What is Neurodiversity?

What is neurodiversity, and what is neurotypical? What does it have to do with autism. Why are these terms in use? All these questions answered and more.

April is autism awareness month! Although I don’t support most of the popular campaigns like autism speaks, light it up blue, or puzzles pieces. I do support awareness of autism. This is the essence of the awareness I want to spread about autism.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity as defined by Dictionary.com is the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits. This is part of normal variation in the human population (especially in the context of autistic spectrum disorders). This means that autism and other mental health conditions are not diseases. Rather they are variations in genomes that would naturally happen over time due to evolution.

What does this mean?

This means that instead of thinking of mental illness or autism spectrum disorders as an illness, it is thought of as just a different way for a brain to function. Not something to change or fix. For so long we have taken people outside of normal and wanted to “normalize” them. Meaning we treat them in ways to make them seem like everyone else.

What the neurodiversity movement is talking about is that people have differences in their brains. These require different ways of coping with situations that someone who is neurotypical wouldn’t understand. Let’s focus on supporting people that have different ways of thinking, not normalize and “fix” them.

Therapies

Although the basis of the neurodiversity movement is inclusivity of others. There are still therapies and resources that are seen as beneficial. Some of these therapies are circle time, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy. Basically any therapy that would enhance how a person functions in life. But doesn’t focus on changing how an individual copes or acts in life.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The therapies that are not acceptable are ABA-based therapies, or behavior modification tactics. All of these therapies are based on changing how a person behaves. In favor of them acting more “normal” such as stim suppression, or discouraging vocalizations. Behaviors that are not hurting anyone but are seen as out of the social norm so they want to discourage them. I am vehemently against ABA and the foundation of it. So is most autistics.

Neurotypical

If you haven’t figured it out yet, neurotypical is a synonym with normal. It is what a person without a neurological difference would look like. This what the majority of the population is. The goal of the neurodiversity movement is not to have more neurotypicals. It’s for us who are neurotypical to become more accepting of the differences that there is in the world.

In that way is what us as neurotypical peoples job is. Not for us to stare at a person flapping there hands and making vocalizations in excitement. As we accept those with others in wheelchairs or with hearing aids. We don’t make a spectacle of them we accept them at their limits. Needing to realize that although they need assistance with daily life they are no less than us. We do not need to change them to or need them to be more like us. There is no difference between autism and the example above.

I hope you become more accepting of people who might have behavior that is outside of your own. The next time you see someone who is differently abled or is neurodiverse accept them. Maybe even go up to them and say hi. You can find out the awesome things about autism as I have previously written about.

You can also read about how and why we got our autism diagnosis here.

Resources

If you are interested in finding other autism resources I have a link list below. All of these resources are founded by autistics, and their funds go towards individuals with autism as well as their families.

• Autism Self Advocacy Network or ASAN
• SARTAC or Self Advocacy and Beyond
• AASPIRE or Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education

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