Source: Sonny Jane Wise @livedexperienceeducator www.livedexperienceeducator.com

While most people equate “neurodivergent” with ADHD and Autism, the originators of the term had a broader population in mind.

Source: Jane Elisabeth https://www.traumageek.com/

Neurodivergence may be strongly associated with Autism and ADHD because the term was popularized by Autistics in the disability justice movement, and both Autism and ADHD were originally only considered as child development disorders. Diagnosis with a child development disorder thus impacts their experience navigating the world, starting early on in life.

“Neurodivergent” is not meant to describe the specific biology or wiring of a person’s brain but to describe the experience of square pegs living in a round-hole world.

The Neurodiversity Paradigm and Movement is aligned with the social model of disability.

The Social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and purposeful or inadvertent social exclusion, which make it difficult for people with impairments to reach their goals. Rather than being disabled by abnormalities or deficits in their own body/brain, the social model explains the way people are disabled by the physical and social barriers in their environment.

The motto “Nothing About Us Without Us” relies on this principle of participation, and it has been used by Disabled Peoples Organizations throughout the years as part of the global movement to achieve the full participation and equalization of opportunities for, by and with persons with disabilities.

Neurodivergent folx have reclaimed and reframed the diagnoses of ADHD and Autism to define it in a way that aligns with their own lived experience.

Consideration for what is going on below the surface of behaviors has also been emphasized, as neurodivergent adults have shared how behavior has been often misinterpreted throughout their life.

Neurodivergent voices have also illustrated the nuances of the “spectrum.” As opposed to thinking of the spectrum as a range in severity, a more comprehensive and informative view has been illustrated as a range of experiences.

Matt Lowry, LPP https://www.mattlowrylpp.com/

What does it mean to be “neurodiversity affirming?”

ADHD and Autism have long been defined by deficits, limitations, and impairments. Rather than a variation to be appreciated in a beautiful neurodiverse world, it has historically been viewed as an affliction or burden, an illness to cure. Neurodiversity reflects a more holistic view that values differences, emphasizes strengths, and acknowledges the challenges of being disabled.

Source: Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L https://www.kelly-mahler.com/

There is still so much more to unpack about neurodiversity; this is just a very light scratch on the surface. One of the most important takeaways is to listen to these neurodivergent voices in how they experience the world, and consider hearing and seeing them through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. I will close out this tutorial with one neurodivergent artist’s perspective ….

ADHD Alien, German comic strip artist Pina Varnel captures the internal life of what it is like to live with ADHD and the impact of finding every day things like prioritizing, time management, focusing on a thing of your choosing… really really hard to do.

Instagram: @ADHD_Alien www.adhd-alien.com

(Click on images to enlarge)

For information on what neurodiversity-affirming therapy looks like in my practice, you can check out my FAQs - “Supporting Neurodivergence.”