On Saturday, March 8, 2025, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) hosted a Science Talk event entitled "What is Normal? Embracing Neurodiversity."
The OIST Science Talk Series is an annual event designed to connect the university with the local community by sharing ongoing research in an accessible format. It offers an opportunity for participants to engage directly with OIST researchers and explore how science can play a role in everyday life.
This year's topic focused on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The event featured a screening of the film 'Normal 17-Year-Olds: We have ADHD', directed by Sounosuke Kita. After the film, Dr. Emi Furukawa, Senior Staff Scientist at the OIST Children's Research Center (Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit), delivered a lecture on the topic, followed by a talk session with four speakers. The OIST auditorium was filled with educators, parents, individuals with ADHD, and others from across Okinawa.
Before the event began, attendees were asked to respond to the question "which words come to mind when you hear 'ADHD'?" on their smartphones. Their answers were displayed on screen in real time. At the beginning of the event, attendees were asked to answer the question "which words come to mind when you heard 'ADHD'?" on their smartphones. Their answers were then displayed on the screen. Common responses included "restless" and "developmental disorder". After that, "Normal 17-Year-Olds: We have ADHD" was screened. The film depicts two high school girls with ADHD struggling with getting misunderstood by their peers, feeling different from their friends, and strained relationships with their families. After the film, the audience was asked the same question. This time, responses like "individuality," "need for understanding," and "trying their best" appeared more frequently, reflecting a noticeable shift in perception.
In her lecture, Dr. Furukawa explored the question "what is normal?", going into the diversity of traits springing from our brain and nervous system, drawing on both her research at OIST and her personal experiences.
The panel of the talk session included Dr. Furukawa; film director Sounosuke Kita; Yuta Nakazono, Representative Director of DYL Corporation, which operates the after-school day service Do You Lab, and who is diagnosed with ADHD himself; and Yuko Takabe, Representative of Be-Production, Inc., who is adapting the research findings of the Children's Research Center into animation. During the discussion, panelists shared their thoughts on the film and their experiences related to ADHD in everyday life. When asked by the audience how society can better embrace diversity, Nakazono responded, "rather than asking others to make one-sided accommodations, it's important to find common ground where everyone can meet halfway." Many in the audience nodded in agreement.
After the session, participants gathered at the entrance hall of the auditorium for informal conversations with the speakers. Attendees later shared feedback such as "this was a great opportunity to talk openly with my children (about ADHD/neurodivergence)" and "I feel more connected to research and am considering it as a future path." Many parents attended the event with their children, ranging from infant to university students.
Dr. Mana Oguchi, Research Fellow at the OIST Children's Research Center and event moderator, remarked, "it was inspiring to see many participants actively exchanging ideas on what kind of initiatives they could take, reflecting on their involvement in their organizations and communities and linking them to the insights they gained from this event."
Post-event survey responses revealed that many participants were prompted to reflect deeply on challenges faced by people with ADHD, the level of understanding from those around them, and the complexity of the 'normal'. Many also expressed a desire to take further action, sharing thoughts like, "I want to learn more about developmental disorders," "I want to share today's insights with my friends," and "I want to be more mindful about not imposing my values on others."
OIST will continue to create opportunities for dialogue and shared learning in connecting science with society, with the hope that this event marks a step toward a future where all kinds of individuality are respected and celebrated.
You can see more photos from the OIST Flickr.
This event was partially supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency's (JST) Program on "Open Innovation Platform for Academia-Industry Co-Creation" (COI-NEXT).
