Neurodivergence is a broad term that includes all brains that think, learn and communicate differently to what is typical or make up the majority of people. You can be born with these differences or sometimes people acquire them later in life.
Differences you are born with are things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and learning disabilities. Most of these are genetic but sometimes you can be the only person in your family who has them.
Acquired differences can develop over time or appear suddenly after something traumatic, and they can be conditions like tourettes, mental health conditions like OCD or bipolar disorder, and traumatic brain injuries. Some of these you can recover from, and others can be life-long.
Neurodivergence is an umbrella term, but it’s also a label and an identity for people with all different types of atypical brains, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis or self-identify as neurodivergent.
A brief history
Kassiane Asasumasu is an autistic activist who fights for autism awareness and acceptance. She coined several terms around neurodiversity, including the word neurodivergence.
She wanted the term neurodivergence to be inclusive of all atypical brains; it’s not just people with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, ADHD and dyslexia. This meant that more neurodivergent people could advocate for themselves and find communities of people like them.
Neurodivergent communities are all unique and culturally-rich. We have a long history of oppression, but we also have a long history of excellence in activism, academics, art and much more.
Example in a sentence
“I’ve been reading a bit about neurodivergence. My friend is autistic and I think I might be too.”