November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 24

EQUITY
What I Wish I Had Known
About Neurodiversity
By John McGovern
I
have had many different roles in my park and recreation career: parttime
staff, center director, therapeutic recreation specialist, manager,
administrator, and now ADA consultant. Looking back, there are
several reasons why I wish I had known more about neurodiversity
throughout my career. Neurodiversity " describes the idea that people
experience and interact with the world around them in many different
ways; there is no one 'right' way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and
differences are not viewed as deficits " (tinyurl.com/3t8ft8rd). Examples
of neurodiversity include autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though the term encompasses any of the
myriad ways of thinking that occur. By considering how people learn and
experience the world through the lens of neurodiversity, we can enhance
our role as professionals in the following ways:
As a center director, could I
have better served kids on the
autism spectrum, kids with
learning disabilities or adults
with ADHD?
24 Parks & Recreation | NOVEMBER 2 0 2 3
Being a Better Public Servant
My lack of awareness was a deep
hole in my professional preparation.
As a center director, could I
have better served kids on the autism
spectrum, kids with learning
disabilities, or adults with ADHD?
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
By considering how people learn and
experience the world through the lens of
neurodiversity, we can enhance our role
as professionals.
Today, I am proud of my awareness;
had I been aware previously,
I could have made a big difference
in the lives of the people I served.
Being a Better Coworker
My career includes opportunities
to work alongside people with a
range of abilities and health conditions.
While I have provided
support for coworkers with more
visible disabilities, such as mobility
impairments, I have missed
opportunities to support others
whose disabilities may not be as
apparent. For example, consider
what steps you might take to
support a colleague with a seizure
disorder. What assumptions
do you make about their ability to
carry out their work? Rather than

http://tinyurl.com/3t8ft8rd

November 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2023 - Parks & Recreation

November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 7
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 11
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13
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November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15
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November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 17
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 23
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 24
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 25
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 26
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 27
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 28
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 29
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 30
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 31
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 32
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 33
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 34
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 35
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 36
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 37
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 38
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 39
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 41
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 42
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 43
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 44
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 45
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 46
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 47
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 48
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 52
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 53
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 54
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 55
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 56
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
November 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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