In the last couple of years, I have noticed the word neurodivergent come into common language. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it; I don’t have a black and white relationship with the term. So, in this blog post, I am going to explore my feelings to the word.
For context: the definition of neurodiversity is the simply the diversity in human brains (the clue is in the name!) Neurodivergent people have a brain that works differently to neurotypical people (whose brains develop and work more typically).
Firstly, though autistic people are neurodivergent, it is not a term exclusive to autism. The list of conditions that class someone as neurodivergent is expensive. From ADHD to a Learning Disability; Tourette’s to Dyspraxia; Down Syndrome to OCD. The term ‘neurodivergent’ covers a very broad amount of people. For me, this causes concerns that the definition is spread too wide, resulting in a misunderstanding of the original meaning.
For example, a lot of people seem to substitute the word ‘neurodivergent’ for autism or ADHD, assuming this is all it means. This is incorrect however and does not accurately reflect each of individual conditions. For example, I am autistic, and this is the only way I would describe myself when it comes to my neurotype. Though, by definition, I am neurodivergent, I would not describe myself as this because I feel it doesn’t accurately reflect my disability. And I imagine this is the same for everybody. Another example being if you compared someone who was dyslexic to me (a non-dyslexic person) simply because we’re both neurodivergent. We would both have completely different strengths and challenges that in no way can be compared. I feel that a single term can encompass all these conditions that I’ve mentioned above cannot cover everything the way it should.
However, instead of focusing on our differences, maybe it’s important to focus on the experiences of that we share. Each neurodivergent induvial has a brain that works differently to the (so-called) norm. Due to this, it is bound to be the case that we experience similarities in the way society views us and how we view ourselves. Perhaps here, the broadness of the term could also be seen as a benefit. So many neurodivergent people will find themselves being ignored or invalidated throughout their lives; and the beauty of neurodiversity is that nobody is left out. I have discovered online and in-person that the neurodivergent community is so kind and accepting and that is exactly what we need. It gives us space to be honest and vulnerable, relate to others, and bask in some of the joys of being neurodivergent.
The neurodivergent community, especially online, still has its pitfalls though. Look long enough under a #neurodivergent section, and you will see some sort of video tell you that if you do x, y or z, you are definitely neurodivergent. This is where I believe the term is over-used. The word ‘neurodiversity’ was coined in 1998 (which is fairly recent in terms of the autism timeline) by Judy Singer, and the use of the word has grown rapidly. Maybe its development has been too quick for us to keep up with, but I feel like these days the term ‘neurodivergent’ has lost its meaning to some.
From misunderstandings and misinformation about being neurodivergent (like videos you see online…), I have begun to see people self-diagnose themselves as neurodivergent which, to me, doesn’t make any sense. I would like to note that I fully support people self-diagnosing themselves as autistic/ADHD/with a learning disability, but neurodivergent is too vague a term for this role.
This leads on to the fact that “neurodivergent” is not a medical term. I would describe it as a societal term. This also means, as far as I understand, that being neurodivergent is not a disability. Speaking for myself however, my autism is a disability to me (as I’ve mentioned many times before) and I would hazard a guess that a lot of other people with the conditions mentioned above would also describe themselves as disabled. As I mentioned above, I believe ‘neurodivergent’ has lost some of it’s meaning. I also don’t think it can do justice to each individual. Being ‘neurodivergent’ may be depicted as a quirky personality trait, however my autism is a disability and plays a big part in my everyday life.
(This is my opinion only and everybody in the autistic and/or neurodivergent community will have opinions of their own. It is important that you take every angle into account. Personally, I constantly read up on the subject and I am open to my mind being changed.)
I am autistic 