Taiwan Group Champions Neurodiversity: Reframing Childhood Mental Illnesses

Advocates call for change to combat stigma and improve access to care.

Taipei, Taiwan – In a significant move towards destigmatization, a local advocacy group is advocating for a critical shift in how Taiwan addresses childhood mental illnesses. The Action Alliance on Basic Education, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, proposed a re-framing of these conditions under the umbrella of "neurodiversity." This initiative aims to reduce societal stigma and improve access to vital treatment and support for children.

The group highlighted the challenges faced by many families, where parents often lack comprehensive understanding of conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This knowledge gap frequently fuels fears of labeling, leading to delays in seeking essential medical intervention. This, according to the Alliance, is detrimental to the well-being of affected children.

Alliance Chairman Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) presented concerning government data, revealing that almost 20 percent of over 6,000 reported child abuse cases last year involved children with special needs, including those experiencing hyperactivity and developmental delays. This statistic underscores the urgent need for a more empathetic and informed approach.

Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) further cautioned that these children are frequently misunderstood and subjected to inappropriate disciplinary measures, perpetuating a cycle of harm and suffering.

The Alliance's proposal draws parallels to the renaming of "senile dementia" to "Alzheimer's disease," advocating for the establishment of an interagency task force. This task force would be responsible for replacing stigmatizing terminology within medical, educational, and social welfare systems with the more neutral and internationally recognized term "neurodiversity."

Drawing upon the definition provided by Harvard Health Publishing, neurodiversity "describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one 'right' way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits." This perspective shift aims to foster understanding, acceptance, and more effective care within Taiwan's society.