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Original poster

Neurodiverse population. Neurotypical and neurodivergent people.

36 replies

Eastevie · 19/09/2022 08:48

This is right isn't it? Neurodiverse means people that are both neurotypical and neurodivergent.

Why do people get called neurodiverse if they are neurodivergent?

Does anyone know?

OP posts:
BuffaloCauliflower · 19/09/2022 08:50

Neurodivergent and neurodiverse are the same group of people. Diverging from the norm/typical.
Neurodiverse doesn’t mean neurodiverse and neurotypical people together.

BuffaloCauliflower · 19/09/2022 08:51

Though I must admit I never hear anyone say it’s neurodivergent people, just neurodiverse. Do you hear that?

gamerchick · 19/09/2022 08:52

No it doesnt mean both.

ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou · 19/09/2022 08:53

Because I get the terminology muddled up, because in too busy trying to keep my shit together and remember where I left my keys and who needs to be where and when, which is quite challenging enough for my adhd self without trying to remember which word I'm allowed to use to describe myself.
So I tend to say ND whenever I can get away with it!

WindowsSmindows · 19/09/2022 08:55

A neurodiverse population is said to contain those who are themselves neurodiverse. So does not include neurotypicals.

Hardbackwriter · 19/09/2022 08:55

Neurodiverse, logically, has to mean a group of people - it doesn't have to include neurotypical people, but one person can't be diverse. The word for a single person should be neurodivergent.

But that isn't how people use them, and since the meaning is usually clear I suggest making your peace with people using it in the way they do, with both neurodiverse and neurodivergent being used for a single person. You don't want to be the 'its A paninO' person.

bbcdefg · 19/09/2022 08:58

Eastevie · 19/09/2022 08:48

This is right isn't it? Neurodiverse means people that are both neurotypical and neurodivergent.

Why do people get called neurodiverse if they are neurodivergent?

Does anyone know?

No it doesn't mean that.

waterlego · 19/09/2022 08:59

I agree OP. I read a post saying pretty much the same thing recently by someone I know who is a SALT (so obviously works with a range of people, some of whom are NT and some who are ND, and is also an expert on language and linguistics). I think ‘neurodiverse’ is a general term to use when talking about groups of people and the diversity within that group, whereas neurodivergent would be the more accurate term to use for an individual who is not neurotypical.

waterlego · 19/09/2022 08:59

@Hardbackwriter explains it well!

BrightWater · 19/09/2022 09:01

Hardbackwriter · 19/09/2022 08:55

Neurodiverse, logically, has to mean a group of people - it doesn't have to include neurotypical people, but one person can't be diverse. The word for a single person should be neurodivergent.

But that isn't how people use them, and since the meaning is usually clear I suggest making your peace with people using it in the way they do, with both neurodiverse and neurodivergent being used for a single person. You don't want to be the 'its A paninO' person.

You don't want to be the 'its A paninO' person.

Wait...what?!

Original poster
Eastevie · 19/09/2022 09:03

Did you consider you may not be the only one here who is neurodivergent?

OP posts:
Original poster
Eastevie · 19/09/2022 09:03

waterlego · 19/09/2022 08:59

I agree OP. I read a post saying pretty much the same thing recently by someone I know who is a SALT (so obviously works with a range of people, some of whom are NT and some who are ND, and is also an expert on language and linguistics). I think ‘neurodiverse’ is a general term to use when talking about groups of people and the diversity within that group, whereas neurodivergent would be the more accurate term to use for an individual who is not neurotypical.

Thank you that is what I thought too. You explained it better!

OP posts:
Clymene · 19/09/2022 09:08

I don't think it does mean that and I think the salt is wrong. I'd say - I work with children who are both neurotypical and neurodiverse.

The woman who invented the term www.webmd.com/add-adhd/features/what-is-neurodiversity agrees

Original poster
Eastevie · 19/09/2022 09:11

Clymene · 19/09/2022 09:08

I don't think it does mean that and I think the salt is wrong. I'd say - I work with children who are both neurotypical and neurodiverse.

The woman who invented the term www.webmd.com/add-adhd/features/what-is-neurodiversity agrees

Thanks for sharing the article!

