Cultivating the Creativity of Neurodivergent Thinking

A New Educational Approach for ASD Students

Abstract

According to the highly popular American podcast series The Neurodiversity Podcast, there is now a newfound appreciation for the creative works of autistic people and how they help to empower and enlighten young minds in a variety of educational contexts. This article demonstrates how the promotion and cultivation of an autistic and neurodivergent person’s creativity could effectively pave the way for a new educational approach that would potentially challenge and revitalise the training influenced rigid, rule-bound approach that has grown in prominence in most educational institutions in recent years. Building on a recent conference paper, this article argues that the seeds for this highly innovative type of education could be effectively sown through the establishment of a collaborative Third-Level-based research project. It outlines how this could be achieved through a stronger focus on a transformative participatory action research methodology. Furthermore, it identifies future directions that would support this vital and pressing educational objective.