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Frequently asked questions about neurodiversity language

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity: noun:

the full range of differences in individual *neurological function in the human population.

Akin to Biodiversity, a high level of which is considered to be important and desirable.


The term is consider as originating in the academic writing of Judy SInger. There are different cultural considerations of and names for neurodiversity around the world and through history.

Humans are a neurodiverse population.

As our neurology is influenced by both our biology and our environment, even genetically identical twins have differing neurology, much like they have differing fingerprints.

At an essential level, your *neurology (brain and nervous system) controls everything you think, feel, say and do. Neurology is even at the core of how your body develops, functions, and appears.


What is neurotypical? What is neurodivergence ?

TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read = the very short version of the answer below) Most people's (around 80%) brains are roughly similar to each other. This can be described as 'neuro-typical'. Whereas, some people's (around 20%) brains function more uniquely - they are 'neuro-divergent' outliers in our human group of brains.
The term neurodivergence is an umbrella term (coined by Kassiane Asasumasu) that can describe those outlying neurological differences.

Some neurodivergence can be considered 'diagnosable' eg: ADHD, Irlens syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc.
Some is innate ie: present from birth, and some is acquired: for example through brain injury, illness, or earlier life trauma.

🧠 Longer answer :)
Every brain is unique, just like our fingerprints. There are endless variety of brain *connectomes (*each brain's unique physical pattern of tracts passing and processing information), neurochemical make-up, patterns of blood flow, and electrical activity; each difference contributing to unique physical processing patterns.

In all of nature, groups of things statistically form clusters with more gathered at the centre, and the outliers being more distant to both the centre, and to each other: see *cluster image:



'Neurotypical' refers to those in and nearer the central cluster. Most brains operate, and organise functions and states, in very similar ways to each other. 'Typical' ignores less frequently appearing characteristics.

Neurodivergence refers to neurological (brain and nervous system) 'outliers'; The brains on the outer edges of the cluster 'outside' the 'typical'.

Around 20% of our human population have notable neurological differences. The divergence is divergence from the centre of the cluster; the dominant 'norm'/median/average of 'typical' neurologies.

'Divergent brains' tend also to function in individually distinct ways; They are usually divergent from each other, as well as divergent from a more 'typical' brain. (The dots on the outside of the cluster are further apart from each other than the dots in the centre of the cluster)  This creates correspondingly unique patterns of subjective (internal/personal) human experience, which in turn may create unique behaviour/actions.

These differences, especially when not well understood, tend to become medicalised through a process of categorisiation from the observing perspective of the dominant (typical) neurotype. Especially when individuals need or seek support with struggles that occur following attempts to meet societal and cultural expecations and demands that are 'neuronormative',  in a society designed around the predominant/typical, and thereby privileged, neurotype.

*cluster explanation of neurodivergence inspired by Sarah Freiesleben

What is Neurodivergence Positive Culture?

A culture that utterly refuses, and redresses, minoritisation of neurodivergent/distinct populations and individuals.
 
A culture that questions neuro(typical)normative assumptions and works to resist neuronormative pressures.

A neuroinclusive culture that understands, and appreciates neurodivergent/distinct individuals and populations, and reflects this in its systems and societal structures such as education, healthcare, and workplaces.

A healthy environment and community which values, validates, and supports neurodivergent/distinct individuals equally to neurotypical individuals.

A welcoming, loving, celebrating and enjoyable culture for all Young People to grow up and become their most complete selves in.

A culture that is accessing, learning from, and utilising it's full range of human neurologies, traits and intelligence for the benefit of all.

This is not the current state of our culture. Life experiences and outcomes for neurodivergent individuals are measurably, and sometimes devastatingly, unfair and inequitable.

Neurodivergence Positive Culture describes both a type of culture/society - and the processes and systems that will create that culture.

Neurodivergence Positive Culture  is my term for how we can actively acheive the social outcome of the Neurodiversity Paradigm shift.

What does neuroinclusive mean?

Neuroinclusive is as it sounds.

A social environment, systems, and pressures that create fair and equitable outcomes for all neurotypes.

This may include:
  • Neurodivergence Positive Culture
  • Creating a Culture of Safe Misunderstanding
  • Flexbility in processes and provision of services
  • Easy access to and respect for communication devices
  • Easily made reasonable adjustements in the workplace
  • Easily accessible learning support in school
  • Autonomy over body and movement such a stims
  • Shared language and curiosity about subjective sensory experiences
  • Ending of stigma around neurodivergence and disability


As opposed to:

Neuro(typical)normative: favouring those who fit a narrow concept of a/the perceived predominant neurotype.

'normative' societies are not very  healthy for most peoplle in the society. A 'privileged' few tend to do well. A small group who most closely fit a narrow set of 'ennobled' traits (ones all 'good' people 'should' have) - while other human traits are stigmatised and deemed 'ignoble' (to be ashamed of).

