Neurodiversity at Middlesex

Every neurodivergent individual has a unique pattern of strengths and challenges. No two people are the same, so we all have different profiles.

Our neurodivergent staff and students bring unique perspectives, talent and problem-solving skills to Middlesex University. By embracing neurodiversity, we not only foster inclusivity and equity, but also benefit from their diverse strengths and contributions.

Meet our neurodivergent staff and students

Neurodiversity resources at Middlesex

Counselling and mental health

Our student support services pages cover mental health support and counselling available to our students.

Disability and neurodiversity service

If you are affected by a health condition or learning difficulty, please consult our guide to support available through our disability & neurodiversity service. Current students and staff can access information about disability & neurodiversity support through the MyMDX app.

Neurodiversity resources

The Neurodiversity Week hub offer resources to help educators, organisations and parents/carers better understand different types of neurodiversity, and how they can be better allies.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a recognition that not all brains think or feel the same way, and that these differences are natural variations in the human genome. A group of people are neurodiverse, an individual is not.

Neurodivergent refers to an individual who has a less typical cognitive variation such as Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia etc. People may also acquire neurodiversity, for example as a result of a head injury or a stroke. However, it’s best not to focus on conditions or attempt to medicalise people.

One way of understanding neurodiversity is through the idea of a ‘spiky profile’. Someone with a ‘spiky profile’ has some great strengths, but also finds some things much harder than other people.

If neurotypical people have relatively ‘flat’ profiles because the difference between their areas of strength and weakness are smaller, neurodivergent people have ‘spiky profiles’ because the differences between their areas of strength and weakness are more pronounced.

Talking about neurodiversity

The different ways in which we think can go to the heart of our identities. That means it’s important to think about how you’re talking about neurodiversity.

The most important thing to do when talking about neurodiversity is to listen. Ask neurodivergent people how they want to be spoken to and about.

There are different ways of talking about disability, and the main two are ‘person-first’ and ‘identity-first’. An example of person-first language is ‘person with autism’ or ‘person with dyslexia’. Using identity-first language, those examples would be ‘autistic person’ or ‘dyslexic person’.

Some people prefer one over the other, and it can depend on the condition and the individual. Some autistic people feel that their autism is such an integral part of their identity that it would be inaccurate to say they are a ‘person with autism’ because the person and the autism are inextricable. These people might say that identity-first language better reflects their identity.

There are no hard and fast rules about what language to use with individuals. You should always ask someone how they like to identify if you are unsure. Take your lead from them, and don’t be afraid to ask – respectfully – if you’re not sure.

It can be unhelpful to focus on conditions when talking about neurodiversity. Two individuals with the same conditions may well think in very different ways. Most people with a neurodiverse condition have at least one other, and they may well not experience them as distinct conditions. In any case, we all think differently regardless of whether or not we have a condition.

Most importantly, when talking about neurodiversity, try to be as flexible as possible by using the preferred language of the neurodiverse people you’re speaking to or about.

MDX Neurodiversity Celebration Festival

The annual MDX Neurodiversity Celebration Festival is an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the talents, strengths, and unique perspectives of the neurodivergent community.

These events feature performances, stalls, activities, workshops and discussions. The goal is to celebrate diversity and inclusion, while also helping the university community to become better informed. These events are open to all, and take place across our three campuses in London, Mauritius and Dubai.

The Festival is led by:

Emilie Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery
Irina Staneva, Deputy Head of Student Support and Wellbeing
Adriana Aliji, Senior Executive Support

Here are some events that have featured in past MDX Neurodiversity Celebration Festivals.

Large group of people posing behind performer with microphone

two people playing game with giant coloured hoops stacked on a pole

Two festival attendees speak to MDX student support representative

Chickenshed Theatre performance

MDX Neurodiversity Celebration Festival activities

Middlesex student support services

This talk considered:

How different brains process information
Specific Learning Difficulties and intersectionality
Privilege unpacked
What it means to our students (and us)
How to support resilience

This talk was delivered by Karisa Krcmar Director of the Professional Association of Specific Learning Difference Specialists in Higher Education (PASSHE)

A doctorate is often considered the pinnacle of academic education, but is not always a space where everyone feels they can belong. This presentation introduced EDI considerations related to postgraduate researchers in the higher education sector. It also outlined preliminary insights of an ongoing review, in collaboration with Advance HE, of practices and processes in postgraduate research through the lens of EDI.
This talk was given by Nico Pizzolato, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at Middlesex University

Neurodivergent students from London, Dubai and Mauritius shared insights into their educational journey, discussing their unique experiences and challenges. They also showcased their strengths and proud accomplishments, inspiring others with their resilience and achievements. Audience members were invited to engage with the panellists. This session was livestreamed to our Dubai and Mauritius Campuses.

An exhibition, by MA Interior students, around the need for quieter spaces along Oxford Street. The proposals focused on how we can adapt our existing built environment to provide refuge and inclusive, quiet spaces for neurodivergent visitors.

Work by:

Daniela Chavez Zavala, Hidden but Seen. An Autism Support Centre
Ivy Fang, Pressure. A sheltered resting place on Oxford Street
Evy Mansour, Curing the Metropolis. Mitigating the effects of air pollution while providing calm quiet space
Sarah Mohammed, Form Follows Feeling. Therapeutic architecture for wellness
Qassandra Ng, Lost and Found. Making connections with other
Eren Yigit, Screening the Street. Quiet safer spaces just off Oxford Street

Breaking Free is a dance/interactive performance about neurodiversity involving screen projection, sound and lighting. It was created and performed at the MDX Neurodiversity Celebration Festival by Yasemin Gross, a multidisciplinary actor/performer with neurodivergence, then in her 3rd year of Theatre Arts BA at Middlesex University.

The performance consisted of three parts:

An interactive play of catching, throwing and passing a ball in a circle formed of audience participants
The dance itself
A workshop using sticky notes and pens followed the dance. The audience was invited to write down one thing from which they want to break free and stick this onto a wall, through which Yasemin would then break free. They were also encouraged to note one thing they like about themselves and stick this on their clothing

This production aimed to raise awareness of how people with neurodiversity feel and to form connections, acknowledging that everyone has challenges and strong points.

A range of creative extracts from some of the work of Chickenshed Theatre students, with all the pieces being led and or/created by students with neurodiverse lived experiences. Extracts were from projects performed at Chickenshed Theatre, outreach in schools, or both. The varied and impactful work reflects and embodies the spirit of neurodiverse positivity and barrier-breaking celebrated at the Middlesex Neurodiversity Festival.

Participants at the festivals also have the opportunity to meet with organisations such as:

The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation (SMF), a non-profit initiative to find and assist those with neurodivergent minds to realise their potential through the field of engineering
The Sapphire Community Group, which works with children and young people to empower and stabilise segregated communities through mentoring, coaching, literature, entertainment, events, and workshops
Barnet Mencap, which offers a range of support and events for children and adults with a learning disability, autistic people, and their families, within the London Borough of Barnet

Alongside this, there are opportunities to explore how assistive technology and equipment can support you in your studies. There will be an opportunity to trial the equipment, such as Posturite MindView and Read&Write (support for people with dyslexia), Dragon (speech-to-text) and Glean (notetaking).

The festivals also give students and staff opportunities an introduction to range of support services available to neurodiverse people at Middlesex, and the people behind them.