The hen that goes her own way.
A hen that goes astray.

My neighbour, on the other side of the street, has chickens, beautiful black and white speckled animals. One is black, the black sheep of the group, so to speak. It also stands out from the crowd by displaying deviant behaviour.

Unlike the black-and-white average, it does not limit its activity to the enclosure alone, where there is plenty to eat.

It makes excursions into the surroundings, explores everything, scratches here and there and is not irritated by passers-by or passing cars.

I don’t know what the blacks and whites think of the black one, and I find her interesting and charming. I like the way she happily crosses the border between inside and outside, the border between normal and strange. For Black and White, the fence is absolute and self-evident. She, on the other hand, handles it with confidence.

Otherness plays a role in our lives, too, and it is essential to deal with it constructively. In dealing with restrictions, with strangers, with our own otherness.

For us coaches, psychotherapists, educators and leaders, dealing skillfully and self-reflectively with neurodiversity is an almost daily challenge.

At Sinnreich Wendland, we will be exploring neurodiversity at an event in April 2024, together with others who are concerned about the topic.