{"id":17310,"date":"2024-12-10T17:28:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T01:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=17310"},"modified":"2025-04-22T18:50:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T01:50:20","slug":"life-of-a-brave-every-mind-matters-understanding-neurodivergence-and-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2024\/12\/10\/life-of-a-brave-every-mind-matters-understanding-neurodivergence-and-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Life of a Brave: Every Mind Matters – Understanding Neurodivergence and Mental\u00a0Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Cuahutemoc Solorzano and Nicholas Valenzuela<\/em>, Student Journalists<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Bellflower, California)<\/strong> – Understanding neurodiversity is vital to accepting those who are neurodivergent. But what is included within neurodiversity and what does being neurodivergent mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

School can be difficult due to students\u2019 many challenges, such as time management, difficulties understanding subjects or dealing with the stress of extracurriculars. While many students regularly deal with these obstacles in school, neurodivergent students may have other challenges that they deal with on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergence is difficult to label, rather, it could be called an umbrella term that includes many types of differences within the brain. These include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image provided by Ms. Cathy Roohan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe definition of being neurodivergent has changed over the decades. It used to generally include those with [ASD] or Aspergers,\u201d Ms. Roohan said. \u201cIn recent decades, it has become more inclusive. Now, it generally means a significant difference in the brain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Francesca Po, Bosco\u2019s Coordinator of Youth Ministry (CYM), notes that neurodivergence isn\u2019t necessarily a disorder but simply a difference in how the brain works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeurodivergence in the educational field is just learning differences \u2013 it\u2019s a little bit more [complicated] than that, but it\u2019s when people learn in a different way,\u201d Dr. Po said. \u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily good or bad; it\u2019s when the brain functions in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In past decades, the perspective on neurodiversity was treated very differently than it is now. Neurodivergent individuals were treated as inferior and they were often segregated from the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was in high school, you would have a special education class. Nowadays, people with learning differences are integrated \u2013 they\u2019re not separated anymore. That\u2019s a good step forward [in] removing that stigma,\u201d said Dr. Po.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergent students often struggle with certain challenges that neurotypical students do not typically struggle with. This can include difficulties focusing, cognitive flexibility (the ability to switch attention between different topics) or understanding certain concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Miller, a science instructor and neurodivergent individual himself, has personally dealt with similar struggles. In response, he\u2019s decided to integrate it into his teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI became less rigid on deadlines because I understood that when a student has seven teachers and seven assignments and everything else going on in their life, students need [to make] adjustments and work within their parameters to get things done,\u201d said Mr. Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Miller understands how this can affect students because he\u2019s dealt with it as well. His experience gives him knowledge of how other students feel because he\u2019s been in the same place since he was a student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy biggest [challenge] with ADHD is that it wasn\u2019t something that was known or accepted when I was a student. I had to find ways to compensate,\u201d Mr. Miller said. \u201cIf you were to look at my notebooks in junior high or college, the borders are covered with doodles because if I didn\u2019t do something while learning, I would become an irritant to those around me and get in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of repetitive behavior \u2013 Mr. Miller\u2019s doodling, in this instance \u2013 is called stimming. It can include rocking in place or tapping their fingers. It\u2019s generally a method to calm themselves or stay occupied. These behaviors help keep them occupied while doing things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, some stims, such as tapping against a desk or floor, can be loud, and it may be distracting or a source of annoyance for other students to deal with. However, it can be very difficult to stop stimming because some neurodivergent individuals require sensory output like touch and sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common misconception surrounding neurodiversity is that some neurodivergent individuals are incapable of learning or are unintelligent. This is largely untrue, as many of history\u2019s great minds have been neurodivergent, according to counselor Ms. Cathy Roohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, if you look at some of the geniuses of our history \u2013 Mozart or Einstein \u2013 those individuals are neurodivergent because of their extremely high intelligence \u2013 the significant difference in their brain,\u201d said Ms. Roohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergent brains develop differently from neurotypical brains. Often, the difference in development causes the neurodivergent individual to have difficulties understanding social cues and body language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, because of the developmental issues with neurodivergence, they may be the target of harassment. The main reason for the bullying and harassment is the lack of understanding from the bullies, who tend to be neurotypical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergent individuals may become a target of harassment due to their neurodivergence. According to Ms. Roohan, this can be avoided if individuals were to be aware of neurodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes, when we don\u2019t understand something, we tend to have misconceptions about their neurodivergent behavior. But if we understand a person\u2019s diverse mind, then we\u2019re more likely to understand and help each other,\u201d said Ms. Roohan. \u201cA lot of the name calling and teasing and bullying is really because we don\u2019t understand each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growing awareness surrounding neurodiversity has helped the life of neurodivergent individuals and made them feel accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first, day-to-day life may seem strange, especially if you\u2019re a little older and just finding out. It may seem odd at first, like you\u2019re sticking out in a crowd, and I found it uncomfortable to talk to my friends, scared of if they would judge me or make fun of me, but now I feel normal because of the people I was able to talk to,\u201d said Ms. Roohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergence is a convoluted subject, and Ms. Roohan, who\u2019s also the Learning Specialist at Bosco, is happy to share more about it. She\u2019s located in the counseling office on the first floor of the 200 building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuahutemoc Solorzano and Nicholas Valenzuela are student journalists at St. John Bosco High School<\/em> in Bellflower, California.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: The Brave News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cuahutemoc Solorzano and Nicholas Valenzuela, Student Journalists (Bellflower, California) – Understanding neurodiversity is vital to accepting those who are neurodivergent. But what is included within neurodiversity and what does being neurodivergent mean? School can be difficult due to students\u2019 many challenges, such as time management, difficulties understanding subjects or dealing with the stress of extracurriculars. While many students regularly deal with these obstacles in school, … Continuar leyendo Life of a Brave: Every Mind Matters – Understanding Neurodivergence and Mental\u00a0Health<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":10336596,"featured_media":17394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20310044,678324057],"tags":[35890],"class_list":["post-17310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-province-news","category-province-schools","tag-featured"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59ePG-4vc","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/unnamed-9.jpg?fit=1137%2C643&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10336596"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17310"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17399,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17310\/revisions\/17399"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}