Fathers of neurodiversity

Each brain is unique and part of human diversity.

- CHIEDU ESEADI

Recently, as South Africa celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month, an event I attended about raising children with neurodiversity left me searching for hope in despair.

The event was a Fathers of Children with Neurodiversity (FCN) retreat. Iwas present not in the capacity of a father, but as a facilitator, invited to provide guidance and support as these fathers shared stories of their trials and tribulations in bringing up children with special needs.

Neurodiversity is a term that celebrates the natural variations in how human brains function, learn and behave. It em-braces the idea that each brain is unique and these differences, seen in conditions like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dysgraphia and other neurodivergent conditions, are a normal part of human diversity.

For neurodivergent individuals, coping with the conditions can be quite challenging, as several parents attested to while recounting their stories during the fathers retreat.

One parent, for instance, told how he was battling to raise his child who experiences co-occurring conditions, such as depression and anxiety at much higher rates than their neurotypical peers.