Writing Opp: Neurodiversity

Fast Facts

• Features run 1200-2500 words (General information)
• Submissions close December 16, 2024 (Ready? Submit here)
• Questions? Email editors@friendsjournal.org

Our March 2025 issue will look at Neurodiversity. We know this is a very broad topic. Wikipedia defines it as recognizing “the diversity within sensory processing, motor abilities, social comfort, cognition, and focus as neurobiological differences.” Neurodiversity is typically likened to a spectrum and for good reason, as everyone’s experience is unique.

First and foremost, we want to hear from neurodiverse Friends. If you’re new to Quakers, what has drawn you in? Is there something about Quaker worship that works especially well for you? What has been your experience of Quaker process and business meeting and culture? We also want to know what doesn’t work. We realize that experiences can be very different person-to-person and meeting-to-meeting, but are there specific adaptations that meetings could consider to better accommodate the needs of neurodiverse visitors?

We’re also curious about what Friends meetings and churches have already done to make themselves more accessible. This could be anything from setting clear expectations in worship to adapting First-day school programs to allow for more movement and fidgeting. What do families with neurodiverse members need from their Quaker meeting?

Friends schools are another interesting case. There are a handful of Friends schools whose missions are to support learning differences (others have cited religious exemptions to refuse accommodations, alas). For those who do serve neurodiverse students, we’d like to hear how Quaker educational techniques have been adapted for that work.

Submit: Neurodiversity

Other upcoming issues:

• April: Open Issue (due Jan. 20)
• May: Housing and Homelessness (due Feb. 17)
• June-July: Quaker Revivals (due Mar. 17)

Learn more general information at Friendsjournal.org/submissions.

And please note our updated zero-tolerance AI and plagiarism policy:

• Friends Journal does not accept articles written by AI programs like ChatGPT and Grammarly or with AI features integrated into word processor programs such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word. No computer-aided writing tools should be used for anything but minimal spell-checking or grammar correction.
• We also do not use or accept AI-generated images.
• We use outside services to check submitted material for evidence of AI usage and plagiarism. The Authors Guild has a useful document, “AI Best Practices for Authors.”