Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence
Neurodiversity and neurodivergence; what is the difference? Neurodiversity refers to the idea that people think, learn, and behave in different ways and there is not just one right way of experiencing the world. Neurodivergence is, according to Oxford Languages, “divergence in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal (frequently used with reference to autistic spectrum disorders).”
A local newspaper published a story about a nearby village being designated “autism-friendly” and the mayor was quoted as saying that his village was “a safe place for people with neuro-diversities”. I usually don’t quibble over language. I have my pet peeves just like anyone else, but I try not to be pedantic. This time, however, I felt like I must speak up and contacted the publisher to alert her of my concern. She was responsive, speaking to the mayor to inform him that neurodiversity refers to different ways of thinking among us all and that he probably meant to say, “people who are neurodivergent”. The article was edited to include the correction.
What concerns me even more than word usage is the pathologizing of difference.
When I was a child, I had no concept of neurodiversity. I thought that all of us had a similar way of thinking unless one was mentally ill. For example, I can visualize someone I know well even if that person is not with me. If I think of my son, I can see his face, I can see the way he stands, and I can even see the typical clothes he wears. I thought everyone could do this, but this is not so. About four percent of the population has aphantasia[i], described as imagery weakness or the inability to see things with their ‘mind’s eye’. Another experience I thought was universal is inner (or internal) dialogue (or monologue). This is when you hear yourself talk in your mind, with your “inner ear” without overt speech. It is thought to support working memory. I often do this, especially when writing, composing music, or preparing for public speaking or meetings. Again, not everyone experiences this phenomenon. The word anauralia[ii] has been proposed to describe this lack of auditory imagery.
Both aphantasia and anauralia diverge from what is neurotypical. However, they are not viewed by the medical and scientific communities in the same way as neurodivergent features of autism. They may be interesting topics for future research, but they have not yet been pathologized. According to the Cleveland Clinic aphantasia is not a medical or mental health condition and therefore “doesn’t need treatment (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)”. Furthermore, even though the inner monologue which is missing in those who experience anauralia is thought to be important across many domains including, learning, memory, and music[1] it seems that no one is rushing to find a cure for or stigmatizing those who lack this ability.
Contrast this with certain autistic traits. For example, what we refer to as special interests, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, the current bible of mental health diagnosis, refers to as “Highly restricted interests with abnormal intensity or focus, such as a strong attachment to unusual objects or obsessions with certain interests, such as train schedules.” Notice the use of terms like “abnormal”, “unusual” and “obsessive”. To paraphrase Orwell, all neurodivergent people are equal, but some are more equal than others.
I don’t deny that those on the autistic spectrum require support and understanding. I understand that there are real disabilities that result from or co-occur with autism Much needs to be done to make diagnosis and services available to the many autistic adults who have been allowed to fall through the cracks of the medical and mental health system. Nevertheless, not everything about autism needs to be medicalized and stigmatized. I hope I will live long enough to see a world where autistic people will be valued and supported and not seen simply as ‘disordered’, a world where autistic adults can thrive according to their abilities, and where neurodivergence is accepted and not unnecessarily pathologized.
[1] Reisberg, D. (Ed.). (2014). Auditory imagery. Psychology Press.
[i] C.J. Dance, A. Ipser, J. Simner,
The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population,
Consciousness and Cognition,
Volume 97,
2022,
103243,
ISSN 1053-8100,
[ii] Hinwar RP, Lambert AJ. Anauralia: The Silent Mind and Its Association With Aphantasia. Front Psychol. 2021 Oct 14;12:744213. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744213. PMID: 34721222; PMCID: PMC8551557.