ten23 health ® and Neumirna Therapeutics team up to develop RNA therapy for epilepsy and other neurological diseases

 

 

The partnership aims to accelerate clinical translation of NMT.001, a microRNA-targeting RNA therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy.

 

ten23 health, the human-centric and sustainable strategic CDMO partner of choice for the pharmaceutical industry and biotech start-ups, is excited to announce its collaboration with Neumirna Therapeutics (‘Neumirna’), a biotechnology company developing RNA-based therapies for neurological diseases.

The two companies will collaborate to advance NMT.001, a microRNA–targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, towards clinical development. The goal is to bring the therapy into clinical trials, combining ten23’s formulation and manufacturing expertise with Neumirna’s RNA innovation.

“We are honored to collaborate with Neumirna Therapeutics and support their mission to address critical medical needs through innovative healthcare solutions,” said Dr. Susanne Jörg, COO of ten23 health. “Our expertise and ongoing research in drug product development, manufacturing, and testing of oligonucleotide therapies, including RNA, align seamlessly with Neumirna's commitment to delivering life-changing therapies. We share a common goal of improving patient care, and look forward to advancing this program effectively and efficiently.” 

“Partnering with ten23 health strengthens our ability to accelerate the development of our pipeline while maintaining the highest standards of quality,” said Dr. Ellen Donnelly, CEO at Neumirna Therapeutics. “Their proven track record and expertise support our vision of bringing novel therapies to patients in need. Together, we are taking a decisive step forward in advancing healthcare innovation.” 

The partnership arrives at a time of growing momentum for RNA and oligonucleotide-based therapies, particularly in areas with limited treatment options, such as chronic neurological diseases. ten23’s integrated services - spanning development, manufacturing, and testing - will enable faster and more robust advancement of complex therapies, and support biotechs like Neumirna on their path to commercialization.

Study confirms that people with ADHD can be more creative. The reason may be that they let their mind wander

 

New research confirms that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be linked to increased creativity and suggests that this creativity is associated with a greater tendency to let your mind wander. This first study to explain the link between ADHD and creativity, is presented at the ECNP congress in Amsterdam.

Lead researcher Han Fang (from the Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands) said:
“Previous research pointed to mind wandering as a possible factor linking ADHD and creativity, but until now no study has directly examined this connection. We conducted two studies, utilising 2 different groups of ADHD patients and healthy controls, one from a European group curated by the ECNP, and a second study from a UK group. In total there were 750 participants. Separately analysing results from 2 independent groups means that we can have greater confidence in the results”.
 
The researchers examined the correlations between ADHD characteristics,  creativity, and functional impairments and the role of mind wandering in those links. Both patient groups showed classic ADHD characteristics, such as lack of attention, impulsivity, and the tendency to let one’s mind wander away from the subject in hand. Both studies showed that more ADHD symptoms were correlated with more mind wandering.
 
Mind wandering is defined as shifting attention away from the task at hand toward internally generated thoughts. Everyone is subject to a certain amount of mind wandering, but this is seen more in people with ADHD.
 
Han Fang added:
 
“Previous researchers have been able to distinguish two different types of mind wandering. It can be a loss of concentration, where your mind may drift from subject to subject. This is ‘spontaneous mind-wandering’.  Another type is ‘deliberate mind wandering’, where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, where they ‘allow their thoughts to take a different course’. Psychiatrists have developed ways of measuring how much people are subject to these different tendencies”.
 
The researchers also measured creativity in both groups (there are standards ways of measuring this, for example by asking people to find  a creative use for an everyday object). They then looked at how creativity was associated with the different types of mind wandering.  
 
Dr Han Fang said:
 
“We found that people with more ADHD traits such as lack of attention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, score higher on creative achievements in both studies. This supports previous research. Additionally, we found that mind wandering, particularly deliberate mind wandering, where people allow their “thoughts to wander on purpose”, was associated with greater creativity in people with ADHD. This suggests that mind wandering may be an underlying factor connecting ADHD and creativity.
 
