What Is Neurodiversity And Why Is It So Important?

Before getting in more detail regarding the interaction between autistic individuals and their working environment, I wanted to make sure some light is shed on a couple of important terms and definitions. This is especially important since there has been a lot of controversial discussion about autism over the past years which has lead to the formation of two opposite views on the matter: the pathology paradigm, which views autism as a disease that needs to be cured, and the neurodiversity paradigm which is the one almost universally accepted today by most specialists and activists.

Neurodiversity

According to one definition, neurodiversity refers to the variation in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions in a non-pathological sense. The term itself was invented by an Australian sociologist called Judy Singer in 1998. Judy Singer believes that people with Asperger’s are not disabled but are a neurological minority. She also believes that it is hard to explain your differences when you don’t have the language to articulate your feelings. This is why the term neurodiversity is so important. It has initiated a social movement that has led to a wider social acceptance and accommodation of people with autism, ADHD , dyslexia and dyspraxia (Autism Rights Movement).

The term has been in use since then to describe the fact that differences in neurology should be recognised and respected as a social category, similar to ethnicity or sexual orientation, rather than neurological diseases that need to be cured. The neurologically different represent a new addition to the familiar political categories of class, gender, race and one could say that this addition is of great importance since just as biodiversity is essential for system stability, neurodiversity may be essential for cultural stability. The rise of this concept is also known as the neurodiversity paradigm. Such variations include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and speech or learning disorders like dyslexia and dyscalculia.

The Neurodiversity Paradigm

The neurodiversity paradigm was initially used by individuals on the autism spectrum in order to promote support systems such as inclusion focused services, accommodations, communication and assistive technologies, occupational training etc, while later on it was taken up by the rest of the neurodivergent groups. The intention has always been for individuals to receive support that honours human diversity and self-expression, rather than medical treatment which forces them to adjust to the majority’s idea of ‘normal’, or to conform to a clinical prototype.

Autistic people, more specifically, are considered to have neurological differences which give them distinct characteristics, including both cognitive strengths and weaknesses. For example, difficulties in understanding social subtleties or filtering overwhelming sensory stimuli may be coupled with strengths in detailed thinking, memory, and complex pattern analysis. Despite of these challenges, though, they are considered to be capable of succeeding in what they chose to do, provided they are appropriately accommodated and supported. To believe nowadays that we need to eliminate autism is considered in a way similar to trying to cure left-handedness.

Therapists and practitioners who subsequently integrate the neurodiversity paradigm into their practice do not seek to cure but rather help individuals to thrive by releasing and enhancing their cognitive abilities. In order for this attempt to succeed, though, we will also need enough leaders who are prepared to offer the necessary accommodations to neurodivergent individuals in order for their abilities to flourish rather than turn their back to them by ignoring their needs.

Autism in our practice

For those of us who are doctors, it is worth mentioning that we are unfortunately trained to think about autism using the pathology paradigm. Such a paradigm, which focuses almost exclusively on impairments and limitations, ultimately leads us to see autistic individuals as patients who need to be fixed, something that comes in contrast with the more and more accepted nowadays neurodiversity model. It is important, therefore, for us to adjust our everyday work to this paradigm and practice a more compassionate, tolerant and inclusive medicine. Finally, my plan is to back this argument up with evolutionary and genetic evidence in a future post.

Asperger’s syndrome, Autism and ASD

I have been so far using the terms Asperger’s syndrome, autism and ASD in an interchangeable fashion throughout my texts. I therefore felt the need to clarify that although Asperger syndrome is a term used in the past to describe a form of autism distinguished from more severe forms of it, it is now being rejected by many individuals that prefer the term Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) instead. It is therefore understood and accepted that it is up to each individual how they choose to call themselves. Some people with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome may choose to keep using the term, while others may prefer to refer to themselves as autistic or on the autistic spectrum. I will probably continue using all of them in the same manner to make sure I cover all preferences.