U.K. Advocate: Supporting the Neurodivergent Will Help Us All

Dr. Brian Irvine, of the Centre for Research in Autism and Education in London, didn’t know he had aphantasia while growing up. Aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily visualize mental images. He said one of his earliest memories from primary school is being asked to put his coat on a peg shaped like a blue boat, but he couldn’t do it, because he couldn’t picture it in his mind. He would often go home with other children’s coats and had difficulty planning.

A U.K. neurodivergent researcher and advocate for inclusion in educational settings, Irvine now mentors autistic young people in higher education. 

This audio story is a dialogue about neurodiversity and inclusive education. Irvine shares his thoughts on the nuances of neurodiversity, the beauty of different minds, and how we can move toward flourishing as a collective humanity.

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