Neurodiversity is the concept that when it comes to the human brain, people do not end up all the same. We all have different talents, strengths and things that we find difficult. Society around us is neurodiverse – at school, college, in the workplace, our local neighbourhoods, hospitals and health centres.
Neurodiversity is not always visible or labelled. While many neurodivergent people will have a diagnosis such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia (or a combination of these), many will not. And those with a diagnosis might not choose to share that information.
We all need to be aware of neurodiversity and can use that awareness to help us:
- accept the fact that we all have different experiences and needs in the world
- create more inclusive communities, schools and workplaces
- ask for, and provide, accommodations that enable us all to thrive
- fight stigma, discrimination and prejudice
- highlight the benefits neurodivergent people bring to their communities.
Neurodiversity is the fact that all our brains process information in different ways. This means there are differences in how we take in information from the world around us and in how we put that information together in our brains. In turn, these ‘information processing’ differences lead to differences in how we act, and how we are.
For example, if a fire alarm goes off in a building, some people’s brains will process the noise and flashing lights and find it easy to decide to leave by the nearest fire exit. Other people will find their brains overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and may become very distressed or freeze.
Neurodiversity includes everyone – the whole human race is neurodiverse.
Visit the Neurodiversity page for information on supports and services available within NHS Lothian and the wider community, along with practical advice and links to help you take your next steps with confidence.
Neurotypical & Neurodivergent
Within the diverse ways of how the human brain works, it is possible to find groups of people. A person might find their brain’s information processing works in a similar way to other people in the same group, or ‘neurotype’. For others, there may be big differences.
‘Neurotypical’ people represent the most common type of information processing. Neurotypical people tend to thrive more easily in school or in work. Because they are in the majority, the systems for learning and working will often have been set up by other neurotypical people, meaning that their needs are easily met by stuff that’s available as standard. For example, if they need a pen and paper to write an essay, the school gives them a pen and paper. If they need a phone to call clients at work, their office provides one.
Other groups are ‘neuro-minorities’ and are smaller than the neurotypical majority. For example, about 1 in 100 people are autistic, and about 1 in 10 people have dyslexia. However, it is possible that if we added up everyone in a neuro-minority – all the autistic and dyslexic and dyspraxic people and so on – they could be the biggest group!
Examples of neuro-minorities include autistic people, dyslexic people, people with ADHD, people with developmental language disorder, people with Tourette syndrome. We can also refer to individuals in these groups as ‘neuro-atypical’ or ‘neurodivergent’.
Places like schools and hospitals were often set up by neurotypical people and may not always meet the needs of neurodivergent people. For example, you might need to wear comfortable clothing in order to be able to concentrate, but your school uniform makes it hard to feel comfy. You might need to take regular breaks to move around to help you concentrate, but the length of a school lesson could make this hard to achieve. This means that neurodivergent people, ideally with support from their families, will often have to ask for adjustments to be made to enable them to be at their best.
It is also important to be aware that people may have different communication styles, which can lead to misunderstandings between them. Autistic people, for instance, may find understanding each other easier than understanding neurotypical people. At the same time, neurotypical people tend to experience fewer miscommunications with other neurotypical people than with neurodivergent people. It is important to remember that there is not a single ‘right’ communication style and a breakdown of communication may not be anyone’s fault.
Neurodiversity & Healthcare
Neurodivergent people use healthcare for reasons directly linked to being neurodivergent, for example collecting a prescription for medicine, as well as for their general health. Neurodivergent people feel unwell, visit the dentist, break bones, have operations and have their childhood vaccinations.
All young people should expect healthcare professionals to be aware of neurodiversity and prepared to think creatively to overcome the gaps in understanding. This might include using simple and uncomplicated language, checking for understanding, using drawings or lists, answering questions, allowing space and time for processing information, being aware of environmental factors, such as a noisy waiting room or bright lights, offering a range of ways to access appointments, for example by video or telephone, and being mindful of the needs of the whole family.
Neurodiversity & Mental Health
Neurodivergent people are vulnerable to mental ill-health. This includes an increased likelihood of a mental health diagnosis – such as an eating disorder, anxiety or depression – but also higher rates of other problems, relative to the population generally, such as self-harm or suicidal feelings.
The reason why being neurodivergent is so strongly linked to mental ill-health is not entirely understood, but important factors are:
- minority stress: the stress that comes from being in a minority group
- stigma: a negative association linked to being neurodivergent, which drive prejudice and discrimination
- bullying: cruel and sometimes violent behaviour directed at neurodivergent people
- masking: a neurodivergent person changing their behaviour or the way they are to ‘fit in’
- normalisation: neurodivergent people feeling pressure that they should be ‘more neurotypical’
- pathologisation: the process of describing minority neurotypes in medical terms – as disorders with symptoms.
Better understanding of neurodiversity aims to remove some of these influences from the lives of neurodivergent people.
Neurodiversity can also affect mental ill-heath through trauma. Since neurodivergent people process information in ways that are different, they may:
- experience events as traumatic that neurotypical people do not find traumatic
- express their trauma in unexpected ways
- be at risk of trauma as a direct result of being neurodivergent – e.g. if they are bullied.
As a young person you may have heard the term ‘trauma-informed care’. Events or language that seem neutral can act as triggers, causing people to remember past trauma and react with distress or anger. There is growing awareness of this and how the words or actions that are used can affect others. These triggers may be hard to anticipate, and the reactions may be hard to interpret. Being conscious of this can be helpful for everyone.
There is ongoing research about whether mental illnesses fall under the neurodiversity umbrella. For example, should we describe someone with bipolar disorder as ‘neurodivergent’? Historically, neurodivergence has been used more to talk about neurodevelopmental differences, rather than mental illness. However, it does seem reasonable to describe someone with a mental illness (e.g. major depression, psychosis, generalised anxiety disorder) as processing information in a distinctive way, fitting the definition of a ‘neuro-minority’.
Further information & authors
| Sue Fletcher-Watson | Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh |
|---|---|
| Leigh R Abbott | Research Project Lead in Neurodiversity, University of Glasgow |
| Dinah Aitken | Salvesen Mindroom Centre |
| Jane MacDonnell | Harris Trust |
| Evgenia Postovalova | Neurodiversity Network, University of Glasgow |
| Ziyi Song | Neurodiversity Network, University of Glasgow |
| Luis Zambrano Hernandez | Neurodiversity Network, University of Glasgow |
Questions about the content on these pages should be directed to: salvesenresearch@ed.ac.uk
For more information about neurodiversity research and practice please visit:
