Understanding and serving the neurodiverse community, with Nick Ransom

And check out the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Neurodiversity - also referred to as neurodivergence - is an umbrella term for the variety of ways our brains can operate, commonly associated with autism, ADHD, tourette's, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. 

The NHS says that "neurodivergence is classed as a disability, although some neurodivergent people do not identify as disabled but need support to live in a neurotypical society."

But here is the rub. Many neurodiverse people do subscribe to medical and societal labels, and many do not. Some find them empowering, others find them limiting.

As such, there is plenty of debate on how neurodiversity is framed both individually, in the wider media and in the various neurodiverse communities and sub-communities that have formed.

Here to shed light on this in this week's podcast, is Nick Ransom, a journalist and neurodiversity consultant who specialises in helping news organisations improve representation around neurodiversity. He is also diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and is the founder of the Neurodiverse Media Community.

We discuss the very subjective nature of the neurodiverse community and, the bigger question of course, how on earth do we in the news engage with a divided community?

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