Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the concept that neurological variations — autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD, epilepsy, and others — are natural variations of human cognition, not defects or diseases to be cured. The term was coined by autistic sociologist Judy Singer in the 1990s and popularized by the autistic rights movement.

The neurodiversity model proposes that the problem isn't located in the autistic person, but in the mismatch between a brain that works differently and an environment designed for neurotypical people. The solution is accommodation and inclusion, not normalization.

It's important to distinguish the concept of neurodiversity (all neurological variation is natural diversity) from neurodivergent identity (identifying as someone whose brain works differently from the majority). The movement has critics — particularly among families of autistic people with high support needs — who argue it overlooks real suffering and the need for treatment.