Neurotypical v. Neurodivergent. What's the difference?

I’m sure these past few months you’ve heard of the term ‘neurodivergent’ and ‘neurotypical.’ But what do they mean and what is the difference between them?

The term neurodivergent was coined by autistic sociologist Judy Singer in 1998 to advocate for the common interests of neurological minorities. She propositioned that people with autism are not ‘disabled’, simply an autistic brain works differently from non-autistic brains. As she states in her blog Reflections on Neurodiversity, being 'neurodiverse' is meant to encircle all humankind as no brain is made like another – neurodiversity is not to be used as “as a scalpel for dividing 'us' from 'them.'”

The Neurodiversity Movement was born from an Autistic Self-Advocacy movement and took under its wings other neurominorities, such as individuals with ADHD and Dyslexia. To this day, it works to:

• shift mainstream perceptions of marginalized NeuroMinorities

• replace negative, deficit-based stereotypes of NeuroMinorities with a more balanced valuation of their gifts and needs

• find valued roles for neurologically marginalized people

• show that all society benefits from the incorporation of NeuroMinorities.

Without a spokesperson or official definition, the movement has been adopted by most mental health advocates – neurominorities or not. Although some criticize the term since it is not a scientific one. Singer coined it as a political term to present the fact “that no two human minds are exactly alike” and invoke social change.

But where does the division come from if the originator did not want it?

We have been conditioned to put a name to everything – black and white. If you’re not one thing, you’re another. It’s also not hard to define being ‘neurotypical’ – anyone who behaves, processes, and had a brain that functions in a manner that is considered standard or typical in our society. Neurotypicals don’t know they are ‘neurotypical’ because they are not faced with situations where they question the functionality of their brain or their social and behavioral developments. Generally, they’ll reach adulthood without having to wonder if their brain is wired like others are.

For the longest time, I believed that everyone’s brain functioned in the way mine did – granted, a lot of people around me do. This is why I never toyed with the idea that it wasn’t. I hid behind terms such as ‘socially awkward,’ ‘shy,’ ‘naïve,’ ‘lazy,’ and many others, instead of giving them their proper name. Truthfully, I didn’t know they had one. The reality was that I wasn’t introduced to the neurodivergent world as being part of it, but being an outsider looking in. Only when I started doing my research and videos started popping up on my feed that I entertained the idea that I too was part of the community.

Today, I am closer to signing the name and categorizing my brain under the right letter of the file cabinet. Afterward will come another process of how to reorganize my life to fit me into it. For now, I’m glad I have access and resources to information and professionals. Others are not as privileged.

First, how do you know if you’re neurodivergent? One way is if you have ever been diagnosed with conditions such as ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s, OCD, BPD, anxiety, depression, and many other mental health illnesses. If so, then you fall under the umbrella term. Having a formal diagnosis can aid in understanding why you function in the way you do and what everyday life adjustments you’d benefit from to best work with that.

The other, if you’ve never been diagnosed, but through research, you’ve found that you resonate with one or more of the types of neurodivergence – chances are, you are neurodivergent. Not everyone has direct access to a professional in the mental field, and it does require a financial component that not everyone has. But the accessibility of a diagnosis and the validity of self-diagnosis is a completely different topic we will divulge at a later time.

Whether you be a ‘neurotypical’ or a ‘neurodivergent’ individual, I think we can all agree that neurodiversity is a topic that everyone should learn about. Learning about the variations in the brain will open the door to transforming the world to be more accessible to all. As long as people give neurodiversity the importance it deserves, there will be more influx of information and research that will help our understanding of the human brain – the most complex organ we have.

References:

• https://neurodiversity2.blogspot.com/p/what.html *a must read*

• https://www.webmd.com/children/guide/detecting-learning-disabilities

• https://www.healthline.com/health/neurotypical#benefits

• https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity/

• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-neurodivergence-and-what-does-it-mean-to-be-neurodivergent-5196627