All people have the right to education, employment, and full participation in society regardless of how their brains work. This page centers the expertise of neurodivergent people on their own experiences, informed by the neurodiversity movement and decades of self-advocacy.
Neurodivergence describes brains that work differently from what society considers "typical." This includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and many other neurological variations. Neurodivergent people aren't broken or disordered — we're wired differently.
Neurodiversity is the concept that neurological differences are natural human variations, like differences in height or handedness. Just as biodiversity strengthens ecosystems, neurodiversity strengthens communities.
Neurodivergent describes individuals whose brains diverge from dominant societal norms. This includes autistic people, people with ADHD, dyslexic people, and others.
Neurotypical describes people whose brains function in ways considered standard by society.
The neurodiversity paradigm, developed primarily by autistic self-advocates, holds that:
This doesn't mean neurodivergent people don't struggle or that support isn't needed. It means the struggles often come from mismatch between neurodivergent brains and environments designed without us in mind.
Masking/Camouflaging: Many neurodivergent people learn to hide their natural traits to appear more neurotypical. This is exhausting and can lead to burnout and mental health struggles.
Spiky profiles: Neurodivergent people often have uneven abilities — exceptionally strong in some areas, struggling in others. Standard expectations may not fit.
Double empathy problem: Communication difficulties between autistic and non-autistic people go both ways — it's a mutual understanding gap, not an autistic deficit.
Stimming: Self-stimulatory behaviors (rocking, hand movements, fidgeting) that serve important functions for regulation, focus, and wellbeing.
Autism is a neurological difference affecting social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior/interests. Autism is a spectrum — not linear from "mild to severe" but varying across different areas.
Social differences:
Sensory experiences:
Patterns and interests:
Movement and regulation:
Identity-first language: Many autistic people prefer "autistic person" over "person with autism" — autism isn't separate from identity.
Support needs: "High/low functioning" labels are increasingly rejected. Support needs vary by situation and change over time.
Levels 1, 2, 3: DSM categories based on support needs, used for diagnosis. Many autistic people find these unhelpful.
Asperger's: No longer a separate diagnosis (folded into autism spectrum). Some people diagnosed with Asperger's still use the term; others have moved away from it due to Hans Asperger's Nazi connections.
Why seek diagnosis:
Barriers to diagnosis:
Self-identification: Many autistic people self-identify without formal diagnosis. The autistic community generally welcomes self-identified autistic people.
Typical specialists: Psychologist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist for assessment. Developmental pediatrician for children.
Organizations (autistic-led):
Books by autistic authors: Search for #ActuallyAutistic authors
ADHD is a neurological difference affecting attention regulation, impulse control, and executive function. It's not about deficit of attention — it's about attention regulation.
It's not about willpower: ADHD involves differences in brain chemistry and structure, particularly dopamine systems. "Just try harder" doesn't work.
Presentations:
Common experiences:
ADHD strengths:
ADHD is often missed in:
Diagnosis process: Usually involves clinical interview, rating scales, history. Neuropsychological testing sometimes but not always required.
Typical specialists: Psychiatrist, psychologist, neuropsychologist, some primary care physicians.
Medication: Stimulant (methylphenidate, amphetamines) and non-stimulant options. Highly effective for many. Decision is personal — medication doesn't change who you are.
Strategies: External structure, body doubling, timers, breaking tasks down, working with your brain rather than against it.
Accommodations: See employment and education sections below.
Organizations:
Community: Strong online communities on Reddit, TikTok, Discord. ADHDers sharing strategies and humor.
Neurological difference affecting reading, writing, and spelling. Not about intelligence — dyslexic people have average to high intelligence.
Common experiences:
Strengths often associated with dyslexia:
Support:
Typical specialists: Educational psychologist, learning specialist, neuropsychologist for diagnosis.
Organizations: International Dyslexia Association, British Dyslexia Association
Neurological difference affecting number sense, math facts, and mathematical reasoning. Like dyslexia for math.
Common experiences:
Support:
Affects motor coordination, planning, and organization. Not about intelligence or muscle strength.
Common experiences:
Support:
Organizations: Dyspraxia Foundation (UK), Dyspraxia USA
Neurological condition causing tics — sudden, repetitive movements or sounds.
