-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email On Wednesday night, millions of neurodivergent and disabled Americans saw themselves in the moment 17-year-old Gus Walz, son of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, emotionally exclaimed "That's my Dad!" at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). The Walz family is open that Gus Walz has been diagnosed with both Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) and a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) .
This means Walz has a disability and, if he chooses, could be classified as neurodivergent, a term referring to people whose brain differences affect their abilities in ways that significantly deviate from the so-called "neurotypical" norm. The CDC estimated that 15 to 20 percent of the population is neurodivergent in some way, meaning millions of Americans could potentially identify with Walz. "Insensitivity to diversity reminds us how Nazis grew their ranks .
.. We should not confuse it with something rude, apolitical or insensitive.
It heralds danger." Unfortunately, many have twisted what was ostensibly a tender moment into an opportunity for bullying, such as columnist Ann Coulter turning Walz into a punchline by tweeting a now-deleted post that read "Talk about weird..
." Many, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, have pushed back against this negativity toward Gov. Tim Walz's son.
Obama's outrage is perhaps unsurprising — she and her husband, former President Barack Obama , produced a disability-themed Netflix series called "Crip C.