neurodiversity

neurodiversity, in sociology and psychology, term to describe the natural variation in brain function and behaviour among humans. The term neurodiversity was coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer to provide an alternative to language that describes neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, in a way that focuses on deficits. Singer proposed that, contrary to popular belief at the time, people with autism are not abnormal but have brains that naturally work differently, with different strengths and weaknesses. This idea has inspired a social justice movement to treat neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as natural and potentially valuable variations in human neurology. Although discussion of neurodiversity is most often concerned with these and other recognized neurodevelopmental conditions, in a broad sense neurodiversity encompasses the wide spectrum of human behaviour and neurological development, as no two people experience the world exactly the same way.

The neurodiversity movement

The neurodiversity movement is closely tied to the disability rights movement. Neurodiversity usually concerns people with neurodevelopmental conditions that cause some level of impairment (a challenge in performing some activity), sometimes called neurodivergencies. People with these conditions are referred to as neurodivergent, whereas people without them are referred to as neurotypical. Some neurodivergent people may experience significant disability because of their impairments, whereas others may not, and some may perceive themselves as disabled only in relation to a society organized for neurotypical people that does not meet their needs (the social model of disability). The neurodiversity movement and the disability rights movement are aligned in believing that no level of disability diminishes a person’s humanity and that disability should never be stigmatized as a flaw.

Neurodivergent people face a variety of challenges, but they also may have atypical strengths. For example, some research has indicated that people with dyslexia tend to be better at picturing three-dimensional objects and may have brains specialized for exploration of and adaptation to the unknown. Far from being a developmental failure, dyslexia may have been—and may still be—important to humanity’s success. While maintaining that no one’s neurodivergence needs to be justified by a special benefit, the neurodiversity movement seeks to view neurodivergence in a more complete way, rather than focusing solely on impairments.

Though neurodiversity is not a medical term, and the movement often objects to medicalizing natural human differences, its principles have been widely influential on the clinical treatment of neurodivergent individuals.

Kinds of neurodiversity

The neurodiversity movement is most strongly linked with autism and the autism spectrum. Neurodivergencies on the autism spectrum generally involve some combination of differences in socialization, communication, sensory processing, and behaviour. Many people with autism have impairments that require treatment, but people on the autism spectrum frequently report that treatment for autism is too focused on promoting neurotypical behaviour and socialization. The neurodiversity movement’s view that the neurological differences and behaviours linked to autism are differences rather than problems in and of themselves suggests focusing treatment on those traits of autism that cause the individual distress, rather than assuming that any difference from “normal” behaviour is undesirable. As with many other forms of neurodiversity, there is evidence that autism is linked to high skill in certain areas, such as memorization, and that the genetic traits underlying autism have been advantageous in human evolution.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition featuring patterns of inattention and hyperactivity. ADHD has been the subject of considerable controversy. Its prevalence and the culturally determined nature of the diagnosis have led many people to suggest that ADHD is not a disorder or deficiency but simply a difference in personality. Some neurodiversity activists have promoted an alternative conception of traditional ADHD behaviours, called variable attention stimulus trait (VAST). This alternative conception recognizes that people diagnosed with ADHD often have an abundance of attention, rather than a deficit, but experience difficulties in how they focus that attention. There is evidence that people with ADHD tend to experience some benefits of the condition, including creativity, spontaneity, and the ability to hyperfocus on certain tasks.

Other neurodivergencies include specific neurodevelopmental learning difficulties, such as dyslexia (difficulty learning to read and spell), dyscalculia (difficulty understanding information communicated in numbers and mathematics), and dysgraphia (difficulty writing). Dyspraxia, sometimes called developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a neurodevelopmental difficulty with movement and coordination. Many other conditions are sometimes included under the neurodivergent umbrella.