Sarah Llewelyn-Williams,

Ceramic Artist, Art Teacher and Parent of dyslexic and ADHD children

To mask or not to mask…

“To be labelled, or not to be labelled: that is the question”

(Anita Ho, 2004, p32)

This is the question that every parent agonises over when they discover their child has a learning disability - share the condition with the world and be labelled, or mask. My journey into becoming a teacher began on the day I discovered my son was dyslexic. This led to teaching my son the school curriculum at home as his school could not facilitate his needs. After completing my PGCE and becoming a full time art teacher this question still permeates my practice as I witness students with a label being compromised.

Masking neurodiversity refers to the tendency of individuals with neurological differences, such as autism, dyslexia or ADHD, to hide or suppress their true selves in order to fit into a neurotypical world. This behaviour is often seen in children who are neurodivergent, as they learn to hide their differences in order to avoid stigma and negative judgement from their peers and teachers.

Parents may avoid labelling their children as neurodivergent out of fear of their child being ostracised or discriminated against. In some cases, parents may also be in denial about their child’s differences and could try to explain the behaviour as being ‘shy’ or ‘quirky’ - denying their true identity which often remains into adulthood impacting lives in the long term.

My practice is about exploring the masking of neurodiversity, specifically invisible disabilities. Portraying multiple layers of a neurodiverse person through layers of different coloured clay. The light beneath the mask is a reflection of a person's inner light, permeating through the translucent clay.

Ho, A. (2004). ‘To be labelled or not be labelled: that is the question.’ In: The British Journal of Learning Disabilities. Vol. 32.