What does it mean to be neurodivergent?

The term neurodivergent is everywhere lately — in headlines, in conversations, in captions on your social feed. Maybe you use it to describe yourself. Maybe someone you love uses it, and you want to understand it better. Either way, it’s a word worth understanding, since it covers a lot of ground.

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for conditions — like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — that cause a brain to learn, think, or process the world differentlyopens in a new tab from what society considers “typical.” If that sounds like you, you might choose to identify as neurodivergent.

One thing to note: Neurodivergence isn’t a medical diagnosis. And you don’t need an official diagnosis of the conditions it covers to identify as neurodivergent. You might use the word simply because it fits how you experience the world — how you focus, process information, or take in your surroundings, whether or not a doctor has ever named it.

Researchers have studied autism and ADHD since early in the 20th century. But the language we use to talk about neurodivergence is much newer.

Australian sociologist Judy Singeropens in a new tab is widely credited with introducing the term neurodiversity in the late 1990s. It was the idea that brain differences are natural variations in how people experience the world, not medical problems that need fixing. Some researchers now note that this framing developed collectively, shaped by many voices in the autism and disability communities rather than by one person alone.

A few years later, in 2000, American autism rights activist Kassiane Asasumasuopens in a new tab coined the terms neurodivergent and neurodivergence. This new language gave people a name for brains that work differently from what’s considered mainstream.

Neurodivergent, neurodiverse, and neurodiversity sound similar and are related terms. But they have distinct meanings — which can be pretty confusing. Here’s a breakdown that can help:

• Neurodivergent: A term that describes a person whose brain learns, thinks, and functions differently from what people consider typical. 

• Neurodivergence: An umbrella term for the many ways a brain can learn and think that’s different from what society considers typical. For example, ADHD is a form of neurodivergence.

• Neurodiverse: A setting or a group that includes a range of people who are neurodivergent and neurotypical. 

• Neurodiversity: A concept that describes the idea that differences in the brain are just natural variations in how people see and experience the world, rather than being medical conditions that require treatment or fixing. 

Neurodivergence isn’t a diagnosis. It’s an umbrella term for conditions — like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — that cause your brain to learn, think, or process the world differently from what’s considered typical. So while you can be diagnosed with a condition under that umbrella, you can’t be diagnosed as “being neurodivergent.”

That’s why you don’t need an official diagnosisopens in a new tab to identify as neurodivergent. Many people recognize themselves in the word neurodivergent before — or without ever — getting a diagnosis. And that’s OK. Self-identification is welcomed in the neurodivergent community, partly because it honors how you understand your own experience, and partly because an official diagnosis (and the support that comes with it) isn’t accessible to everyone who needs it.

Research on neurodivergence is still growing, and not all researchers and clinicians agree on the boundaries of what is and isn’t considered neurodivergence. 

While there’s no official list of diagnoses that count as neurodivergence, here are some of the more common categories that can fall under the overarching term.

This group includes conditions that describe differences in how the brain develops and functions. 

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Specific learning disorders, like dyslexia and dyscalculia

• Developmental coordination disorder (DCD)

• Tourette syndrome

This group typically includes conditions that are present since birth and cause cognitive, behavioral, or emotional delays. 

• Down syndrome

• Prader-Willi syndrome

• DiGeorge syndrome, or 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

• Williams syndrome

This group includes challenges that can occur on their own or with any of the conditions listed above: 

• Sensory processing disorder

• Slow processing speed

• Executive function challenges 

• Aphantasia

• Synesthesia 

While not always included within the boundaries of neurodivergence, this group contains a list of conditions that affect mood, emotional regulation, and overall functioning.

• Bipolar disorder

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Social anxiety disorder 

• Generalized anxiety disorder

• Major depressive disorder

• PTSD or complex PTSD 

There’s no simple number that clearly explains how many people identify as neurodivergent. But research does give us a range of how common neurodivergence may be. Studies estimate that around 15 to 20 percent of the global populationopens in a new tab may be neurodivergent. 

However, these estimates are a little higher than the reported numbers. Since not everyone has proper access to health care, neurodivergence is often underdiagnosed. It’s also one of the reasons why self-diagnosis is more accepted in the community. 

Since neurodivergence isn’t a diagnosis, there’s no complete checklist to run through — and you don’t need to recognize every single item below for this to be worth exploring. But people across the neurodivergent community often describe similar experiences, including:

• Experiencing sensory sensitivities, such as being overstimulated when you hear loud music or see bright lights

• Developing a deep or intense interest in specific topics or hobbies 

• Noticing differences in how you communicate with others, such as not making eye contact or using more hand gestures 

• Finding it difficult to stay organized, manage your time, make decisions quickly, or complete tasks 

• Having unique learning and memory patterns such as being an innovative and abstract thinker while also struggling to memorize more basic concepts 

None of these add up to a diagnosis on their own. But they can be a good starting point for understanding yourself, or someone you care about, a little better. If you ever want to know for sure, an evaluation from a mental health provider (such as a psychologist, neuropsychologist, or developmental pediatrician) is the clearest path. It can also open the door to support at work, at school, or at home. 

Have you noticed any of the common signs of neurodivergence in yourself or in your child? If the signs are long-term — and not just observed in relation to a single stressor or challenge — talking to a professional about a formal evaluation is a solid next step. That process looks different depending on age. 

For kids: Public school students (and some students in private schools) are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. IDEAopens in a new tab requires schools to provide free evaluations when they suspect a student needs extra support. Schools can’t make a medical diagnosis, but they can help you understand what’s showing up in your child’s learning — and often point you toward a referral for a psychologist or a pediatrician who can evaluate further.

For adults: If you want an evaluation, start with your primary care provider or ask for a referral to a specialist who can order testing. These evaluations can be expensive, and insurance doesn’t always cover them.

Depending on your experience and coverage, you might end up seeing a psychologist, neuropsychologist, neurologist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner. However, there may be a long wait time for an appointment with these health care providers. 

Because access to evaluation and testing isn’t always easy to come by, a lot of people turn to social media to learn more. That can be a genuine source of belonging and community. But it can also be full of misinformation. In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Social Media Researchopens in a new tab found that misinformation rates on various social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram were as high as 57 percent. So, it’s worth treating what you find there as a starting point for conversation with a provider, not a replacement for one.

Also keep in mind that an evaluation may lead to a diagnosis that falls under the umbrella term of neurodivergence. But a diagnosis doesn’t automatically make you neurodivergent in your own eyes, and going undiagnosed doesn’t disqualify you from the word either. How you describe your own differences is entirely up to you.

Thumbnail image credit: SDI Productions via Getty Images