So what does neurodivergence or neurodiversity mean?
Neurodiversity is a term coined by Judy Singer combining the two words, neurological and diversity. As an Australian sociologist who is autistic, she created this term to encompass all neurotypes in the late 1990s (Singer, 1999).
Neurodiversity in its many presentations are on the rise. In 2020, the Centre for Disease Control identified autism as one in 36 in the general population (Walensky et al., 2020). The research continues to grow at higher rates and is predicted to continue (Russell et al., 2022). People who identify as neurodivergent today may or may not include a formal diagnosis and the support needs are vastly differing.
Here are some of the diagnostic names as per the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Vol. 5).
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Potentially co-occuring learning and sensory differences such as
- Dyslyexia
- Dyspraxia
- Dyscalculia
- Synesthesia
- Developmental Language Disorder
- Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
- Intellectual Disability
- Tic Disorder and other learning differences
In the world of variation, we have many different presentations that may or may not have co-occuring features, traits of but not meeting the diagnostic criteria.
More information on Neurodivergence will be added to the is page over the coming month as there is a lifetime of knowledge to add and many more resources to feature. Check back again soon for more information on the science of neurodiversity.
For now, if you’re a science article nerd like me feel free to read:
References
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Armstrong, T. (2015). The Myth of the Normal Brain: Embracing Neurodiversity. In AMA Journal of Ethics (Vol. 17). http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240527023044184045794655613648
Australian Senate Community Affairs References Committee. (2023). Assessment and support services for people with ADHD Retrieved November 12, 2023 from https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportsen/RB000138/toc_pdf/AssessmentandsupportservicesforpeoplewithADHD.pdf
Clément, M. A., Lee, K., Park, M., Sinn, A., & Miyake, N. (2022). The Need for Sensory-Friendly “Zones”: Learning From Youth on the Autism Spectrum, Their Families, and Autistic Mentors Using a Participatory Approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883331
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