School Trauma, Neurodivergence and Core Beliefs
One of the more commonly overlooked forms of trauma is the kind of adverse and traumatic situations that take place in the context of school---both on an academic and social level.
This can be in the form of mockery, bullying, being put in the spotlight, being told on-going disparaging comments about your academic or social behaviors (by peers or adults), overstimulation, understimulation, never being selected for team based activities, etc.
Underneath many (not all) of these experiences is a diagnosed, undiagnosed or subclinical neurodivergence, such as Dyslexia, ADHD or Autism. So, rather than understanding that you have a different neurotype than their peers, you grow up receiving and reinforcing messaging such as, "I'm dumb" (dyslexia), "I'm lazy" (ADHD) and "I'm weird" (Autism). These are just examples, of course. There could be any number of other Core Beliefs. The impact is heightened if neurodivergence intersects with racism, classism or another factor.
By teaching children and adults about neurodiversity, we expand our understanding of the differences in the human brain and help people recognize various neurotypes in a different way than through a strictly "deficit" model. It can pave the way for more compassion, understanding, inclusivity, connection and support.
