The Rising Awareness of Neurodivergence
What is neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence is a term used to describe differences in the neurological system and brain, which influences the way we see others, learn and process information. This includes conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and Tourette’s. It is currently estimated that approximately 30-40% of the population is neurodivergent, and it is common for these conditions to co-occur.
Recently there has been a growing awareness and shift in the perception of neurodivergence from something that is a deficiency, to natural and often adaptive variation in the way we think and behave that needs to be accepted. Unfortunately, due to the historical lack of understanding of these conditions, many neurodivergent individuals have internalised the view that they are different or defective, leading to pervasive impacts across their lives. This has also led to many individuals hiding or ‘masking’ their symptoms of neurodiversity.
Potential signs of neurodivergence:
- Sensory sensitivity or overload, for example perceiving certain sounds, tastes, textures or smells very strongly in an aversive or enjoyable way
- Strong interests, including believing very passionately in causes or spending a large proportion of your time on one activity
- Periods of emotional overwhelm, meltdowns, or shutting down
- Difficulties with organisation, planning or problem solving
- Excessive activity or restlessness
- Burnout or fatigue, for example needing to spend a lot of time ‘recharging’
- Difficulties with socialising or ‘fitting in’
- Pervasive feeling of difference or defectiveness
- Difficulty with perspective taking or understanding other’s emotions, for example, frequent misunderstandings with others or being interpersonally exploited
- Strong thinking styles
- Distress when attending school, or refusal to attend
Common strengths of people who are neurodivergent:
Many of the aspects of neurodiversity represent adaptive strengths when understood and harnessed. Such strengths can include enhanced sensory detection, for example being able to detect minor differences in pitch, colour, smell or sound. Neurodivergence has also been found to be correlated with giftedness, as well as the capacity to learn and retain great amounts of knowledge, particularly about special interests. Often neurodivergent individuals have excellent problem-solving skills and decision making, as well as spontaneity. Neurodivergent people are also commonly extremely empathic, as well as being highly resilient with strong work ethics. Furthermore, people who are neurodivergent are often lateral thinkers and creative.
Why it is important to increase awareness about neurodivergence:
More people than ever before are aware of the symptoms of neurodivergence and are receiving formal diagnoses for these conditions. This movement may be sparked by increased awareness of diversity in all forms, as well as the pandemic highlighting differences in how people adapt, think and behave. Social media has also allowed people to better share their experiences and symptoms of neurodiversity, as well as vicariously learn.
Undoubtedly, one of the central benefits of this movement is challenging the narrow view of normal or acceptable thinking and behaving. Rather than attempting to alter neurodivergent individuals, it is important to adapt the environment to be more inclusive to neurodivergence, allowing all people to make the most of their differences and flourish.
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