(Good) Neurodiversity training is boring
OK, I’m kidding. Sort of.
Neurodiversity training for mental health professionals shouldn’t be dull, of course. It should be engaging, interactive, practical and useful.
However.
Neurodiversity training also needs to engage learners in some “long form” skills. Good neurodiversity training encourages deep thinking, reflection, self-awareness, uncovering unconscious bias, and sometimes uncomfortable truths about how the world operates.
Another uncomfortable truth is that we can’t get those things from social media.
The rise of the neurodiversity influencer
It’s absolutely AWESOME that we have so many social media content creators, influencers and advocates who are open and raw about being neurodivergent. The great thing about this is they’re relatable. They can be more open about the real struggles neurodivergent life can bring than professionals can. They can bring those to life in a way that’s easy for people to engage with in reels, soundbites, infographics, posts, vlogs, etc.
I’ve heard professionals saying “I follow x and y on [social media platform], I don’t need to pay for professional training when I can get this content for free”.
Honestly, I hear you. Good training also isn’t cheap. We’re all struggling in this climate. And now I’m over here saying it’s boring as well?
So why should professionals invest in the “boring stuff” when there’s all this content out there for free?
Social media can’t give you a rounded perspective
There’s a danger in thinking influencer content derived from one version of lived experience can be generalised to everyone who has ADHD, autism, dyslexia, OCD, etc.
Here’s a few influencer soundbites I’ve seen/heard over the past few weeks.
“Acupuncture works better than medication for ADHD”
“People with ADHD shouldn’t drink”
“If your ADHD friend didn’t reply to your text, it’s because ADHD people don’t have object permanence”
(Spoiler alert, object permanence is not a thing you have or don’t have, like the flu or diabetes).
A 2022 study found that only 21% of ADHD-related content on TikTok was actually useful and accurate. Around half of the surveyed videos were actually misleading, or made generalisations based on personal experience, like the soundbites above.
Influencer content can’t substitute for professional training that takes into account a variety of neurodivergent experiences, discusses the wider social and cultural context around neurodiversity and neurodivergence, and engages nuanced deep thinking and reflexivity.
So what’s the answer?
In our training academy, we offer a blend of professional AND lived experience, from trainers who are neurodivergent and share their lived experience, but also have professional training, experience, and expertise working in a wide variety of mental health and education settings.
We can’t offer any neat one-size-fits-all solutions or easy answers. But here’s what we can offer.
Practical suggestions for adapting practice
Opportunities to discuss and reflect with peers and facilitators
Exposure to different perspectives
The chance to share examples of good practice with peers
Critical and reflexive thinking about the challenging stuff like ableism, neuronormativity, and discrimination.
Ready for some of the boring stuff?
Why not sign up to our training academy - you can either do our courses self-guided or join us in 2025 for our live training programme.
Or, if you can’t wait to get stuck in, join us this Saturday, 10am-4pm UK time, for our Working Therapeutically with AuDHD adults online course here.
We’d love to have you join us!
