A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on neurodivergence research in Japan on Twitter/X, and you can view the post here: https://x.com/kanabaletti/status/1775508226941063365. It received 8,645 views, 181 likes, 31 retweets, and 25 bookmarks. The response was more significant than I expected, and I was grateful for the community's interest in the challenges of neurodivergence research in Japan. It was also encouraging to connect with others who support the neurodiversity paradigm, which values the diversity of human minds. Here's what I posted on X:
Enough is enough! Fed up with how neurodivergence is treated in Japan by researchers trying to 'fix' us without understanding our lives. They think they're helping, but really, they're making our lives harder.
Japanese research on neurodivergence is hugely deficit-focused and driven by the neuro-majority, ignoring neurodivergent voices. The result? No progress, just reinforcing feelings of being othered, marginalized, and less.
For example, a study recently featured in a Japanese research community aims to 'improve' and ‘cure’ neurodivergence like autism and ADHD, an approach that is not only misguided but deeply offensive.
Having won the 1st Prize at Japan’s Academist and engaged with the Japanese research community through them, I've felt my research and advocacy are neither taken seriously nor understood. This could be due to their insufficient knowledge about neurodivergence. Each time, it leaves me uncomfortable. I consistently conclude that Japan feels unwelcoming and I prefer not to interact with its institutions or organizations. I believe there are many in Japan who, like me, feel alienated. Japan is losing talent; skilled individuals either leave the country or are stifled within it. While I wish to change this situation in Japan, I find living here increasingly difficult and am drawn to moving abroad, finding solace in interactions with international contacts and communication in English.