This may have practical implications, for both psychoeducation and treatment. For psychoeducation, specially designed programs or courses that teach individuals how to utilize their spontaneous ideas, for example turning them into creative outputs, could help individuals with ADHD traits harness the benefits of mind wandering. For treatment, ADHD-tailored mindfulness-based interventions that seek to decrease spontaneous mind wandering or transform it into more deliberate forms may reduce functional impairments and enhance treatment outcomes. This is the first time this link has been investigated, so we need to see more studies which confirm the findings”.
 
Commenting, K.P. Lesch (Professor of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Germany) said
"Mind wandering is one of the critical resources on which the remarkable creativity of high-functioning ADHD individuals is based. This makes them such an incredibly valuable asset for our society and the future of our planet”.

ADHD: women are diagnosed five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age

  

 
 
Scientists have found that ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) in women is diagnosed approximately 5 years later than in men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age. Women with ADHD also suffer greater emotional and functional difficulties than men. This work will be presented at the ECNP Congress in Amsterdam, after recent publication.
 
Lead researcher Dr Silvia Amoretti (Barcelona) said:
 
“ADHD affects millions of people, but our understanding of how it presents and impacts males and females differently remains limited. We found that females are underdiagnosed, often receiving a diagnosis years later than males. This delay may lead to worse clinical outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and functional impairment. Males on the other hand showed a higher level of involvement in delinquent behaviours such as legal problems and driving-related difficulties. We believe that a better understanding these sex-based differences might improve diagnosis and treatment.”
 
The researchers analysed a large clinical sample of 900 adults (54.9% male, 45.1% female, average age 36.94) diagnosed with ADHD for the first time at a specialized outpatient program in Barcelona. They assessed differences between males and females in terms of age at diagnosis, ADHD symptom severity, psychiatric comorbidities, psychosocial functioning, and disability. Participants underwent a standardized battery of clinical interviews and validated rating scales. They found that females had been diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 28.96 years, whereas males were diagnosed at age 24.13 on average. Symptoms appeared in both males and females at approximately the same age. Males were around 3 times more likely to have encountered legal problems (18.1%) than were females (6.6%).
 
Silvia Amoretti said:
 
“We found that although ADHD symptoms started at a similar age in males and females, women were diagnosed about five years later. By the time of diagnosis, they showed more severe symptoms, worse functioning in daily life, and higher rates of depression and anxiety.
 
This is important because it shows that ADHD often goes unnoticed in women until it becomes a serious problem. Our findings suggest that we may be missing the early signs in girls and women, especially when their symptoms are less disruptive but still impactful. This has clear implications for earlier screening and sex-sensitive diagnostic tools.
 
We didn’t set out to compare the age of diagnosis in males and females, we were aiming to understand the general age when symptoms appear, regardless of sex. This finding was not part of our initial hypotheses but became evident during the analysis but became evident during the analysis, and the scale of the difference in diagnosis between the sexes was a surprise.
 
It’s likely that women are diagnosed later because the symptoms of ADHD manifest themselves differently in men and women. Boys are more likely to be hyperactive or impulsive, and this behaviour is more visible to parents, teachers and clinicians. On the other hand, girls with ADHD are more likely to seem inattentive and generally less disruptive. This becomes clinically important, as it means that women are just not treated early enough, and often are just not diagnosed at all. We have seen similar tendencies internationally, so it is likely that this is a global problem. The nature of the condition leads to poorer diagnosis in women everywhere, meaning that women can lose on average five years of treatment, 5 years of a better life”.
 
Commenting, Professor Sandra Kooij (Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and PsyQ, the Hague, the Netherlands) said:
 
“This study by Sylvia Amoretti and colleagues shows the delay in diagnosis in girls and women with ADHD compared to boys and males. Different presentation of symptoms, lack of awareness among clinicians that women have ADHD too, and the hormonal changes leading to severe mood instability in the last week of the cycle are all responsible for the gender differences in time to diagnosis of ADHD. 
 
