Awareness of neurodiversity marked in Lisburn Castlereagh
March 30, 2022
ASD and ADHD are distinct but commonly co-occurring conditions and people with diagnoses of either often face similar challenges #WorldAutismAwarenessWeek.
Mayor Martin recently sat down for #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek with Andy Preston, Mayor of Middlesbrough to discuss how ADHD has impacted their lives.
Everyone has their own traits and Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Alderman Stephen Martin is keen to promote the importance of understanding neurodiversity.
The term neurodiversity covers a wide range of neurological differences. It is used to describe the 20% of people who have: Dyslexia, Dyscalculi, ADHD, Autism, Tourette’s syndrome, Dyspraxia and/or Dysgraphia.
Mayor Martin was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult; and had the opportunity to meet fellow Mayor of Middlesbrough, Andy Preston who was also got an adult ADHD diagnosis.
During his year in office Mayor Martin is committed to being inclusive and involving everyone in civic life.
Mayor Martin said “Diversity to me is all around us. Sometimes we don’t always understand what it means and how to harness its great potential. As a civic leader I believe we need to consider how we spot and breakdown hidden barriers. A key goal is by raising awareness of neurodiversity. There are so many families in Lisburn & Castlereagh who have a loved one who is neuro-diverse and go through every day trying to adapt to the world around them. We as a community need to do our bit to adapt and reach out to them.”
The Mayor added “Everyone sees the world differently. Companies now are investing time and energy in recruiting top talent who are neuro-diverse because of their outside the box thinking. After hearing Mayor Preston speak of his own success both in finance and politics I hope others will see being neuro-diverse shouldn’t carry with it any stigma but in fact appreciate the potential.
“I hope if every young neuro-diverse person can relate to our discussion then that’s progress in and of itself.”