Member-only story
Neurodiversity: A Misused Idea?
Neurodiversity means celebrating all brain differences, not just autism. It’s about inclusion, empowerment, and rejecting harmful labels.
The idea of neurodiversity started as a powerful movement, offering a new way to look at people with conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Instead of seeing these as problems to fix, the movement argued that they are natural differences, just like variations in height or eye color. This gave many neurodivergent people a sense of pride and identity.
But as the concept of neurodiversity became more popular, its meaning started to change. Some companies, schools, and professionals began using the term in ways that went against its original purpose. This has caused confusion and harm, making it harder for the movement to achieve its goals. Let’s explore how this happened and what we can do to bring neurodiversity back to its roots.
Neurodiversity recognizes that different ways of thinking, learning, and processing the world are part of being human.
Clearing Up Common Misunderstandings
Before diving deeper, it’s important to clarify three terms that are often misunderstood or used…
