蜜芽传媒

The Institute of Neurodiversity has been launched in the UK, Europe and Australia with the aim of increasing awareness and acceptance of people with atypical mental conditions of behaviours such as autism or Tourette's syndrome. But with just one in five autistic people in the UK employed, according to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, such conditions are seen more as a problem than an advantage.

The Institute also aims to show the positive contribution made by the neurodiverse, and increase acceptance of such conditions. It is founded by a successful Danish businesswoman, Charlotte Valeur, who herself has autism but was undiagnosed well into adult life.

鈥淪o the thing is I felt different all my life but I didn鈥檛 attribute it to being autistic at all. I used to ask my sisters (who are not autistic) do I have 鈥榖ully me鈥� (written) on my forehead because it happened really randomly and I couldn鈥檛 understand why.鈥�

鈥淚 think that being autistic has helped me in my career. I have succeeded not despite being autistic but because of being autistic. I think that is a very important difference. We are a variation of humanity, not a mistake.鈥�

(Pic: Autism spelt out in blocks; Credit: Getty Images)

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