What does the term neurodiversity mean?
Neurodiversity refers to the different ways that people experience and interact with the world around them. Each person’s brain works differently, meaning no two brains are the same. Neurodiversity is the term used to acknowledge that these differences are what make us human. The neurodiversity movement emerged in the 1990s and the term was initially coined by Judy Singer, an autistic sociologist from Australia.
The word neurodiversity acknowledges that all brains work differently and that there is no “right” way of thinking, learning, behaving, and interacting with the world. In the context of neurodiversity, brain-based and behavioural differences observed in autistic or other neurodivergent children are seen to reflect natural human variation. Neurodiversity is a fact of life – it is a biological fact that we are all diverse in our gender, cultures, and sexuality, and naturally our brains are no different.
The neurodiversity movement celebrates differences in neurology, identifying this broad group of people with neurological differences as “neurodivergent”. When the term was first created, it often referred to individuals with differences in brain wiring that are present from birth (developmental). This could include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, or dyslexia to name a few. Some members of the neurodiversity movement also acknowledge people who have acquired brain differences as neurodivergent.
These differences in brain neurology are not considered problems. Instead, neurodivergent people are accepted, included, celebrated, and embraced in the same way that neurotypical people are.
The neurodiversity movement aims to highlight neurodivergent people’s strengths and unique gifts that they bring to the world, while also acknowledging the daily challenges they face. For example, some autistic individuals have a way with numbers, or incredible memory for dates or significant events. Other individuals may have strengths in drawing, reading, or an impressive vocabulary for their age.
At CliniKids, we aim to support children and families using neuroaffirming principles and believe each child has their own unique strengths, passions, and preferences.
References
- https://ndconnection.co.uk/resources/p/nd-affirming-language-guide
- https://playlearnchat.com/podcast-1/
- Monk, R., A.J.O. Whitehouse, and H. Waddington. 2022. "The use of language in autism research." Trends in Neurosciences Vol 45(11), 791-793.
- Autistic Not Weird Autism Survey 2022: http://autisticnotweird.com/autismsurvey/
- ABCS of Neurodiversity, Bridges Learning System
- Adapt Ed Neuroaffirming Handbook, Mott M & Rodwell D 2023 (epublication)
- Alvares, G. A., Bebbington, K., Cleary, D., Evans, K., Glasson, E. J., Maybery, M. T., Pillar, S., Uljarević, M., Varcin, K., Wray, J., & Whitehouse, A. J. (2020). The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis. Autism, 24(1), 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319852831