Neurodiversity:

The term neurodiversity, coined in the late 1990s by Australian social scientist Judy Singer (herself on the autism spectrum), recognizes our brains and minds function in an endless variety of ways, and that autistic and non-autistic individuals are simply different, not better or worse, and are certainly not abnormal. An overdue conceptual change in accepting, supporting, and celebrating difference, neurodiversity — term and concept — is steadily gaining significance among individuals and various psychiatric, medical, and advocacy communities. Singer’s inspiration for neurodiversity — a portmanteau of neurological diversity — was the term biodiversity or biological diversity. Started in the 1980s, the term refers to the variety, interactions, and evolution of all living things and also to individual species — their diverse genetic makeup and place within the larger ecosystem. As such, neurodiversity describes the diversity of individuals and the whole of humanity, with neuro referring to the rise of neuroscience to study how brains work. Singer chose diversity for its political connotations, influenced by the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s. The terms reflect the science, but also the necessity of popularizing and communicating the science to raise consciousness about the threat to species through extinction (biodiversity) and the necessity of ND people getting their human rights (neurodiversity). Not a monolithic group, the neurodiverse community was started by those with autism but grew to cover ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s, synesthesia, and other learning and developmental differences. It includes the LGBTQ+ community, which faces similar problems of discrimination, oppression, and trauma. Different groups with different forms of neurodivergence, often called neurominorities, feel a sense of community and find strength in the label. Many incorrectly use neurodiversity and neurodivergence as synonyms. Neurodiversity refers to the group. Neurodivergent or neuroatypical refers to the individual. Neurotypical refers to individuals of typical intellectual/cognitive development and functioning.