Neurodiversity

About Neurodiversity

What is Neurodiversity?

In simple terms, neurodiversity is the human equivalent of biodiversity.

In biodiversity, a rainforest with lots of different species can survive many more challenges than a forest with limited diversity.

• A new disease won't ruin all of the trees at once.
• A new predator won't eliminate all of the local foragers.
• A wild storm might ravage an ecosystem, but a variety of plants, fungi, and microorganisms will be able to rebuild and regrow.

The idea of neurodiversity is that we all have different kinds of minds. Even among those of us who don't have conditions like autism or ADHD (aka, "neurotypical"), we see a spectrum of different abilities. Some of us are good at math or science, while others are more adept at art or music. Some of us are great at solving puzzles, while others may struggle with the task.

Photos courtesy of Disabled And Here

All Kinds of Minds

When we look at society as a whole, we see places where the strengths of neurodivergent individuals can be useful. We are puzzle solvers, detail-oriented, hyperfocused, good at memorization, or we might see patterns that neurotypical minds miss.

No two neurodivergent people are the same, and most of us tend to have "spiky profiles," where we may be great at recognizing patterns or computing numbers, but we also might struggle to tie our shoelaces or cook for ourselves.

Neurodiversity is not meant to diminish the struggles that we experience. We are still disabled.

But we are also an important part of humanity's story.

The world needs all kinds of minds!