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 Tarun Paul Mathew, 17 years old, is mainly a non-speaking autistic who types to communicate. In his words, “I would like to consider himself a free thinker. My sensory overload surely keeps life racing between the fight and flight modes. I also get upset by people talking lots and without purpose. Music, kind people and nature helps me a lot to stay calm.” 

Tarun featured in our blog in the series, self-advocacy His thoughts on cognitive diversity is based on this post.

He is also the co-author of Talking Fingers. He shares a beautiful analogy of a prism, which actually brings out the beauty of a mundane white light. 

My thoughts on cognitive diversity and its importance in today's world

 

Why the need for diversity?

 

Makes coping with hardships lot likely more possible . Things reach better ends if varying participant perspectives are included in all cases . The faster we reduce diversity, the sooner our hour of final tryst with our future survival as a species is reached. Having diversity ensures greater checking of things, keeping the hope of human survival high.

 

Why is Cognitive Diversity important?

 

Having different kinds of minds problem solving, only makes things easier. Prism simply brings out the actual beauty of totally mundane white light. The spectrum exists only because of the individual wavelengths of light . Each colour of the rainbow is beautiful in its unique way . Likewise only when there are diverse minds in the world is the human rainbow complete.

 

How does cognitive diversity help?

 

Looking from varied personal outlooks aids better solutions that can be more helpful for growth in more people. More the number and variety of minds looking at a project, the wider the scope of the outcomes because of the complexities understood and considered.

 

How do we make acceptance of cognitive diversity a reality?

 

The thought that it is likely the biggest factor on which the entire human race is dependent on to survive, must necessarily be pressed into people's minds. Lessons we humans learn on evolution in school need to give impetus tomorrow to our actions if we hope to survive. By mobilising youth to acknowledge that differences are just part of life like any of the many things making your life beautiful and completely colourful.

 

How does this translate into inclusivity practices?

 

What has been observed most to have really made a difference has only been better knowledge of criteria that both could show how the person struggles as well as the area the person has potential in. Thinking is likely to have to be the most prominent place to begin the cleansing from. By changing attitudes, making inclusion happen becomes a far more realistic goal.











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