The vibrant display of umbrellas at the entrance of Albyn School has caught the attention of members of our community. These umbrellas serve as a visual representation of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, an event being observed nationally this week and at Albyn School this week and the next.

Kirsten Burnett, Albyn School’s Head of Support for Learning (SFL) and English as an additional language (EAL), said: “Neurodiversity refers to a world where neurological differences are recognised and respected along with all other human variations. Depending on how our brains are wired, we think, move, process information, and communicate in different ways.

“Many people in our community are neurodiverse and we celebrate this as an ‘umbrella term’ used to describe alternative thinking styles such as Dyslexia, DCD (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD.

“Regardless of labels, neurodiversity is about recognising those who think differently. Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference. Using the term neurodiversity means that instead of labelling people with deficits, disabilities or disorders, we are taking a balanced and holistic view of every individuals’ unique strengths and challenges.”

We would also like to thank our S6 pupil Hope for putting together a display about neurodiversity.