Increasing awareness in both society and medicine helps girls and women to get earlier help when they need it”.  
 

ten23 health® kickstarts new era with launch of industry-first robot-assisted pilot non-GMP sterile filling in its Basel facilities

  ten23 health®, the human-centric and sustainable contract development, testing and manufacturing organization (CDTMO), today announced the launch of its “Line 0” (non-GMP) pilot sterile fill & finish services from its Basel (BASE®) facilities. The first-of-its-kind, custom-designed and purpose-built pilot sterile filling line is a co-development with Optima. The robot-based, small-scale filling machine is suitable for ready-to-use (RTU) and bulk containers, including vials, syringes, and cartridges, in combination with a 1.1 m² sized freeze-dryer (lyophiliser).

With development and preclinical costs increasingly under pressure, Line 0 offers the pharmaceutical industry an exciting new option for a wide range of key tasks. Customers will be able to take advantage of perfectly scaled-down, time- and cost-efficient process development services, and access aseptically produced drug product batches that do not require GMP grade. The pilot line avoids the extra costs and constraints of performing such activities in GMP manufacturing facilities or using non-representative equipment in labs.

“We will add significant speed and value to our customers’ projects with this innovative technology and the additional services that seamlessly integrate with our sterile GMP manufacturing offerings. We can now provide complete solutions from the development and preclinical scale to clinical and commercial manufacturing scale, with purpose-built scaling and transfer in mind,” explains Prof. Dr. Hanns-Christian Mahler, Chief Enablement Officer (CEO) at ten23 health.

Operated under the ISO9001 quality management system, Line 0 is designed to provide aseptically filled batches which may be required for specific purposes such as the implementation of novel processes or primary packaging, stability testing, analytical reference materials, and preclinical study material.

The new offering is compatible with novel primary packaging as well as related process development and characterization assessments for filling, stopper setting and lyophilization processes. It seamlessly integrates different manufacturing scales at ten23, from the new Pilot “Line 0” (non-GMP) in BASE® (Basel) to the VIVA1® and VIVA2® GMP fill& finish lines (Visp), all of which Isolators in Class C environment in Annex 1 GMP compliance:  “Line 1” (for clinical and commercial use using ready-to-use (RTU)container) “Line 2” (for large-scale commercial and possibly clinical use using RTU container), to “Line 3” (for clinical and commercial bulk-vial liquid or lyophilizate manufacturing). All sterile manufacturing lines are based on Optima equipment platforms, enabling easy scale-up and ensuring they are fit-for-purpose for the specific needs of each customer.

“With the addition of the pilot line to our offering we can support our customers by supplying liquid and lyophilized batches early on in their development timeline, with a setup and process representative of later clinical or commercial GMP batches. Compatibility with our GMP filling lines allows seamless process scaleup and reliable supply throughout our customers’ molecules’ lifecycles,” adds Dr. Susanne Jörg, Chief Customer Delivery Officer (COO) at ten23 health.

HonorHealth Research Institute presents new findings in decades-long quest to conquer aggressive pancreatic cancer

 

Promising results of RMC-6236, in combination with other drug treatments, presented at annual meeting of AACR

 