OP posts:
Clymene · 19/09/2022 09:20

You're welcome Smile

OneFrenchEgg · 19/09/2022 09:24

That article was really superficial, all the 'it's not a disability' 'some people want to hold on to it being a disability' and 'focus on the positives'. That kind of denial of the lived experience of people who don't have some amazing skill or are just a bit quirky is so concerning.

alltheevennumbers · 19/09/2022 09:26

Doesn't neurodiverse cover a range of different variations: ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette's, plus potentially acquired conditions like PTSD?

Clymene · 19/09/2022 09:27

OneFrenchEgg · 19/09/2022 09:24

That article was really superficial, all the 'it's not a disability' 'some people want to hold on to it being a disability' and 'focus on the positives'. That kind of denial of the lived experience of people who don't have some amazing skill or are just a bit quirky is so concerning.

I agree it's not a great article. But it does explain the term and what it means by the person who came up with it so that's why I linked to it.

Soontobe60 · 19/09/2022 09:30

Who determines whether someone is ‘diverse’, ‘divergent’ or ‘typical’? Where are the boundary lines? It’s pretty harmful to try and shoehorn people into rigid categories.

amusedbush · 19/09/2022 09:35

Hardbackwriter · 19/09/2022 08:55

Neurodiverse, logically, has to mean a group of people - it doesn't have to include neurotypical people, but one person can't be diverse. The word for a single person should be neurodivergent.

But that isn't how people use them, and since the meaning is usually clear I suggest making your peace with people using it in the way they do, with both neurodiverse and neurodivergent being used for a single person. You don't want to be the 'its A paninO' person.

I’m autistic and I am 100% the ‘it’s a panino’ person. See also ‘raviolo’ Grin

I just mutter it to myself though; my mother spent my whole childhood telling me to stop correcting people because it’s rude Blush

BudgetBlast · 19/09/2022 09:39

Soontobe60 · 19/09/2022 09:30

Who determines whether someone is ‘diverse’, ‘divergent’ or ‘typical’? Where are the boundary lines? It’s pretty harmful to try and shoehorn people into rigid categories.

Maybe I’m missing your point here but I have a child with dyslexia and dyspraxia who has traits of ASD. I have a child with ASD.

They aren’t NT by any stretch, nobody is shoehorning them anywhere. You’d know my son with ASD has ASD, any lay person on the street could see there was a difference there with him as his behaviour is very overtly atypical.

My DD’s dyslexia was picked up in very early years in school before she could even read it was so obvious she couldn’t “get” letters in spite of being extremely verbose.

There isn’t some shoemaker out there shoehorning diagnosises by handing them out like smarties.

alltheevennumbers · 19/09/2022 09:43

Soontobe60 · 19/09/2022 09:30

Who determines whether someone is ‘diverse’, ‘divergent’ or ‘typical’? Where are the boundary lines? It’s pretty harmful to try and shoehorn people into rigid categories.

Is this about the prevalence of variations across a population (and the problem of many aspects of society not being designed for you, and therefore stressful, inaccessible etc, if you don't happen to be in the majority?)?

waterlego · 19/09/2022 09:48

Thanks @Clymene. I suppose I should defer to what was suggested by the person who first used the term, but ‘neurodiverse’ doesn’t feel right for an individual (purely from a linguistics perspective). I’ve just found the post I talked about earlier. It wasn’t actually the SALT’s own words. She had shared it from ICAN who are an Australian charity supporting autistic people. Image attached of their take on the terms neurodiverse and neurodivergent.

Neurodiverse population. Neurotypical and neurodivergent people.
medianewbie · 19/09/2022 10:39

Tha ks for starting this interesting thread, OP

BertieBotts · 19/09/2022 10:44

Hardbackwriter · 19/09/2022 08:55

Neurodiverse, logically, has to mean a group of people - it doesn't have to include neurotypical people, but one person can't be diverse. The word for a single person should be neurodivergent.

But that isn't how people use them, and since the meaning is usually clear I suggest making your peace with people using it in the way they do, with both neurodiverse and neurodivergent being used for a single person. You don't want to be the 'its A paninO' person.

This.

Plus although I understand the difference between neurodiverse and neurodivergent, I heard neurodiverse first and that has stuck and I kind of feel more affiliated with it.