In a normative society most people are considered, and consider themselves to have many 'failings' and 'character flaws' which can impact self-esteem, sense of competency and value, and thereby mental and physical health.

What is The Neurodiversity Paradigm?

The Neurodiversity Paradigm affirms that: all neurological differences/divergence such as autism, PDA, ADHD, ODD, Tourette's, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, which current estimates place at 20 - 22% of the human population, are a healthy, essential and valuable contribution to human cultural and biological diversity. ie: neurodivergences are not in themselves deficits, or best served being considered as disorders.

Holding to the Social Model of disability, the Neurodiversity Paradigm also posits that many of the perceived day to day challenges whilst being neurodivergent, and many of the 'co-morbid conditions' of neurodivergent diagnoses, are created by living in societies that are neuro(typical)normative. ie: Societies that hold the majority cognitive profile as the only 'normal' and therefore become more suited to 'neurotypical' processing/cognition. Neuronormative thinking contributes to a culture of ableism.



What is neuronormative / neuro(tpyical)normative?

 neuro(typical)normative.
a word to describe both: 
  1. a culture or society that holds the majority/predominant cognitive profile as the only 'normal' - 
  2.  neuro(typical)normative also describes the tools, systems and social pressures that are used to promote and empower the dominant neurotype and actively disempower those with divergences from that neurotype.

Through normative pressures, and tailoring of systems to fit the dominant neurotype, the society therefore becomes more suited to 'neurotypical' processing/cognition.

This process in turn contributes to psychosocial disability / disabling of neurodivergent individuals (social model) and supports a culture of ableism.  
Those for whom the society is not well designed (the outliers) are: 
  • rendered less able because systems and structures of the society are designed for 'typical' neurologies, and
  •  culturally deemed as 'not normal' and personally less able.

Societies have many types of 'normative' pressures, that we are mostly unconscious of, and uphold through our words and actions, if we are not negatively impacted by them, (and often even if we are!).

Normative pressures are often manifested in ways that tie to moral and ethical perspectives; for example heteronormative pressure often includes religious conversation. They can also be tied to efficiency and comfort for the dominant/privileged group of people that naturally fall within the centre of a cluster of human traits; for example, vehicles and vehicle saftey are designed around average male physique.



What is psychosocial disability?

Psychosocial disability occurs when neurodivergent individuals interact with social forces, systems, and environments that are neuronormative rather the neuroinclusive, thereby creating barriers to equality and equitable life outcomes.
It follows the social model of disability.

Not everyone who is neurodivergent considers themselves as disabled, or having psychosocial disability. This may be due to an individual's higher levels of personal and inter personal resources with which to overcome barriers.

Avoidance of the psychosocial disability of neurodivergence can take the form of masking which in itself is a neurologically taxing process for the neurodivergent individual.

What is 'masking'?

Masking is a human survival skill driven by our need for community/instinct of 'safety in numbers'.

Masking is both due to, and part of, normative societal pressure, and takes a degree of awareness of social stigma and societal expectations.

Neurodivergent masking can be passive (reducing or repressing traits) or active (adopting and exhibiting traits).

Over a lifetime, masking is a complicated mix of conscious, unconscious, habitual, and selective processes. 

All these processes are cognitively and neurologically costly.

In the very short/short term, masking as a human survival skill is undoubtedly beneficial as it supports social inclusion within a group - the cost is outweighed by the survival benefit.

Over the longer term masking can contribute to physical and mental health problems.

What do Social Model and Medical Model mean?

Social Model of disability
Affirms that disability is caused by the way society is organised; Individuals are disabled by society’s placing, or maintaining of non-inclusive systems - forming barriers to access in civil and social life through attitudes, the physical environment and institutional norms.

Medical Model of disability
Links a disability, or challenges of a diagnosis, to an individual/their physical body.
The Medical Model anticipates that this disability may reduce the individual's  quality of life  and so aims to diminish, correct or cure the disability in the individual.

These are two simple, and at their core opposing models of disability. There are more models, including the Holistic Model of Disability.

In reality disability is a complex and nuanced blend of impacts from these two aspects: Personal, and Societal.

However for those new to considering what disability truly is within society, Social Model of Disability is a simple and clear introductory tool to begin exploring in what ways ableism has truly devastating impacts on disabled individuals and groups.






What does ableist mean?

Unfavourable conscious and unconscious bias toward physically and psycho-socially Disabled Individuals.

An ableist  society  is one that  treats  non-disabled individuals  as the  standard  of 'normal  living', and general imcompetence, and often lack of worth, is assumed when someone is apparently disabled.

Treating people inequitably (in ways that create unjust outcomes) because they have a disability, condition, or difference that makes it more difficult for them to do or access things that the prevailing majority of people can do and access.

Normative processes contribute to a culture of ableism.  
Those for whom the society is not well designed (the outliers) are both rendered, and deemed as personally less able.