HonorHealth Research Institute’s new downtown Phoenix laboratory has produced its first study, centered on a promising new treatment for pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat of all malignancies. Study results were presented April 29 in Chicago at the annual meeting of the 58,000-member American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the world’s largest professional organization of cancer investigators, caregivers and patient advocates. Study findings indicate that a newly discovered drug, RMC-6236, also known as Daraxonrasib, is a powerful inhibitor of RAS (including KRAS, NRAS and HRAS). These are commonly mutated cancer-causing genes that drive the formation of many types of tumors, including pancreatic cancer.  This study evaluated the effectiveness of RMC-6236 in patient-derived pancreatic tumors harboring KRAS mutations. New: Center for Translational Science According to this initial study to emerge from the Research Institute’s new Center for Translational Science laboratory, RMC-6236, when combined with other proven pancreatic cancer drugs, is a promising new agent against RAS, particularly KRASG12X. Existing KRASG12C inhibitors are unable to target other mutations and often have the unintended result of making patient tumors drug resistant. “The fibrotic tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer exacerbates therapy resistance, and combining RMC-6236 with other therapies could overcome both intrinsic and acquired resistances,” according to Taylor Bargenquast, a clinical research technician and lead author of the study abstract, which she presented at AACR. “These results demonstrate the efficacy of RMC-6236 when combined with other therapeutic agents in a pancreatic cancer model — a three-dimensional model of pancreatic cancer cells derived from patient biopsies,” said Sunil Sharma, M.D., director of the Center for Translational Science and the senior author of the study abstract. “The combination of RMC-6236 with standard chemotherapy and targeted therapies enhances its antitumor activity, suggesting a promising strategy for improving therapeutic outcomes in pancreatic cancer,” said Erkut Borazanci, M.D., another of the study’s authors, and medical director of the Institute’s Oncology Research Division. 52,000 Americans expected to die Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., after lung and colorectal cancers, and is expected to contribute this year to the deaths of nearly 52,000 Americans. Contributing to this study — Evaluating the efficacy of RAS(ON) inhibitor RMC-6236 combined with chemotherapy and other targeted therapies in 3D models involving patients with KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancer — was the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope. The study suggests that human clinical trials are warranted to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of RMC-6236.

Researchers develop virtual reality-based system to improve psychiatric diagnosis

 

Researchers have developed a virtual reality-based system that shows promise in improving the differentiation between common mental health conditions, potentially paving the way for earlier and more personalised treatment. The work is published in the March edition of the peer-reviewed journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, with a subsequent (31 March) comment also being published in the same journal.

Accurate diagnosis remains one of the biggest challenges in psychiatry, with more than half of psychiatric patients changing their diagnosis within 10 years. Most psychiatric diagnoses rely on patients reporting their symptoms, but many mental health conditions share overlapping features. For example, apathy, hallucinations, and cognitive problems may be present in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Misdiagnosis can lead to suboptimal treatment and poorer outcomes.

 Now, a group of Danish scientists have combined virtual reality with physiological measurements (such as skin conductivity) to explore a more objective method for identifying different mental health conditions.

 Lead researcher Professor Kamilla Miskowiak (University of Copenhagen) said, “This is an important step forward. Until now, diagnosis has largely depended on self-reporting of symptoms, but our findings suggest that virtual reality scenarios combined with physiological measures may help differentiate between similar conditions. This is an area where psychiatry has long faced difficulties.”

 The researchers recruited 100 participants, including individuals with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and healthy controls. Participants were exposed to various immersive virtual reality scenarios designed to elicit emotional and physiological responses, such as a video of a crying baby, a discussion in a canteen, and a cramped elevator scenario. The researchers measured emotional responses and skin conductivity during these scenarios.

 Their results indicate that these responses differed systematically between diagnostic groups, suggesting that this approach has the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy. However, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and to explore how such methods might be used in clinical practice.

Professor Miskowiak said, “This study is part of the VIRDIS project, which aims to develop objective tools to support psychiatric diagnosis. Our initial findings are promising, but further large-scale research is needed to validate this approach and develop it into a practical clinical tool. We are now launching a follow-up study with 300 participants and implementing machine learning methods to improve individual-level diagnostic predictions. Our long-term goal is to improve early and personalised treatment for patients with mental health disorders.”

The European Neuropsychopharmacology paper has attracted attention since it was placed online, including a published commentary from Dr Sijia Liu at the Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, China, stating:
 
“This study offers a groundbreaking approach to addressing the persistent challenges in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment by leveraging virtual reality (VR) technology. I suggest that future research should consider integrating artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse the extensive data generated from these VR scenarios. I believe this work holds significant promise for advancing our understanding and clinical practices in mental health care”.  
 
This project is a collaboration between the Copenhagen Mental Health Centre, Khora Virtual Reality and EXP360. This study was supported by the Ivan Nielsen Foundation. 

