Neurodiversity support at Newcastle University
The ‘D’ in EDI stands for Diversity. We are diverse. In many ways. Today, I would like to talk about the diversity of our brains, or neurodiversity, and the available support for neurodivergent people at Newcastle University.
Neurodiversity refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. Most people are neurotypical, meaning that the brain functions and processes information in the way society expects. However, it is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, meaning that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently. Yes, it was not a typo: 1 in 7 people; this means that many of the students or colleagues you interact with, are neurodivergent. Maybe you are – do you know that there is support available if you need it?
Neurodivergent people include those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In these cases, the ‘D’ stands for Disorder. Some people with these diagnoses, or who self-identify (more on this below) with these conditions, consider them a disability; others do not agree and argue that they are normal variations in the brain. I agree that they are normal variations in the brain and people who have these features also have certain strengths. However, by not considering them disabilities, many students and staff might be missing the support they need.
I actually have a very severe disability: my vision is so poor that cannot see the screen of my computer, drive my car or see who is saying hi from more that 5m distance. But with the right support, my loved glasses, I can do all those things. However, most people don’t think I have a disability – not even myself, until recently was made aware of this (thanks Kate Jervis!).
Students and colleagues who are neurodivergent also need support tools like I need my glasses. They need Student Support Plans (SSP) and Workplace Adjustment Passports. As students, teachers and supervisors are starting to be more familiar with SSP’s, we need staff and managers to be aware of Working Adjustment Passports.
How can you get a support plan or an adjustment passport? Let’s start with the Student Support Plan, or SSP. The information is easy to find: if I search for “Newcastle University neurodiversity support” on the web, first hit I get is this page from the Student Wellbeing team:
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/wellbeing/supportservices/disabilitysupport/
The relevant information for staff is not discoverable by a Google search, as it is in the Intranet. Here is the link:
A Working Adjustment Passport is the equivalent of an SSP for students, with some differences. One of the main noticeable differences is that students need to provide evidence of their neurodivergence and how this impacts their learning, while staff members can self-identify as neurodivergent. To discuss the support you may need, staff members can ask their line managers to be referred to Occupational Health (OH). Line managers simply need to write to occhealth@newcastle.ac.uk and they will send them a form to fill. Someone from the OH team will contact the referred employee. They are happy to talk with them even without a diagnosis and can help to create a Working Adjustment Passport that can be later discussed and agreed with the line manager.
Hopefully students will be able to self-identify in the near future too, as getting a diagnosis is lengthily and costly.
I would like to thank Katharina Trunk, Marco Trevisan-Herraz, Brigid Davidson, Anjam Khan, Chile Siachisumo, Yasmin Ahmed, Jackie Blewett and Kate Jervis for useful discussions on this topic.
Finally, I would like to give some additional useful links with more information and further reading:
Disability, Mental Health and Neurodiversity Society
https://nusu.co.uk/activities/view-society/488:
Facebook group run by NUSU for Newcastle students with disabilities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3219693724933832
Disability Interest Group (DIG):
https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/dig/membershipYammer
Neurodiversity peer support group https://web.yammer.com/main/groups/eyJfdHlwZSI6Ikdyb3VwIiwiaWQiOiI0NjI3NzExNTkwNCJ9/all
Neurodivergent in STEM
https://www.neurodivergentinstem.com
BBC – Neurodiversity: disabilities or neurological differences
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-43990429
by Daniel Rico, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute