Meaningful Inclusion in Society of the Neurodiverse – The importance of perceiving them as one of ‘us’

Categorising vulnerable people into groups, and officially recognising these groups in society without actually enabling free-flow interactions between the ‘group members’ and the rest of society can hardly be deemed meaningful inclusion. This applies equally to the neurodiverse.

A few weeks ago, at our ‘Happy Friday Feeling’ session at Bourne Hill we wanted to defy the prejudices surrounding adults presenting with intellectual and cognitive impairment, and their ability to interact at social events. We invited Maggie Sarfo, CEO at Meres Consult, to chair a relaxation session with staff and clients. Maggie, highly commanded for her skills at mentoring and business coaching, is known for her ability to create a safe space for her clients to relax, be themselves and hone in on their true potential.

The Connection

During the session, Maggie lead the way on the ‘Happy Friday Feeling’ theme, and guided the group of both clients and staff to find their relax and happy state – in a way parallel to the one she would use to engage with her usual clients. The connection came about smoothly, resulting in a two-way communication between her and the clients. Maggie has never had any training in ‘Learning Disabilities’ or ‘understanding behaviour that challenges’ that could have facilitated this connection. Nor does she regularly find herself dealing with someone who would sit on the autism spectrum. She recognised and used each client’s favoured channel of communication, and empathised with the emotions they released – nothing more than a human touch.

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Revealing Thoughts

After the session, I caught up with Maggie and wanted to gather her thoughts about the session, about what made it go so well. Her answers to my questions are quite revealing…

‍ CF: Were you worried about the fact that the clients presented with intellectual impairment, that they would express their emotions in ways that might not be perceived as socially acceptable?

MS: No - not at all. I was rather curious to experience some time with them and learn something.

CF: Was there anything during the session that surprised you and why?

MS: The fact that they take on the mindfulness state so quickly and in their own unique way but the impact is felt by everyone at the same beautiful level.

CF: You clearly engaged very well with clients and staff members alike. What traits/skills do you possess that made it work?

MS: I guess the ability to be in the moment and go with the flow - honouring everyone exactly where they are.

CF: Did you learn anything from the time spent with us?

MS: Absolutely! I love the atmosphere you’ve created in your care home - such respect for everyone. Personally, every time I do these sessions with you all, I learn more about how we are all ONE.

Maggie also added that she found the whole experience ''a humbling, rewarding and beautiful opportunity’’.

Well, it certainly was an empowering moment for our clients, definitely one where they felt seamlessly included!