In our mission, being Neurodiversity-Affirming is the opposite of Professor Stan’s “Box.” It is a shift in perspective where we stop trying to “fix” or “cure” different brains and instead change the environment to support them. Making something neurodiversity affirming, one needs to encourage a form of participatory research. One type of participatory research is Coproduction, the ultimate team-building strategy. It is the practice of researchers and neurodivergent people working as equal partners from the very start of a project. “Nothing About Us Without Us.” It recognizes that lived experience is just as valuable as academic expertise. Instead of a researcher deciding what “The Box” should look like, the community helps design the building, choose the furniture, and write the rules. We share power, responsibility, and the final results.
Professor Stan is sneaky. Sometimes, he pretends to do coproduction just to look good. This is called Tokenism, and it’s the “PREDATORY approach” of the NEURODIVERGENT world. If we fall into the trap of Tokenism: We are invited to a meeting at the very end of a project just so Professor Stan can say he “consulted” us. Our ideas aren’t actually used; we are just there to be a “token” neurodivergent face. The researchers keep all the “Gold Stars” (funding and credit) while the neurodivergent partners do the heavy lifting for free or for “exposure.” It looks like diversity on the outside, but the “Normalcy” rules of the Box are still being enforced behind the scenes.
“Professor Stan claims he wants our ‘input,’ but he usually just wants us to sign a form and stay quiet. That’s Tokenism, and it leads right back into the Box!
If we choose the Coproduction Route, we demand a seat at the head of the table. We share the work, the credit, and the power. It takes more coordination and resources, but the results are actually *Neurodiversity-Affirming because they were built by us, for us.
Do you have the RESOURCES to fund Co-production for your research?
Look around the Room.