Key points:
Typical specialists: Neurologist, psychiatrist
Organizations: Tourette Association of America, Tourettes Action (UK)
Auditory processing disorder: Difficulty processing auditory information despite normal hearing.
Nonverbal learning disability: Strengths in verbal areas, challenges with nonverbal/visual-spatial processing.
Hyperlexia: Early reading ability, may co-occur with autism.
Synesthesia: Blending of senses (seeing colors when hearing music, etc.) — some consider this neurodivergence.
Giftedness: Some frameworks include intellectual giftedness as neurodivergence.
Acquired neurodivergence: Some include brain injuries, conditions affecting cognition.
Neurodivergent conditions frequently co-occur:
Mental health conditions also co-occur at higher rates:
These aren't caused by neurodivergence itself but often by lack of support, masking, and trauma.
See Multiple Disabilities, Psychiatric & Psychosocial Disability.
Diagnosis:
Education rights:
Employment:
Benefits:
Organizations:
Diagnosis:
Education:
Benefits:
Organizations:
Diagnosis:
Education:
Employment:
Benefits:
Organizations:
Diagnosis:
NDIS:
Education:
Organizations:
Neurodivergence support varies dramatically by country:
UN CRPD: Establishes rights to education, employment, and accommodations globally, though implementation varies.
See International Rights, Education.
Rights: Most countries have some legal framework for educational accommodations. In the US, IDEA and Section 504 provide different levels of support.
Common accommodations:
Advocacy: Parent advocacy is often necessary to secure appropriate support. Self-advocacy skills benefit students as they age.
See K-12 Education, Transition to Adulthood.
Disclosure: Decide whether/when to disclose. Register with disability services to access accommodations.
Common accommodations:
Challenges: Executive function demands increase significantly. Many students benefit from coaching or support.
See Higher Education.
Strengths-based approach: Many neurodivergent people thrive when work matches their strengths and interests.
Neurodivergent-friendly employers: Some companies actively recruit neurodivergent employees. Research company culture.
Disclosure decisions: Weigh need for accommodations against potential discrimination. You don't have to disclose until requesting accommodations.
See Job Searching with a Disability.
Common accommodations:
Informal accommodations: Sometimes easier to implement without formal process — "I work best when..."
See Workplace Accommodations, Employment Rights by Country.
Some neurodivergent people thrive in self-employment, setting their own structures and focusing on strengths.
See Entrepreneurship & Self-Employment.
Managing sensory input:
External structure:
Digital tools: Calendar apps, reminder apps, habit trackers, task managers.
Stimming is healthy: Rocking, fidgeting, hand movements, etc. serve important regulatory functions. Suppressing stims is exhausting and counterproductive.
Fidgets and tools: Fidget toys, weighted blankets, chewelry, movement options during sedentary tasks.
Autistic burnout: Exhaustion from masking, sensory overload, and demands exceeding capacity. Can last weeks to years.
ADHD burnout: Similar exhaustion from compensating for executive function differences.
Recovery: Reduce demands, unmask, accommodate sensory needs, rest. Prevention is better than recovery.
Neurodivergent people have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. This often stems from:
Finding neurodivergent-affirming therapists:
See Mental Health, Psychiatric & Psychosocial Disability.
Many people discover they're neurodivergent as adults. This can bring:
Often missed in diagnosis due to:
See Intersectionality section.
If you've recently discovered you're neurodivergent:
It's okay to take time to process. This can be big news, even if positive.
You're not broken. You have a different neurotype. Different, not less.
Find your community. Other neurodivergent people understand. Online communities are often excellent.
Unmasking takes time. If you've spent years hiding your traits, it takes time to figure out who you are underneath.
Learn from neurodivergent adults. Our expertise on our own experiences is invaluable.
Accommodate yourself. You don't need formal accommodations to start working with your brain instead of against it.
Grieve if you need to. Late diagnosis can involve grief for years without support.
Celebrate. Your brain brings strengths and gifts. Neurodivergence is part of human diversity.
The neurodiversity movement was built by neurodivergent self-advocates:
Ongoing fights:
See Advocacy & Self-Advocacy, Get Involved.