To think neurodivergence is more common than neurotypical?

[PrincessOfPreschool]

I'm expecting to get hammered for this and it's only based on my sample size of family, extended family/ in laws, friends, people I work with, children I work with but...

I know a LOT of people who I would describe as 'neurodivergent', I think more than I know who are 'neurotypical'. Some of these are diagnosed (more of the younger generation, a few of my generation and none of my parents' generation - in their 80s). Obviously it's a spectrum so only a very few are significantly impacted in their daily lives (unable to go to school or work) but I can definitely see strong traits in my generation and older, many coping mechanisms being used throughout their lives. I do have quite a high awareness due to training in my work, and knowing friends family with ADHD and autism.

I wondered if it's just my family and the people I know, or if neurodivergence is actually really common to the point of being equally, or even more common, than neurotypical. Why is called divergent if it's actually quite typical?

What's your experience?

Here's the link. They might let a new reader in for a free read.

https://www.theage.com.au/healthcare/psychosis-linked-to-adhd-medication-on-the-rise-doctors-warn-20261101-p619l7.html

I suspect this is probably in play. IIRC, there was a bit of a rash of teens developing Tourette's tics and mannerisms, largely attributed to various TikTok influencers. Monkey see, monkey do.

We are in the Oppression Olympics, where status comes not through achievement but instead through impediment. And, how many celebs have been trumpeting their diagnosis that 'makes sense of their childhoods for them'? All these factors pushing the young towards getting extra time for exams etc.

There will be other issues going on, but I sadly think this is a biggie amongst the teens/early 20s.

Partly stays through oppression and partly lack of recognition that life can be bloody hard without any reason for it.

I think this must have been said before, but I haven’t read all the thread. If more people are ND than NT, that basically makes ND typical and NT divergent, doesn’t it? Or maybe everyone is divergent in their own way. Who gets to decide what’s typical? (Genuine question!)

This may vary, our school has a reputation for being very good at providing a nurturing environment for all children but particularly neurodivergent children, our head teachers child ja autistic which I think helps,but for that reason my son's class has 1 autistic child who requires accomodations just to function, my son who requires accomodations to enter the class, 2 kids who are diagnosed but mask very effectively in school (girls) and a couple of boys with ADHD who can be disruptive. That's out of 22 kids. 3 of those children transferred in in P2 and 3 when they couldn't cope in their other local mainstream schools who don't offer accomodations and clearly don't believe it's their job to do so. I think all of society is like that, of you're in a very neurodivergent friendly space or profession more neurodivergent people will be there because it's a supportive environment

Most people I know are neurodiverse. But also most people I know have a PhD. Similar people cluster together so personal anecdotes based on a sample of people you know are not useful.

Many people are neurodivergent, and yes it does run in families. However we seem to now be in a phase where the internet has convinced a lot of people that if your brain doesn’t work in a completely optimal way, and you’re not super productive and focused all the time, and often find life difficult, that suggests you’re neurodivergent, whereas for most people it just means we’re human.

I don't know a single family without someone in it with ADHD or autism. Are there really families with nobody diagnosed or self diagnosed?

Most of my acquaintances and friends are ND, and most are either diagnosed or awaiting assessment. Some tend to be vocal about it though. People who are NT don't tend to sit around and talk about being NT.

I show some ADHD traits yet, I don't have it. I show some ASD traits, yet I don't have it.

If I do these 'tests' online I come out as having both. I don't though I have bipolar. And that's not a 'little bit of bipolar' that's full blown bipolar.

This is where people are self diagnosing. No there's not more ND people than NT. ND people gravitate towards ND people. And NT people gravitate towards NT people.

I actually find it offensive that so many people self diagnosis. When the reality is really fucking for hard people that are ND, and parents struggle with little support.

No one in my family has ASD or ADHD, nor in my circle of friends.

But in your super supportive school where people have transferred specifically because of the level of support it comes to 27% of the class so nowhere close to OPs assertion of more people ND than not.

I am amazed. In my family several people with what once would have been called Asperger's. Partners family more complex autism. Every third friend or acquaintance seems to be diagnosed or self diagnosed, even those who appear very socially skilled with lots of friends.

I absolutely agree Op.
My dcs think I am nd and have explained that something I do is what is called stimming.
This makes complete sense.
One of my dcs has ADHA, never diagnosed whist a child as they are very high achieving. Another has autism, again not diagnosed until later in life. Also school very reluctant to help in anyway as they too weren't too much of a problem as regards grades achieved. But, got into trouble as they simply found it hard to lie and just agree with staff.

My dsd is nd. So too is my cousin. Two of her dcs are nd.
A close friend is. Two work colleagues are. A former work colleague is.
This is just off the top of my head.
Oh another colleagues dc is nd.

I'm starting to believe that the neurotypical communication is a myth - it is just a bunch of people pretending to understand "social cues" and desperately avoiding making any discrepancy visible. But, as you can see at MN discussions about the simplest stuff, there really aren't any shared ones, it's just people believing that their understanding is the universal one.

I agree. People with good social skills though simply have clear communication. So they don't assume, they ask.

@Summerlovingtheraspberries some stimming is just normal. Bouncing your leg for example or tapping fingers.

My partner and dd are ND. I probably am as well, it would explain a hell of a lot through my life and my struggles.

I think more and more of the population are becoming ND presenting whether that’s genetics, environmental or technology causes!

However neurodiversity is just that diversity, we understand biodiversity in plants/ nature but seem shocked that there’s a diversity in humans. There isn’t a NT. Thats what my partner says anyway.

Neurodivergence is actually an umbrella term for many things. It covers anything from OCD, Bipolar disorder, dyspraxia and of course what I assume you're referring to, ASD and ADHD.
There are approx 1.2 million autistic people in UK including those self diagnosed (source BMA) and approx 69.5 million people in the UK. So no, it's not more common than being neurotypical.

My experience is most people are pretty typical.

That doest mean they are the same or find everything easy. but its things like 97% of children walk between 9 and 18 months. Its a big range of typical. But that across the whole of what make us, us.

My son goes to a special school for autism and I dont think the majority are outliers across so many factors as he is.

We were all just thought of as weirdos, back in the day. Mum’s generation, down through siblings and cousins, now the youngest children.

As a mum of a neurodivergent child I often think our school and particularly my son's class is almost entirely neurodivergent kids. It's not but those are the kids my son gets o with and therefore the parents I know best. So a lot of chat is about the subject. Basically it's about 1/5 average, our class is over 1/4 which is a big enough difference statistically. I'm sure there are people who think there are only 1/2 neurodivergent kids in the class.

The proportion of diagnosed and self diagnosed people with autism differs widely with age. Only 0.02%of people over 70 have an autism diagnosis. So saying an overall number of people with diagnosis is pretty meaningless.

I know autism is a wheel rather than a line but this is an easier way of explaining it.

Imagine autism as being a collection of 40 symptoms. If you have 15 or more symptoms you have autism. There are many many people who have some symptoms but less than 15. They are not autistic. But a lot of them will self diagnose. Most neurotypical people will have 0-5 symptoms.

Lots of people will self diagnose with various things. My MIL will talk about her friend's "journey with cancer". She was on the 2 week pathway for a cyst (which I know is scary but it isn't cancer). People who are a bit tearful after birth talk about their postnatal depression and people who like to clean casually say they have OCD.

Yes, because it's now more widely recognised. Therefore in younger age groups diagnoses have increased. I think most people are aware of that.
OP specifically asked if its equal or more common in common without specifying age or commonality across them. So unless you think there's 60 billion elderly people without diagnosis, it gives a good general idea that it's not more common to be autistic across the population.