Although "think different" has become a catchphrase praised for driving innovation, the world at large fails to accommodate individuals with neurodiverse ways of thinking and learning. Nathan Friedman seeks to address this issue through his New York City-based nonprofit, Understood.org, whose mission it is to reframe societal perceptions of people who are neurodiverse and allow them to reach their potential in life. Cure recently caught up with Friedman to learn more about his important work.
Cure: Nathan, you yourself are what we call neurodiverse. You have dedicated your life to changing perceptions and building community around those who are neurodivergent and so far, you've helped more than 10 million people. How many people live with this “invisible disability”?
Friedman: Seventy million people — about one in five Americans — live with learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia. It's a huge number. There’s a lot of stigma around people who think differently and there doesn't need to be. We need to start driving awareness and providing tools to help.
Cure: How are people diagnosed?
Friedman: There’s a variety of ways in which people are diagnosed. The first steps, if you're a parent, are noticing what's happening with your child, talking with their teacher, and then going to a physician. If you're an adult, you should also talk to your physician in case you’re wondering whether you might be neurodiverse and have gone undiagnosed.
The earlier the diagnosis, the better, for better outcomes — of course that goes with any disorder or disability. Learning how you can adapt, how to access strength-based learning opportunities is critical. On our Understood site — just go to u.org — you can find tips on our blog, resource guides, a free app for parents to build community with other parents, and several podcasts featuring personal stories from people who learn and think differently. We have a variety of tools you won’t find anywhere else.
Cure: We've been talking about children but Understood has expanded beyond pediatrics. Tell us more about that.
Friedman: We’ve recently moved into supporting women and adults in the workplace and in life in general. There are several global inequities that particularly women face. The research underlying neurodiversity is primarily dominated by samples sizes of men. Women and girls are diagnosed two times less often than boys. Women are diagnosed with things like anxiety or other disorders that are actually symptomatic of the issue but are not necessarily the root issue.
There are significant other inequities too, including a lack of visibility of leaders in the space who are neurodiverse, who are able to be that beacon of light for somebody looking to thrive in life. So, it's important to raise awareness among broad audiences about neurodiversity but also to understand the distinct inequities that exist for women. Physicians are often not trained with the right information.
Cure: Understood is trying to change that, through your NeuroEquity Fund. What is that?
Friedman: The NeuroEquity Fund focuses on three different areas. Number one, we’re trying to solve the inequities in the research by planning and conducting new research. Number two, we’re setting up an advisory board of prominent female leaders to serve as ambassadors — that visionary example of “I can do it.” Because if you don't have a role model, how do you know you can do it? Number three, we’re launching new interventions, different tips, tools and modules — practical solutions that people who learn and think differently can put into practice, that will have real life impact.
Cure: There are inequities in the workplace as well. What is Understood doing to address that issue?
Friedman: There are global inequities in the workplace. If you’re neurodiverse, you oftentimes don't want to speak up about it at work for fear of how other people may perceive you or fear of some sort of retribution. But there are things individuals can do to help themselves at work. There are requests people can make to help them be more successful, whether it’s earphones at your desk, or a monitor, or being clear about deadlines and outlining expectations via email. Clarifying helps people. Clarity is kindness.
Cure: We have famous people like Elon Musk and Bill Gates who are known to be neurodiverse. And yet there still seems to be a lack of awareness. What more can we be doing about that?
Friedman: Part of that is the gender inequity part of equation. I don’t think we’ve seen any female in the media being lauded for being neurodiverse, and that’s stereotyping. That stigma has to be addressed. Most males are lauded for their creative, erratic or eccentric behavior. I don't know those individuals personally nor do I know their personal medical diagnoses. But I can say that they appear to be neuroatypical, and with that comes a benefit. Why doesn't that benefit apply to everybody? That’s the real question.
Cure: What about race? I’m sure there are racial inequities as well.
Friedman: Yes, data shows that Black and Latino children are less likely to be diagnosed as neurodiverse, and Black children are less likely to receive medication as treatment. Race, ethnicity, rural, urban, suburban, everybody has different ways of thinking about neurodiversity.
However, in our research, we identified the number one thing that helps children thrive, no matter what their demographic: It’s a parenting style. Our Neurodiversity and Stigma Study found that when parents of kids with learning and thinking differences engaged with their child, talked to their child’s teacher or pediatrician, or explored resources, 80 percent felt their child showed improvement.
To learn more about Understood, visit understood.org.