“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.“
– Audre Lorde
At Learnfully, it’s woven into our mission to celebrate neurodiversity. That is why October is particularly special to us.
This month, we celebrate LD Awareness Month, ADHD Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, Dyspraxia Week, and Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day on 15 Oct.
These celebrations are always important, but this October it’s critical to shine a light on the neurodiverse communities. The Covid-19 pandemic has upended so many parts of all of our lives. But its impact has been especially challenging for the neurodiverse community and their families, many who rely heavily on well-established routines to build consistency both in and outside of the classroom. Some were forced to go without therapies or meeting with caregivers or educators, to avoid spreading this terrible disease. All these factors compound and impacted the neurodiverse community disproportionately.
A recent survey of autism caregivers and parents underline these challenges. 64% of caregivers said that the changes brought by the pandemic “severely or moderately impacted” their child’s autism symptoms, behaviors or other related challenges. Meanwhile, three-quarters of parents also suffered: saying they felt extreme or moderate stress because of the disruptions to their lives.
That’s why we’re celebrating throughout this month by trying to share as many resources, insights, and stories as possible to build community, connection, and support. We’ll be hosting events and webinars, publishing a blog series highlighting the neurodiverse, and providing tips to parents and family members who face the challenges of neurodiversity.
We hope you follow along. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and on our Blog. And we want to hear from you: feel free to use the hashtag #LearnfullyLDAwarenessMonth to share your stories, tips, and insights with us this month.
Find out how Learnfully supports kids with learning differences here.
