Types of Neurodiversity
In the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (also known as the DSM-5), neurodevelopmental disorders (or NDDs) are organized into 5 categories:
These categories often change when a new DSM is released! But they can still be useful for grouping the various types of neurodivergence.
Note: Many traits overlap across multiple NDDs, and individuals with NDDs are statistically more likely to be diagnosed with more than one condition (Bonti, Eleni et al. 2024). When thinking about neurodiversity, it may be more useful to consider how neurodivergence affects us, instead of focusing on specific labels.
Autism and ADHD"Autism is a developmental disability that affects how we experience the world around us." - The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
"ADHD is a common condition that can make it hard to focus, manage emotions, and much more. It’s different for everyone." - Understood.org
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) was formerly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) updated the name in 1987 with the publication of the revised 3rd edition of the DSM.
Note: These two conditions can sometimes occur together (known colloquially as AuDHD).
Communication Disabilities"Many disorders can affect our ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being completely unable to speak or understand speech." - MedlinePlus
Common communication disabilities include speech disorders, language disorders, hearing disorders, central auditory processing disorders, aphasia, and apraxia.
Aphasia "impairs the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing." - National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH)
"Apraxia is a motor speech disorder that makes it hard to speak." - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Specific Learning Disabilities"Learning disabilities are lifelong challenges with reading, writing, and math. They can impact people at school, at work, and in everyday life. Between 5 and 15 percent of people have a learning disability. Some people struggle in only one area. But it’s common to struggle in more than one." - Understood.org
"An estimated 80% of those with learning disorders have an impairment in reading in particular (commonly referred to as dyslexia). Dyslexia is common, affecting 20% of the population." - APA
The American Psychiatric Association combined reading, math, and writing disorders into a single diagnosis with the DSM-5 in 2013.
Motor DisabilitiesTourette Syndrome "is characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics. Tics can range from mild/inconsequential to moderate and severe, and are disabling in some cases." - Tourette Association of America
"Tics are the primary symptoms of a group of childhood-onset neurological conditions known collectively as Tic Disorders and individually as Tourette Syndrome (TS), Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder, and Provisional Tic Disorder. These three Tic Disorders are named based on the types of tics present (motor, vocal/phonic, or both) and by the length of time that the tics have been present." - Tourette Association of America
"Dyspraxia is a brain-based motor disorder. It affects fine and gross motor skills, motor planning, and coordination. Although it can affect cognitive skills, it’s not related to intelligence." - Healthline
Intellectual Disabilities"Intellectual disability refers to neurodevelopmental conditions that affect functioning in two areas:
Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, affects about 50% of individuals with autism, but not everyone with face blindness is autistic. "People with face blindness may have difficulty noticing differences in the faces of strangers. Others may even have a hard time recognizing familiar faces. It’s estimated to affect about 2%Trusted Source of the general population." - Healthline