New independent studies show that ColdZyme addresses the root cause of respiratory infections, reducing sick days and symptoms

 Today, results from two independent studies on the medical device ColdZyme were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal The Journal of Physiology. The findings reveal that ColdZyme targets the underlying cause of upper respiratory infections by inhibiting viruses' ability to infect cells and limiting their spread. Study participants who used the active product experienced significantly lower symptom rating scores and sick days due to colds.

The publication is a collaboration between researchers at the universities of Kent and Vienna. They examined ColdZyme's effects using complementary approaches: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving active athletes and a new in vitro model of the human upper respiratory tract.

The research team at Kent enrolled 164 active athletes who were randomized to use either ColdZyme or a placebo spray in their throat at the first signs of upper respiratory infection symptoms. Participants also submitted throat swabs for researchers to analyze the presence of viruses during symptom periods. The final results are based on 154 participants, as 10 of the 164 enrolled athletes were lost in follow-up. The results showed that athletes using the active product had significantly lower symptom score ratings and fewer lost training days due to colds compared to the placebo group (see figure below). Additionally, the findings demonstrated a significant reduction in viral load (94%) for rhinovirus—the most common cause of colds—when treated with ColdZyme, along with lower symptom scores.

-          This shows that ColdZyme addresses the underlying cause of upper respiratory infections by inhibiting viruses' ability to infect cells and limiting their spread. This results in less tissue damage in the airways and milder symptoms. The findings are very promising, and the reduced illness duration can be of practical benefit to both athletes and the general population, says Glen Davison, professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Kent, UK.

The in vitro study, conducted by the research team in Vienna, illustrated that ColdZyme effectively blocked cold viruses from adhering to the cell types present in the upper respiratory tract. Using human epithelial cells in models simulating different parts of the upper respiratory tract, such as the nose and throat, these models were infected with rhinovirus—the most common cause of colds. The researchers compared the effects of spraying the epithelial cells with either ColdZyme or a control (standard saline solution). When the cells were treated with ColdZyme, a significant reduction in viral load was observed.

-          These results are remarkable because ColdZyme not only significantly reduced the viral load for SARS-CoV-2 variants and Influenza A and B as previously demonstrated, but also for rhinoviruses in our upper respiratory tract model. After treatment with ColdZyme, previously infected tissue cultures appeared almost uninfected, with intact cell nuclei, undamaged cilia, and only a few remaining virus particles compared to infected cultures mock-treated with saline solution before infection says Doris Wilflingseder, professor of infectious diseases at the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute and the Vetmeduni Vienna.

 

-          Most people see colds as something you just have to endure. Therefore, we are very positive about the results from two independent, researcher-initiated studies, which in different ways show that ColdZyme addresses the root cause – the virus – rather than just alleviating the symptoms. The product shortens the duration of the illness and relieves discomfort, which we believe is valuable for everyone," says Claus Egstrand, CEO of Enzymatica.

 

The results from the studies:

ColdZyme – Viral load was 94% lower in ColdZyme group vs placebo (clinical study)

The results show the amount of rhinovirus in participants with a cold in the study (n = 50 confirmed cases of upper respiratory tract infection, URTI). Throat swabs were taken at several points during the first week of illness (day 1, 3, 5, and 7). The viral load was measured using PCR analysis, and the total viral burden over this 7-day period (7 days) was then calculated. The chart shows median values and the variation between participants. The results showed a significant difference between ColdZyme and placebo – the viral load was 94% lower in the ColdZyme group (P = 0.029). 

  

 

Amount of virus (in pink) lost in respiratory tissues when pre-treated with ColdZyme (in vitro study)

The images show how the amount of virus (pink color) was significantly reduced in airway cells treated with ColdZyme before being exposed to the virus. For each test, three independent samples were taken from different parts of the cell culture. The image shows an example of how the cells appeared in one of these samples.

 

 

ColdZyme – lower symptom ratings during infection compared to placebo (clinical study)

The graph shows how participants in the study rated their cold symptoms day by day. Each participant assessed eight different symptoms, which were then summed to a total score (Jackson score). The chart compares the average symptom levels of those who used ColdZyme with those who received placebo. The results show that those who used ColdZyme experienced milder symptoms during the infection.

