The Future of Normal deepens understanding of neurodiversity and drives measurable change in the environments that neurodivergent people experience in their daily lives. The feature documentary and national impact campaign focus on education, healthcare, criminal justice and public policy, highlighting inclusive practices and providing tools designed to advance neurodiversity equity by expanding access, agency and belonging for all.

THE FILM

The documentary introduces the concept of neurodiversity through stories and science that question assumptions about the nature of human intelligence, who gets to decide what’s normal and what it means to belong. Across two years of vérité-style filming, we follow five neurodivergent individuals and their families as they navigate and challenge the systems that have marginalized them. Experts in neuroscience, medicine, philosophy, education, public policy and advocacy share historical perspectives and promising innovations for a future that embraces the full spectrum of cognitive variability.

THE IMPACT CAMPAIGN

The campaign brings these lived experiences and professional insights directly into the settings where change happens. Neurodivergent film participants and their families, experts featured in the film, the filmmakers, project advisors and leaders from partner organizations will share their personal stories and professional expertise at schools and colleges, healthcare, justice  and legislative meetings and community gatherings. Companion video modules and sector-specific toolkits will provide opportunities to act that sustain engagement and reinforce impact. Our success will be measured by tracking how audiences and leaders apply what they learn from the film,
speaker events and toolkits to better recognize and respond to neurodivergent people’s needs in policies, practices and everyday interactions.

20% of Americans have learning or attention issues. 

That’s over 30 million people. It means that one in five of our relatives, our friends, our colleagues and our neighbors have minds that operate outside the neurological framework that has long been defined as “normal.” When something occurs with such a high frequency, is it really an anomaly? 

For those who think and learn “differently”—with ADHD, dyslexia, autism or other neurodivergences—the pressure to conform starts even before kindergarten and continues throughout high school, college and into the workplace. Every difference is deemed a deficit to be fixed by special classes, prescriptions and corrective therapies. Students and adults are given labels that stigmatize them and accommodations that set them apart from their peers. 

The next frontier in the diversity movement is the human brain.

Over the past few decades, hard-won battles have forged some progress in embracing diversities in race, culture and gender orientation, and life is more inclusive and accommodating for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. There are also millions of people in the US, who are neurologically diverse, with ADHD, dyslexia, or other cognitive divergences, including the autism spectrum. Pressure to fit in pervades every aspect of their lives, and is exacerbated by the fact that their differences are often invisible. If they don’t, or can’t, adapt they are ostracized and made to feel like they don’t belong. The result is an alarming loss of human potential and a devastating assault on human dignity.

The need to shift the public mindset around people who think and learn differently could not be more pressing. The Future of Normal provides a means to examine the societal tensions mentioned above, reflect on what makes us human, discover groundbreaking neuroscience, and learn about inclusive practices in education, health care and business that honor and accommodate the uniqueness of every individual.