What Is Neurodiversity?

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Brain architecture and cognitive abilities are highly variable.

One could argue that no individual is "neurotypical."

Neurodiversity should not be synonymous with autism, ADHD, or learning disability.

I was recently talking with a very bright college freshman who excels in science and in foreign languages. She was telling me about her friends, the people she studied with, and the travels she had completed, including a recent visit to Japan. We also talked about organic chemistry and some of the nuances of chemical crystal structure. It was clear that she had an inherent desire to learn and had a breadth of interests she was happily pursuing in college. I have been very fortunate indeed to be a college professor for more than 40 years and have met quite a number of students such as this young woman who are passionate about learning, highly intelligent, and an absolute delight to teach.

But this conversation took a different turn when she told me that some of her friends were pointedly asking whether she was “neurodiverse.” Some were even suggesting she is “on the spectrum,” meaning the autism spectrum. Evidently, for some, the term “neurodiverse” can be synonymous with being “on the spectrum.” I wondered whether these questions were prompted by the fact that she is highly intelligent and keenly interested in topics and ideas that others in her group may not be.

This characterization came as an unhappy surprise to me because my background in autism and autism spectrum disorders and supporting autistic children and their families has provided a context for thinking about autism and the different ways that autistic children learn, communicate, and interact with people. Although the autism spectrum has expanded dramatically from what it was when I first was learning about autism in the 1980s and 1990s, it was nonetheless surprising that this social, highly intelligent, engaging student would be viewed through the lens of “being on the spectrum.” Enjoying conversations about linguistics, oriental languages, organic chemistry, and crystal structure are probably not universal interests in the general population of young people, among college freshmen, or even most people in society, but in no way should, unto itself, be viewed as a disability or even a “clinical” condition.

Understanding Neurodiversity and Neurotypical........

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