 

ColdZyme – Fewer sick days during infection (clinical study)

The graph shows how many sick days participants in each group had during a cold period, based on 50 laboratory-confirmed cases in the study. It also shows how many of these days affected participants' training—either by forcing them to cancel their workouts entirely or by needing to train at a lower intensity than usual. The results indicate that those who used ColdZyme had fewer sick days and fewer training days affected compared to the placebo group.

Read the published article here: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP288136

Beyond Baby Weight: The Hidden Impact of Diastasis Recti

 

Karolis Varkalys, a surgeon at Nordesthetics clinic

 

Although not commonly known, diastasis recti (abdominal separation) can happen to anybody at any time. It occurs when the two parallel bands of the rectus abdominis muscle separate along the midline of the abdomen, and it can lead to muscle pain, organ displacement, digestive issues, and psychological distress.

About 60% of pregnant or postpartum women experience this condition, making it an important and overlooked issue in women’s health. Diastasis recti can also be caused by weight gain or obesity, improper exercise technique, and even heavy weightlifting if the core is not properly engaged.

Yet despite its prevalence and severe health implications, especially among women, diastasis recti surgery is generally not provided by public health providers except in the most extreme conditions. While physiotherapy may be offered, Karolis Varkalys, a surgeon at Nordesthetics clinic in Kaunas, Lithuania, advises that surgery often is the only effective option, especially considering the potential for severe complications.

Diastasis recti can cause severe health problems

Left untreated, diastasis recti can lead to major health problems. Since the abdominal walls help stabilize the core, instability in that area can cause chronic muscle pain and increase the risk of injury. When the synergy between the pelvic floor and the abdominal muscles is disrupted, diastasis recti can lead to incontinence, hernias, or pelvic organ prolapse (when pelvic organs slip into the vaginal region). More everyday issues like digestive discomfort, bloating, poor posture, and shoulder, neck, and back pain can also result.

In addition to these various physical impairments, this condition can cause severe emotional distress, brought on by body image struggles, feelings of frustration, or diminished self-esteem. Thus the patient’s suffering is compounded. Surgery can be a viable solution not just for the primary physical symptoms of diastasis recti, but also for related aesthetic and psychological issues.

“While several techniques exist to address diastasis recti, the open surgical approach remains the most effective,” says Dr. Varkalys. The open surgical approach not only corrects muscle separation, but also can include a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) to remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen. This gives the patient both a practical, functional solution and an aesthetic benefit, killing two birds with one stone: the patient undergoes (and pays for) anesthesia, surgery, and recovery just once.

Simple steps for avoiding a relapse 

And when repair is done correctly, recurrence of diastasis recti is uncommon (although subsequent pregnancies may carry a risk). Patients can take steps to prevent recurrence by avoiding heavy lifting, intense core exercises, and any stressful activity for at least 6–12 weeks post-surgery. They can also use abdominal binders or compression garments during the initial recovery phase, which provide support and reduce strain on the repaired muscles.

Dr. Varkalys emphasizes that surgical repair of diastasis recti has high success rates and long-lasting results, both in functional improvement and in aesthetic outcomes such as excess skin removal. The overall result is physical and emotional relief and a better quality of life.

 

The Language we use is important!

 **An inspiring guest blog by neurodivergent self-advocate Ben VanHook.  

The language we use within the disability and neurodivergent community is very important. Whilst some might view various phrases as “interchangeable” with merely semantic effects, the words and phrases we use can have massive implications. 

For example, some people might refer to their child as having high or low-functioning autism. Some might even refer to their child as having “severe or mild” autism as if it is a kind of food flavoring. Describing autism as such can be very damaging to the individual, as it sends the message that a person might not need any support. I have often been called “high functioning” because I was a strong student. In being labeled as such, people disregarded the other non-academic related challenges I face throughout my day-to-day life, such as conversing with others, cleaning, organizing, and planning. 

Neurodiverse and Neurodivergent are not the same things!

