What is Neurodiversity?
February 10th, 2024- Written by Dane Osborne
Neurodiversity, a term coined in 1998 by an Australian sociologist, has grown in popularity in the last decade. It highlights the fact that no two brains are the same. Today, we have seen a rise in the celebration of different brains.
The Evolution of Neurodiversity
When neurodiversity became popular and the idea began to be discussed more and more, the term “spectrum " came into play. This can mainly be seen with the phrase “autism spectrum.”
The spectrum definition is used to classify something or suggest that it can be classified in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points.
So, using this idea, the public and other sectors of society started to describe differences between high-functioning and low-functioning. Over time, these terms would be used to identify people whose differences were either not or less apparent, creating fewer barriers in the world (High functioning). VS those whose differences were apparent and thus experienced more barriers worldwide (Low functioning).
Very quickly, it was determined that the spectrum imagery did not encapsulate the whole individual. Going back to the definition of spectrum, advocates argued that being. “High functioning was not an extreme or opposite of low functioning individuals, and this language only served to create distance between individuals that share more commonalities than differences and created distance between individuals seeking services and those who serve them.
As the theory and thinking around neurodiversity continued to evolve, it was determined that a more accurate way of encapsulating neurodiversity was through the wheel of neurodiversity. A wheel can be used to accurately describe an individual's strengths in any number of neurological skills, including numerical, spatial, linguistic, and sensory skills.
This thinking can be constructive for friends and family who support neurodiverse individuals—allowing themselves to lead with the individual’s strengths while still acknowledging areas of support and specific needs. It can also help decrease our brain’s natural tendency for the “ all or nothing” approach. By being able to recognize strengths and areas of support, neurodiverse individuals can better understand themselves and find ways to better connect to others.
An important note, an individual can still be neurodiverse without having a diagnosis. The point of the term neurodiverse is to recognize that diversity exists within the brain whether we label it or not.
Dr. Pulianda & Associates in Southlake, Texas is committed to providing compassionate care to adults, teens, couples, and families in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, as well as all of Texas via online telehealth therapy.
