Inclusive language and representations: an international comparison between England and Indonesia

One of Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) strategies is to embrace neurodiversity (ND). This paper, co-authored by academics both in England and Indonesia as part of a research project, offers an international comparison between the language and tools used to foster inclusion and widening participation in higher education (HE) for students who are neurodivergent. The umbrella terms of ‘neurodivergence’ and ‘neurodiversity’ are unpacked, along with consideration of the effects of academic understanding on student provision, engagement, retention and outcomes. Many institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) now provide disability support for ND learners at HE level, but understanding is still growing. The way we use language such as ‘acceptance’ as opposed to ‘awareness’ is key in dissolving stigma around neurodivergent conditions, and language certainly matters when inclusion can be fostered through making a shift from considering neurodiversity in light of the medical model, which sees neurodivergence through a deficit lens. We share overviews of legislation and support for people with neurodivergence in both the UK and Indonesia and consider how language and stereotypes may be reflected in popular culture such as films and books. This article offers an insightful consideration of how language and understanding changes around the world, through a scoping review of the existing literature, and promotes that it is only when we open up to sharing with others that we can all truly learn how to do best by our students.