By Samantha Lawrence, Senior Digital Content Editor
This week is Celebrating Neurodiversity Week 2025, and in this blog Samantha talks about the importance of taking a strengths-based approach to sport and to safeguarding.
The blog includes:
- Introducing myself
- Humans tend to focus on negativity
- Shifting to a strengths-based approach
- Applying this to sport and physical activity
- How does this relate to safeguarding?
Introducing myself
If you were to ask the people that know me what my biggest strengths are, I’d like to think they would say:
- my ability to see and think creatively, sometimes offering a different perspective to problem solving
- my strong sense of fairness and empathy
- my drive to keep learning, growing and to get better at the things I’m most passionate about – I’m a hard worker
- my can-do attitude and willingness to help others
- my ability to multi-task and juggle lots of priorities
The reason I started with my strengths is that I know as soon as I say that I believe I am Neurodivergent, most likely AuDHD (I am undiagnosed), which is a combination of Autism and ADHD, I wonder how you see me?
Do those strengths pop into your mind, OR do you start to think that... I fidget and have endless energy, struggle with social situations and changes in routine, can’t look at you when speaking, probably had problems at school, love maths or science, hate loud noises and don’t understand sarcasm? Do the strengths above get overtaken by your preconceived ideas of what ADHD or Autism is like? Or if you are neurodivergent yourself, do you relate to feeling like that’s all anyone ever sees?
I stim constantly, but why does my need to move be bothersome to so many? I don’t like looking people in the eye, but why is that so rude? I struggle to regulate my emotions, but why should I feel shame? I find spaces with lots of people, loud lights, loud noises and funny smells overwhelming. Why must I have to pretend I’m okay with it, when inside my body is screaming?
The words ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia or Tourette's, generally conjure up images of someone who struggles in our society rather than thrives. How can we change that image?
Humans tend to focus on negativity
Humans have a natural tendency to focus on the negative, rather than the positive. This bias helps us to stay alert to potential threats, but it can also make us focus on what people can’t do rather than on what people can do.
We also spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to others, which helps us to assess our own abilities and value. Where are we in the hierarchy and pecking order of society?
Many cultures push for improvement and overcoming, or hiding, what is perceived in that culture as a weakness. And our fear of failure can help us to potentially avoid failures in the future.
It’s no wonder that many will see those 20% of people whose brains are neurologically different as a negative, rather than for what it is, which is simply different. No two people are the same, no matter how their brain works. But society is built around the way 80% of the population generally think and view the world, so therefore those of us who think differently must have disorders or deficits. Fair? Not really.
Shifting to a strengths-based approach
Although this week is called ‘Celebrating Neurodiversity Week’, I’m more comfortable thinking of it as a chance to explore the strengths of me as a person, some of which are strengths that are common for those with AuDHD and others are common for people who are neurotypical.
By focusing on someone’s strengths rather than on someone’s perceived deficits, we can:
- see the whole person
- see what people are good at and work with them to use those strengths or even learn from them
- help people feel empowered to take control of and maximise what they are good at
- work alongside others to use their strengths, which promotes resilience and positive outcomes
Applying this to sport and physical activity
In a sport or physical activity environment, this could mean working with children, young people, their parents or carers and sport staff to:
- identify what fundamental movement skills a child is good at and help them to explore the others by letting them play and try new things
- build confidence by supporting a child’s abilities and developing a love for movement at its most fundamental level
- let them participate in sports or physical activity that feel safe and help them to develop skills in a way that works for them
- tailor a child’s education or sport programme around their strengths
- encourage a child by highlighting what they are good at, rather than focusing on what they cannot do or what is harder for them
- set realistic and achievable goals for developing or improving in sport, if that’s what they want
- assign team roles based on their strengths and how these fit with a team overall
There are many top athletes that are neurodivergent, as are there many individuals who have a terrible relationship with sport. The point is: everyone is good at something. If the environment and the people are supportive, then this person can flourish. If the opposite is true, then people could quit, hate taking part, display unwanted behaviour or even be vulnerable to abuse.
How does this relate to safeguarding?
When people feel empowered and have autonomy, they can take a role in their own wellbeing and safety. For some people who are neurodivergent, they may not be able to communicate in the same ways as others, but that doesn’t mean they cannot communicate. They may just need extra support. What can help them feel empowered and ensure they have a say in how they take part in their sport?
When we see a person, and not just labels, we can also identify protective factors that can be leveraged to enhance safety. For example, if a person has an increased sense of injustice, then perhaps they can work along staff to be a young champion for wellbeing, review policies, codes of conduct, review the way team members are selected or dropped, or offer their unique perspective of the way the club is run.
In my opinion, safeguarding is more than just preventing abuse, it’s multi-layered and multi-faceted. It’s about creating a sense of belonging where all children are really seen and heard. Where their safety and wellbeing are the most important thing.
Children start sport and physical activity to have fun, when does it stop being about that and start being about the score board at the end of a match, or the numbers on a stopwatch or the medals on the wall? I understand for some people those things are part of the enjoyment, but for some they are not. When does the outcome become more important than the person?
P.S. For me, I don’t see the strengths that my brain gives me as a disability. I think all humans are different and differences in evolution have helped species to thrive.
What are yours?
