Mia Pearson
Psych 5
Dr. Chopp
Topic title (5 pts):
The Communication Spectrum: Neurotypical v.s. Neurodivergent Perspectives
Reason behind topic choice (10 pts):
Studying how normal and different brain people talk is important in a communication
psychology class as it has a big influence on how we interact with other neuronormative people.
As someone with ASD, I am different in my brain and have different brain friends, too. And
often find it hard to talk to each other as it’s like dealing with different languages and ways of
life. For example, two people with ADHD might talk differently than normal brain people as
their brains work in different ways. This can make it hard to understand hints, body language,
and social signs and cues which causes confusion or feelings of awkwardness.
Approximately 15-20% of people in the world have differences in their brains. As such, this
problem is not small but affects lots of us. If we learn about this in a communication psychology
class, it will help us understand how different people think and talk. Knowing about the
different ways of talking for normal and different brain people can help us all get along better
because we can learn how to include everyone. This can make us more kind, reduce bad
feelings, and make us live together better. Understanding these differences is not just
important but is needed to make a place where everyone can talk well and feel heard. So, this
subject is not just for learning but also key to making a society that includes and understands
everyone.
Learning materials and Citations (20 pts):
Hyperlink 1: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-neurodivergence-and-what-does-it-
mean-to-be-neurodivergent-5196627
Citation 1: Resnick, A. (2023, November 2). What is neurodivergence and what does it mean to be
neurodivergent?. Verywell Mind.
Hyperlink 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwn_xW_GLH4
Citation 2: Emerge Pediatric Therapy. (2022, November 1). Common differences between Autistic &
Neurotypical Communication. YouTube.
Reason behind choice of learning materials (20 pts):
A Verywell Mind article says that neurodivergence is how different people's brains work, learn,
and act differently than usual brains. It talks about seeing neurodivergence not as a bad thing
but as a good part of human variety. The article gives examples like autism, ADHD, and
dyslexia. It tells how acceptance and help can make neurodivergent people do well. This is good
for students to read because it makes them understand and care about these differences and
shows being inclusive is key.
The Emerge Pediatric Therapy YouTube video looks at how people with neurodivergence talk to
others. It explains the double empathy problem as the trouble people have in understanding
each other when they are very different, which happens more when they speak and hear words
in different ways. The video shows how normal brains might like hints and jokes but brains that
work differently say things straight. It talks about how regular brains look at eyes to show they
are paying attention but different brains might use facial features or body movement. Regular
brains use small talk to be friendly, but different brains might not like it or find it strange. This
video talks about these differences in how we talk and why it can be hard to talk well. It also
gives useful ways to beat these problems. It shows how to help friends with different brains talk
to people and it helps a lot in making people understand and include everyone.
Questions to jump start class discussion (30 pts):
In-depth Discussion Question 1: What do you think about the double empathy problem from
the Emerge Pediatric Therapy video? It questions old ideas of good communication. If we
understand this, might we change how we talk to each other, especially when people think
differently?
In-depth Discussion Question 2: When you look back, do you remember when people did not
understand each other because they talked differently? It might have been because some were
neurotypical and some were neurodivergent. If we know more about these differences, could
we not talk better and connect more with everyone?
In-depth Discussion Question 3: The article on Verywell Mind says neurodivergence is a normal
type of thinking, not something wrong. If we believe this, how would it change our view of such
people at school, work, and in friendship? Also, how can teachers and community people help
make places where all kinds of minds feel welcome and can communicate well?
