Time Walz’s son Gus hugs him during the Democratic National Convention
Minnesota Governor and Kamala Harris’s running mate for the presidential election, Tim Walz, has said he is proud of his son Gus, who has neurodivergence, an umbrella term that encompasses a range of conditions that affect brain function. Gus’s emotional moment at the Democratic National Convention recently went viral.
Sitting next to Harris for an interview with CNN, Walz said he was surprised in the best way possible when his son stood up, clapped and tearfully shouted “That’s my daddy!” during his vice presidential nomination speech. Walz had recently praised the 18-year-old, calling him a “brilliant” teenager as he lives with ADHD, an anxiety disorder and a nonverbal learning disorder.
“I don’t know, as a father, I could never have imagined that,” Walz said. “I’m grateful for a lot of reasons why I’m on this list, but that moment, of understanding what was important, of my son being proud of me, that I was trying to do the right thing and protecting my kids. It brings notoriety and things like that, but it was such a visceral and emotional moment that I’m grateful to have experienced it and I’m very proud of it.”
“I think what’s at stake in the times we’re in is that our politics can be better, can be different,” Walz said. “We can, we can show some of these things and we can get families involved in this and I hope people felt that and they held their kids a little tighter.”
What is neurodivergence?
According to experts, neurodivergence is a term that describes people whose brain differences affect the way they work. They have different strengths and challenges than others, including medical disorders, learning disabilities, and other conditions. Possible strengths include better memory, the ability to mentally visualize 3D objects with ease, the ability to solve complex math calculations in their head, and many more.
The word neurodiversity comes from the related term neurodiversity, coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998 to recognise that each person’s brain develops uniquely. Experts identify neurodiversity as the difference in abilities. Neurodiversity means that it is natural for both adults and children to develop differently and have their own abilities and difficulties.
Signs and symptoms of being neurodivergent
According to doctors, people with very different signs and symptoms can have the same diagnosis.
How to support those who are neurodivergent?
To support those who are neurodivergent, you can consider the following:
Hear
Before they feel misunderstood or excluded, make sure you are willing to listen to them and respect their decisions.
Communicate in ways that help them
Many times, they prefer you to write and communicate through messages or texts. So, do it.
No two neurodivergent people are the same
Their personalities and thoughts are very different, so treat them individually.
Don’t assume things
People who are neurodivergent often have conditions or preferences that make them stand out or appear different.
Treat everyone with respect
Normalize taking and dealing with them
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