About Neurodiversity

About Neurodiversity

What does it mean?

The word neurodiversity was coined by Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, in 1998 to recognise that everyone’s brains develop in a unique way.  So much so that even identical twins are neurologically different.  Because each brain is slightly different to the next one, how they both interact with the world will be different.  Within siblings it can be noticeable how different each one is with their abilities and inabilities to do things.

Within a population there is variability in shape, size, and colour along with many other traits including how each brain is “wired”.  Sometimes the variability is small and sometimes it is extreme. The vast majority of people will be within an average range and they are considered to be typical.  If the average height of a UK adult male is 5ft 8in (173cm), the vast majority will fall within the range 5ft 4in to 6ft 0in (162.5cm to 183cm) and will be considered typical. Those outside that range are considered atypical.

This also applies to neurodiversity. Those who fall within an average range will be termed neurotypical and those outside that range neurodivergent.  The further someone is from the typical, whether it be in height or neurodiversity, the more they are likely to find things difficult when working within an environment set up for the typical. An autistic person is someone who would be termed neurodivergent. 

They may have an extreme mathematical capability, way in advance of any of their peers. They may also have an inability to read or interpret social cues or facial expressions.  Both of these traits can make them feel isolated from the neurotypical.
Conversely someone who is highly attuned to reading people’s emotions, not only individually, but a whole room of people at a time and who may have difficulty following the instructions in the operation of a computer would also be termed neurodivergent. More information can be found here.