It is believed that the formal origin of the term neurodiversity stems from the work of sociologist Judy Singer. The term was officially included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2002, and the Oxford English dictionary in 2019. However, the term was based on concepts from the 1990’s autistic rights movement, which supports that there are many natural variations in the human brain, and autism is one of them. In this context, using the term neurodiversity aimed to move away from viewing brain differences seen in autism solely in terms of pathology and deficits, but instead, recognizing them as natural human variations.
In 2000, activist Kassiane Asasumasu coined the terms neurodivergent/neurodivergence; to refer to those whose cognitive functioning diverges from the dominant social norms in multiple ways. While neurodiversity describes the idea that we all have brain differences and there are many human variations in the brain neurodivergence specifically refers to those whose brain differences do not match the norm of our society. Asasumasu has spoken about the intention for this term to be inclusive of those with neurodevelopmental differences like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and autism, and those who have atypical mental and behavioral traits like sensory processing or mood differences. On the other hand, those who are “neurotypical” have traits and cognitive abilities that fall within the norm, and do not have any significant cognitive or functional difference that would be considered divergent from the societal norm. Both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals are included in the umbrella term of neurodiversity, and neither is seen as having deficits. Instead, all individuals have unique strengths and challenges based on the environment they are in. More specifically, the concept is based on a “social model of disability” which indicates that disability results from an environmental mismatch, rather than individual deficits. In this model, it makes sense that an individual with autism or ADHD has more difficulty navigating a world built for neurotypical people. The idea is that by using more of the inclusive language provided by the neurodiversity/neurodivergence framework, we are recognizing normal neurological differences in the human population without assigning deficits because of them.
While there is no definitive definition of what neurological conditions or brain differences are considered neurodivergent, many experts agree on some core life-long conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, dyslexia (difficulty reading), dysgraphia (difficulty writing), dyscalculia (difficulty with math), dyspraxia (difficulty with coordination), non-verbal learning disorder (difficulty with visual-spatial processing), sensory processing issues, and executive functioning issues.
While these conditions introduce unique challenges to the individuals who have them because they make functioning in a world built for neurotypical people more difficult, they also come with strengths. A main goal of the neurodiversity movement is to highlight how neurodivergent individuals have similarly unique strengths, like an ability to hyperfocus, differing abilities to be creative, and novel perspectives. Ideally, treatment for neurodivergent individuals takes on a strengths-based approach, where children are encouraged to harness their unique abilities (super powers!) instead of viewing their differences as issues to be fixed. Rather, the goal in therapeutic treatments and interventions should be to assist the child with the symptoms that impair their functioning while not trying to change who they are.
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