Ep 122: Meghan Bonde | Neurodiversity, the 5 intensities, and communicating to meet social-emotional needs

If you're anything like me, you've noticed over the past decade or so the emergence — or at least the increased use of — the word neurodivergent.   And if you're anything like me, you heard the term and made some assumptions about what it meant, what and who it described, and why it started showing up in more places and in more conversations…perhaps without really understanding or knowing much of the backstory or origins.   My guest in this episode is Meghan Bonde, a neurodiversity specialist and a former educator, and even she acknowledges the recent increase in usage of the phrase neurodivergent, despite the fact that it's been around longer than perhaps you and certainly I realized.   But Meghan brings a perspective beyond just the usage of the word, as well as some terms and descriptions that might be new to you, as they were to me.   As you'll hear Meghan explain, neurodivergent individuals have a different way of perceiving the world, and she emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences from a strength-based perspective, rather than how she believes they've been treated for so long — as dividing labels.   Check out Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted at https://www.sengifted.org/ or Meghan's work at https://www.teamneurodivergent.com/.   Connect with Meghan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-bonde-connect/.