Some people might also use the terms “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” interchangeably. To clarify, everyone is “neurodiverse.” This phrase refers to the fact that everyone’s mind is inherently different and unique. “Neurodivergent,” on the other hand, refers to a certain population that thinks in ways society perceives as “diverging from the norm.” This can include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADD, etc… Put simply, everyone is neurodiverse, but not everyone is neurodivergent. To conflate “neurodivergence” and “neurodiversity” is common, but, unfortunately, can have very negative implications. 

How many of you have heard people say, “We are all a little bit autistic?”, or, “We all mask a little bit?”. These phrases might be used in an effort to show compassion or understanding towards neurodivergent individuals. Unfortunately, these phrases too, have negative ramifications for our neurodivergent community. It is akin to saying “All Lives Matter” for a few reasons:

• It diverts from the very real LIVED EXPERIENCE of autistic individuals.
• It destroys or diminishes our unique shared history and historical challenges as disabled individuals. Neurotypicals were never institutionalized. Until recently, the government has never controlled a neurotypical woman’s body. Neurodivergent women, however, have had government control over their bodies since 1929, when Buck v Bell was ruled upon (“three generations of imbeciles are enough").
• It strips us of our community and identity by inviting everyone in.
• It ignores, dismisses, minimizes, and trivializes the very real challenges facing autistic individuals.
• It equates our challenges as THE SAME as those neurotypicals face, despite the fact the disability unemployment rate is around 30-40%, and unemployment for autistics, specifically, is around 80% in the United States.
• It excuses inaction to combat these challenges (“Well, SHE didn’t need a calculator, why do you?”).

Appreciation and Acceptance are different, too

Lastly, and I want to end on a positive note, I have been pushing for society to transition away from the era of autism acceptance and into the era of autism appreciation. I have always seen acceptance and appreciation as being different. This is not just a semantic difference. Just like autism awareness and autism acceptance are different, so are acceptance and appreciation. Acceptance is the bare minimum whereas appreciation is the goal. 

• Acceptance is hiring because you have to.
• Appreciation is hiring because you want to.
• Acceptance is speaking on behalf of neurodivergent individuals.
• Appreciation is empowering neurodivergent people to live a life of self-determination.
• Acceptance is helping communities survive.
• Appreciation is helping communities thrive.
• Awareness is the acknowledgment that bridges between neurotypicals and neurodivergents exist. Acceptance is tolerating the fact these bridges exist. Appreciation is actively taking steps to strengthen these bridges between the neurodivergent and neurotypical communities. 

How do we transition into Autism Appreciation?

With this being said, how can we transition into an era of autism appreciation? There are many ways in which we can make this change!

• Engage with the autistic community.
• Attend webinars and panels featuring autistic speakers, listen to podcasts featuring autistic guests, read blog posts written by autistic authors, and follow autistic content creators on social media.
• Check out the resources on autism-friendly websites (e.g., Organization for Autism Research, Asperger's Autism Network, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network).
• Donate to autism-friendly and neuro-affirming organizations.
• Utilize Universal Design for Learning in the education and employment spaces.
• Ensure your website and graphics are accessible.
• Listen to autistic family members, peers, colleagues, and friends.

***Author’s note:

Ben VanHook is an expert on the autistic employee and student experience, who has spoken at Stanford and has been featured in programs from PBS to the New York Times. He has authored articles for the American Psychological Association and advised groups from the open mainframe project to Partners in Promise. Ben is currently a Master's student studying public policy at George Mason University, with the hopes of reforming employment and education policy to make both domains more inclusive for neurodivergent individuals.

***About Rise Educational Advocacy:

At Rise Educational Advocacy and Consulting, we equip parents and educators with the tools to navigate the special education landscape. Our services empower you through tailored on-demand coaching and support. Our IEP Advocacy Services, Template and Toolkit Shop, and DIY IEP Workshops will transform your child's education plan into an effective, strength-based IEP or 504 Plan. Our mission is to help families and teachers master the art of advocacy, creating education plans to help kids thrive!