What Is Neurodiversity?
Every person's brain is wired a little differently. For some people, those differences diverge from what society treats as typical in ways that meaningfully shape how they move through the world, how they learn, how they connect with others, and how they take care of themselves.
The neurodiversity movement is rooted in a simple idea: these differences are natural variations in human neurology, not defects to be fixed. But that idea comes with a lot of terminology, a lot of history, and a lot of ongoing conversation about who is included, how diagnoses work, and what kinds of support actually help people thrive.
Understanding the foundations of neurodiversity gives you a stronger place to stand when you're supporting a child, a loved one, or a client whose brain works differently than your own.
Why the Conversation About Neurodiversity Gets Muddled
Terms like neurodivergent, neurotypical, and neurominority get used constantly, but often inconsistently or inaccurately. Diagnosis rates for autism and ADHD keep climbing, and the reasons behind that are frequently misunderstood, dismissed as a trend, or waved off as overdiagnosis.
When the conversation stays stuck at the surface, it becomes much harder to hear what people are actually telling us about how their brains work and what they need. The families, students, and clients in our lives deserve better than confusion or skepticism when they share their experience.
This course gives you the foundational knowledge to move past the noise and start listening to what neurodivergent people are actually saying about their own experience. That shift changes how you show up.
Big Talks, Little Talks
Understanding How Kids Think, Feel, and Behave — One Talk at a Time
Living in a Neurodiverse World is one of eight modules in Big Talks, Little Talks, a video course series by Kelsie Mick Olds covering key topics in neurodiversity and child development. Modules can be purchased individually or as a complete bundle.
Every module in the series includes two videos:
The professional development component. Kelsie walks through the topic in depth, giving you the knowledge and language to understand what's happening and how to respond. Big Talks run approximately one hour and qualify for continuing education credit.
A kid-friendly video that gives children accessible language to understand what's going on in their own bodies and brains. You can show it directly to a child, break it into shorter chunks across multiple sessions, or watch it yourself to pick up language you can use in your own conversations.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is designed for parents, teachers, early childhood educators, social workers, therapists, and anyone who supports neurodivergent kids or adults and wants a clearer understanding of the terminology, the history, and the realities behind rising diagnosis rates.
Whether you're new to the neurodiversity conversation and trying to get your footing, or you've been part of it for a while and want a solid foundation to build on, this course gives you the grounding to show up with more confidence and curiosity.