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?

My experience lines up with studies they've done on men where women talking 15% of the time are viewed as equal and about 30% of the time are viewed as dominating. It's perception, not reality. Adding on that people are generally not discussing neurotypical experiences so neurodivergent people doing so in recent years and the social changes where those significantly impacted were hidden away from society and those less impacted were more often shamed into not discussing their disabilities, the perception becomes altered further.

Neurodivergent traits are human traits. Many people have a trait or two that is associated with neurodivergence. In order to get a diagnosis, the criteria has to be met both on enough traits and that those traits are causing a significant impact to daily living, just like the definition for being disabled is an impairment that has a substantial and long-term impact on typical day-to-day activities.

With an aging society and a society where improved medical care means more people who previously would not have survived do, there are more disabled people and there will be more. This includes ND - there is an association with premature births and some neurodivergent conditions, with earlier births that would not have survived a few decades back having significantly higher likelihood. Still no where close to being a majority though.

That's certainly closer to what I see in my kids class.

I wonder if the really low stats are just from those that have been diagnosed rather than the actual figures. If you gate keep those from actually getting an assessment in the first place, then if course you can manipulate the figures downwards.

As a family, we do not know anyone who has been diagnosed as ND, or has even self-diagnosed.
I imagine it is another trend, which will be replaced by something else soon enough.

If so,do the neurotypical need help, funds and support to live positively with those who are not ?

Any help ,funds and support will be due to need
Not Diagnosis.

So how do you identify the need, if not by diagnosis?

Well autism is a very broad spectrum
My son gets quite a bit of help becsuse he severly autistic with sevrre learning disabillities
Hes 16 and will never live independently and needs support in everything he does
Other diagnosed peoole dont need the same level of support becsuse they present very differently and can live independently.

I doubt they are ND. To get a diagnosis, one needs to have significant functional impairment. Autism/ADHD are disorders which have a functional impact. I can't see how someone is autistic or so if they are not impacted. All this self diagnosed nonsense. I can't understand why someone would want a disorder that can, and often is, very devastating for many individuals and really impacts what they can do. How did it become fashionable. I just can't get my head around it 😵

I do wonder if the way society is makes it harder for nd people to cope so people who perhaps would have managed when things were simpler now struggle. And also a lot of people wouldn’t really have known about it years ago because the information wasn’t readily accessible so they may have been nd and not realised

The year 7 intake last year had more than 50% with a statement in a mainstream school.

there’s no way that it doesn’t undermine those that need help.

Some of those peoole want argue that it isnt a disabillty and ignore those who are severly impacted by it
I keep away from that type of discussion.

Wss this in northern ireland?
Becsuse i think thats the only part of the UK where statements exist.

The words 'divergent' (away from the norm) and 'typical' are massive clues here 🤔

Its pretty easy to look up stats.
No, ND is not more common than NT.
You will likely find however, that if you are ND you naturally gravitate towards others who are the same. In some cases this extends to choice of profession or hobbies.

No, England. Statement probably the wrong word, but a friend who’s teaching at the local school said more than half of the kids registered had some kind of additional needs.

Yeah I know someone like that. Nothing is ever her fault, it's her ADHD or autism.

I don't know anybody who sells at carboot sales, and I don't go to them. I therefore imagine they don't actually exist.

I call that BS. Statements were phased out in 2014!!!

So what choice of profession or hobby? Or do you just mean computers and Warhammer?

Based on statistics, about 5-10% of the population will have skills that are at a low enough level to disable them in some way.

Beyond that, obviously we are all different. But you know the people you know and birds of a feather flock together. If it's not disabling, it shouldn't be diagnosed as a disability.

Err... by observing and identifying the specific needs themselves. 'Need' isn't an abstract noun, but a specific difference or difficulty which means the individual will be functionally disadvantaged unless an adjustment or accommodation is made.

Example: Paul is struggling to read from the board in my classroom. The 'need' is 'struggling to read from the board' . My needs-based support, which I can provide without a need for a diagnosis, may include moving him closer or supplying a printed copy which he can use at his desk to enable easier tracking. I will also notify his caregiver and suggest an eye-test: that would be the diagnosis, should he return with a pair of glasses.

DC1 (autistic with learning difficulties) was supported through mainstream school while we waited 4 years for an autism assessment, because teachers responded to need, not diagnosis. Once diagnosis was in place, tweaks were made, but there was no 'extra' pockets of support suddenly available.

But who actually does this? I certainly don't know anybody who confidently says they're neurodivergent unless they have a diagnosis. While I was awaiting my assessment I was always "I-suspect-I'm-autistic-but-I'm-awaiting-an-assessment", which is quite the bloody mouthful. DS2 has been "I-think-he's-autistic-but-we're STILL awaiting an assessment " for years 🙄. I know lots and lots of people, often parents of ND kids who go "Yeah, I probably am a bit...." but absolutely haven't got the bandwidth (especially if ADHD is suspected) to pursue a formal diagnosis. But people confidently saying they ARE autistic or ADHD without a diagnosis? How sure are you that lots of people are doing this? How do you know that they don't have a formal diagnosis?

I am sure the OP was not specifically meaning someone affected to the degree your daughter is. 💐

Do you personally know anybody who has "self diagnosed from an Internet reel"?

In that era weren't they still hiving kids off to special schools though? So you wouldn't have seen so many in a normal classroom.