Neurodiversity and neurodivergence

As the human brain is such a complex organ, a huge number of different neurological conditions come under the umbrella of neurodiversity. These include, but are not limited to:

The term neurodiversity was coined by Australian sociologist, Judy Singer, in a paper published in 1998.

The conditions above are often associated with certain behaviours or traits, but there is not a defined list of characteristics that makes a person neurodivergent.

Neurodivergence can be either innate/genetic, or can arise through experience, for example due to brain injury, illness or a health disorder.

Many neurodivergent people can attend mainstream schools and live and work independently as adults - although those with significant learning difficulties or co-occurring physical health problems sometimes require full-time care.

They may also demonstrate characteristics such as exceptional attention to detail, pattern recognition, and spatial awareness; characteristics that have helped neurodivergent people make remarkable achievements in numerous fields, from science to the arts.

However, some people have neurological conditions which result in atypical behaviours, such as "stimming" which may lead to difficulty in social situations, at school or at work.

Sadly, anxiety and depression are therefore more common among the neurodivergent population, despite a better understanding of neurodiversity in general.

Many neurodivergent people use certain behaviours to help them cope in situations they find challenging.

Self-stimulatory behaviour, known as "stimming", is a repetitive behaviour of this kind that might include:

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Getting a child tested for neurodivergent conditions is not always straightforward, especially as many of those with one condition will also experience symptoms of another one or more.

Clear behavioural traits can sometimes appear in younger children, while in others they are more subtle and will not be perceived until later in childhood.

It should also be noted that the same condition can manifest differently in boys and girls, and that there is a wide range of acuteness and characteristic types.

If you're concerned about a child in your life, a three-stage approach is often advised:

It is estimated that 50% of neurodiverse people are not aware of their condition.³

Understanding of, and support for, neurodivergence is improving all the time so, for today's adults, growing up neurodivergent may have resulted in unhelpful labels or diagnoses such as "difficult" or "different", rather than a neurodiverse diagnosis.

However, more adults are now going for tests after becoming aware of neurological conditions and recognising shared traits of conditions such as autism.

For an adult assessment, the first point of contact is your GP, followed by your community mental health team who can refer you to a specialist psychiatrist for an official diagnosis.

For initial guidance, you can also try online tests and quizzes designed to help you identify characteristics of certain conditions.

If your neurological condition is not causing a major problem on a day-to-day basis, then it may be possible to self-manage it with support from family and friends.

However, a formally recognised diagnosis from a psychiatrist is essential to access workplace assistance, benefits from the government, and/or medication.

ASD and neurodivergent presentations are often misattributed to, or obscured by, comorbid mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders especially OCD. If one suspects an underlying ASD condition, doing an online test such as The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) would be helpful.

Characteristic traits linked to neurological conditions can be perceived as an advantage or a disadvantage.

However, the challenges that neurodivergent people often experience dealing with social expectations can become frustrating and even overwhelming.

Navigating challenging social situations at school or work, or with family and friends, without the necessary support and understanding, can therefore lead to mental health problems such as:

*Whether you have a neurological condition diagnosis or not, it is important to see a GP about mental health problems to get the support and/or treatment you need.

Jessica Bown is a freelance writer and journalist.