “Western medical model” and at the multiple challenges that an autistic artist faces despite the “famous initiatives of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)”. And since institutional inclusion in relation to diversity is, according to the artist, far from being accomplished, Map preferred to found, in the spring of 2022, a self-managed center exclusively by artists of capacity diversity called DC — Art undisciplinary.
Comments or suggestions for Ideas in Review? write to [email protected].