“Gus Walz Is the Unintentional Ambassador of Neurodivergent Youth We All Need”
Gus Walz was appointed an unintentional ambassador for neurodivergent youth during the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21.
Millions of Americans watched the 17-year-old leap to his feet with tears streaming down his face as he cheered on his father, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as he accepted his party’s vice presidential nomination.Gus Walz’s expression of pure love and joy should have been seen for what it was: an unfiltered and positive emotional response to a big moment.
Sadly, the moment served as yet another opportunity to divide Americans. While most people saw Gus’s reaction as an historic moment for neurodiversity, a vocal minority sneered, criticized, and hurled insults at an innocent young person.Neurodivergence is a word used to describe naturally occurring differences in how the human brain develops that result in variations in “wiring” and how we process information.
These differences may affect around 20% of the population and occur in people with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD).
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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