Written by Chisato Hotta, DSW, LPCC, LMFT
As “ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” becomes more of a topic that is talked about, there is always a tiny part of me that watches with a somewhat detached point of view. It took me a while to figure out why. As an individual, at first glance I do fit in “neatly” in some way to the blanket of what people talk and think about when we talk about DEI, a Japanese female (gender/person of color). Of course, I have my privileges that I can acknowledge (for example, being a daughter of a doctor and having the ability to go to higher level education). Digging deeper though, I realized that it was because when we talk about DEI, most places, as well as individuals, stop at a certain place. And that place, usually is before neurodiversity.
For example, I am neurodiverse myself- I have ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was 20 years old. Unfortunately, and in some ways fortunately, I was able to do well in school (socially, academically and more). My parents kept me busy without knowing my diagnosis- I was in orchestra/band/chorus, played several instruments and took lessons, took horseback riding lessons, was in Japanese school on Saturdays and so on. The busy-ness kept my mind occupied. When I went to my first university, all of that came crumbling down. I was bored and unstimulated, which lead to me leaving to Japan. In Japan, quite a few things happened, but the good thing was that it lead to me receiving my diagnosis. Once I received my diagnosis and truly understood how it impacts me, it slowly became easier to figure out how to structure myself and my days so that I could reach my goals.
Now, as a mom to twin boys who are 3/4 Japanese, 1/4 Honduran and who are also both on the autism spectrum, I continue to see that stop sign. I understand the reason for the stop sign- neurodiversity can be hard to see or truly understand. Having a different view of the world because the way our brain functions is different can be an alien concept for some people!
“But wait,” you may say, “DEI talks about disability!” Yes, yes, some do. However, many times, we then talk about accessibility for the websites (such as having captions for individuals who are deaf, larger font, etc)- which is great! However, what about bright colors that may be activating for neurodiverse people? What about hiring neurodiverse individuals and accommodating them properly (Such as giving them stimulation breaks)? I guess what I am saying is, we can do more. My hope one day is that DEI includes all of us- that we can all be treated equitably, included and acknowledged and celebrated for our diversity.
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