Neurodivergent Culture Is

FAQ

What’s the difference between “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” and why do you use the term neurodivergent instead of another term?

Despite the term “neurodivergent” seeing some use in modern clinical settings and research, it is not a medical term with a consistent set medical definition, and was not coined in a medical or scientific context. The term “neurodivergent” was coined to describe a broad and generalized community of anyone who in any way does not fit the most common or “average” neurotype. Any situation involving any sort of psychological or neurological “abnormality” or “divergence” as compared to the general population counts under this definition. As mentioned before, it is not a medical term; it is a term which serves the purpose of creating and describing a community which has historically and continuously been marginalized. The term “neurodivergent” has often been conflated with the term “neurodiverse” which is a completely different term with a completely different meaning and context. “Neurodiversity” is a term used specifically to describe ADHD, autism, and in some cases a few other conditions in a small and specific group. It was coined decades ago in the context of education, specifically, but has now seen some use to describe the general community of people with these conditions. All neurodiverse conditions fall under neurodivergence, but neurodivergence is a very broad umbrella term that includes far more than just the conditions classified under neurodiversity. The coiner of the term “neurodivergent” has themselves explained this issue in their own post, here.

We use neurodivergent for a few simple reasons, but the biggest one is that it’s accurate. We’re not just talking about neurodiverse people on this blog, even though all of us are neurodiverse. We’re also talking about everything from epilepsy to CPTSD to depression to NPD. This blog is meant to include the entire community of all neurodivergent people, which means everyone who is not completely neurotypical or of the most common/average neurotype. Though this is our primary reason, there are also others. The term “neurodivergent” was not coined to medicalize or marginalize neurodivergent people, as medical terms and diagnoses historically have. It was coined to describe and unify the broad community of all people who in some way do not fit the neurotypical standard and thus face marginalization based upon lacking that privilege. The term is inclusive and was created by an actual neurodivergent person with the actual community of neurodivergent people in mind.

Us using “neurodivergent” and specifically being a neurodivergent blog and community doesn’t stop anyone from have specific spaces for specific conditions or groups of conditions. If someone wants to make a neurodiverse-culture-is blog, we would gladly support it! We are all neurodiverse, after all. However, we are specifically a neurodivergent blog and community, which means we include all neurodivergent conditions beyond just neurodiverse ones. Broad and inclusive communities and community spaces do not stop more specific ones from existing, they just help unify oppressed people, which is good for more reasons than we can fully list.

Does (insert mental illness/condition/disorder) fall under the neurodivergent umbrella? Do I “count” as neurodivergent if I have/am (insert mental illness/condition/disorder)?

The answer, 99.9% of the time, is yes. If you are in any way, shape, or form not completely neurotypical and of the most common/average neurotype, the answer is always yes.

As discussed in the previous answer, the term “neurodivergent” is a broad community term that describes any person who in any way is not 100% of the most common and average neurotype. This means that any given mental illness or psychological condition, as well as any neurological conditions, fall under this definition. You don’t even have to have a specific label, you just have to fall outside of the average or “default” neurotype in some way. This, again, is all from the exact words of the person who coined the term neurodivergent. It is a term to describe a marginalized community, not a clinical or medical diagnosis or group of diagnoses. That is how it was coined and how it has been used, despite its somewhat significant misuse.

We’ve gotten an absurd amount of questions asking if specific conditions, or even people themselves, “count” as neurodivergent. Unfortunately, the fact that this misinformation and worry is so widespread makes a lot of sense. Not only is there a common misconception that neurodivergent and neurodiverse are synonyms, but there is an immense amount of ableism even within disabled and neurodivergent communities. We’ve gotten seemingly genuine requests before to change our entire blog to exclude people with specific conditions. The fact that some neurodivergent people face much more oppression and stigma than others has created a power imbalance within the community, and some neurodivergent people who face this oppression the most or in the most intense ways lose sight of the fact that those who face less than them still are marginalized on the same basis that they are. After all, we’re all neurodivergent. We all do not have the privilege that fully neurotypical people have. By having broad communities like these, we unite all of the people facing this same struggle and being marginalized on the same basis, even if that marginalization often looks or functions very differently. There can still be, and still are, specific communities for specific identities and experiences. Those who face specific experiences can and do have their own spaces and communities relating to those issues. A broad umbrella for all people who face a certain type of marginalization does not erase these specific, smaller communities, nor does it erase the specific struggles of those who face more marginalization than other marginalized people.

We wish we could take the time to compassionately answer each and every request, but the amount of them is huge and they are all essentially the same, with essentially the same response. You can imagine that gets very repetitive very quickly. If you’re here because you were going to ask whether something (or whether you as a person) “counts” as neurodivergent, this is your answer.

Also, consider that you are not erasing space for others by taking up space in this community. You do not cheapen the struggles of others by also having struggles, even if those struggles are less severe or serious. You still deserve space in our community. If you face any kind of ableism or experience any kind of neurodivergence, no matter how "minor” you or others may think it is, that always matters. We need more voices like yours at the table.

I have a question that wasn’t answered here, where/how can I ask it?