Making sense of the language: Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent and Neurodiverse.

May 10, 2024Niamh GarveyLeave a comment

I regularly hear people calling neurodivergent people “neurodiverse”, which is incorrect language, but an easy mistake to make. The language around this topic can be confusing, and I love that the word “neurodiversity” has entered society’s collective conversation, but I would love to see the correct language being used. It’s important that I make it clear that I don’t want to dissuade anyone from speaking about neurodiversity for fear of making a mistake. It’s okay to make a mistake! I simply hope that this article clears up any language confusion people might have.

What’s in this article?

Firstly, this article will explain what neurodiversity and neurodivergence mean.

Secondly, it will discuss how to use the correct language when referring to groups of people (neurodiverse, neurodivergent, neurotypical).

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity = Neuro (Brains) + Diversity (Differences)

Neurodiversity is the concept that the human race is made up of people with different types of brains, or neurotypes. Most people have neurotypical brains, but it is also natural and normal to have a brain that works differently to a neurotypical brain.

What is a Neurodivergent brain?

Neurodivergent = Neuro (brain) + Divergent (differs from the norm)

A neurodivergent brain is one that works differently to the more common, neurotypical brain. Some people call this “being wired differently”.

There are many different neurotypes that can make a person be neurodivergent, including Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, etc.

Many neurodivergent people have more than one neurodivergent neurotype, e.g. a person might be Autistic and ADHD (which is often referred to as AuDHD), or ADHD and dyslexic etc.

Is it rare to be Neurodivergent?

Research has found that 1 in 10 people are neurodivergent (NIH, 2022), which shows that neurodivergence is not rare (but it is rarer than being neurotypical).

The correct language when referring to groups of people:

A circle of stylised block figures of people, holding hands. The people are variously coloured to indicate diversity.

A neurodiverse group is a group of people who have different neurotypes to each other i.e. more than one neurotype in the same group.

Group 1: A group of people who are all the same neurodivergent neurotype = A neurodivergent group and NOT a neurodiverse group.

This is the most common group of people to be labelled incorrectly, in my opinion.

A group of people who are all neurodivergent, and have the same neurotype to each other, is a neurodivergent group. They are NOT a neurodiverse group, as there is no diversity of neurotypes within the group.

Examples:

A group of all autistic people = a neurodivergent group.
A group of all ADHD people = a neurodivergent group.

Group 2: A group with both neurotypical people + neurodivergent people = A neurodiverse group.

A group of people with different neurotypes to each other is called a neurodiverse group, even if there are neurotypical people in the group. This is because there is a diversity of neurotypes within the group.

Examples:

A group of neurotypical people and ADHD people = a neurodiverse group
A group of neurotypical people and autistic people = a neurodiverse group

Group 3: A group of people with more than one neurotype, but no neurotypical people = A neurodiverse group and/or a neurodivergent group.

If the people in the group have different neurotypes to each other, but are all neurodivergent, then this can be called either a neurodiverse group or a neurodivergent group.

Examples:

A group of autistic people and ADHD people = A neurodiverse or neurodivergent group
A group of ADHD people and Dyspraxic people = A neurodiverse or neurodivergent group.

Group 4: A group of all neurotypical people = A neurotypical group

A group of all neurotypical people is neither a neurodiverse nor a neurodivergent group. They are simply a neurotypical group.

References

NIH (2022) “Neurodiversity” Accessed on 6^th June 2023 at https://dceg.cancer.gov/about/diversity-inclusion/inclusivity-minute/2022/neurodiversity

The Correct Language to use when Talking about Autism

April 25, 2024April 25, 2024Niamh GarveyLeave a comment

For Autism month, I wanted to publish a post about the importance of using the correct language around autism.

It is important to note that all autistic people have different language preferences, and an individual autistic person may have a different language preference to the ones laid out in this guide. An individual’s language preferences about themselves should be respected.

“Is Autistic” versus “Has Autism”

Autism is not something a person has, nor something someone carries around with them. Being autistic is an intrinsic part of a person, and not something that gets separated from a person, and therefore is not something that a person “has”.

We don’t say we “have Irishness”, we say we “are Irish”. Similarly, a person doesn’t “have autism”, they “are autistic”. This is the terminology chosen by the majority of autistic people in English speaking countries.

1. “On The Spectrum”

Many autistic people dislike the phrase “on the spectrum” because some people use it to say things like “you are only a little bit on the spectrum” or “We are all a bit on the spectrum”. Sometimes people say this to try and reassure us that we do not appear autistic to them. But Autistic people are different to non-autistic people, and that is okay; it does not need to be seen as a negative thing. However, being autistic does come with challenges, which can be very disabling, even if the autistic person does not obviously “appear” to be autistic.

The autistic spectrum is not a linear thing, and you cannot be a bit on the spectrum, and a bit off the spectrum. It is true that nearly all non-autistic people have some autistic traits, but this does not mean that they are “a bit autistic”. An autistic person can only get diagnosed as autistic if they have a significant amount of autistic traits, or their autistic traits significantly impact their daily life.

2. Asperger’s Syndrome

The term Asperger’s Syndrome is an old term that was used to describe autistic people who did not have a language delay. It was often used for autistic people who were fluent speakers, as well as autistic people who did not have a co-occuring intellectual disability. It is now an out-dated term, and is no longer used in autism identification/ diagnosis.

3. ASD / Autism Spectrum Disorder

The official term for autism in diagnostic manuals is ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. When a person is assessed for autism, and meets the criteria for autism, they are diagnosed with ASD/ Autism Spectrum Disorder.

ASD is an umbrella term, and includes autistic people who have language disabilities as well as people without language disabilities, and people who do have an intellectual disability and also those who do not have an intellectual disability.

The Term ASD and Autism Spectrum Disorder is often not liked by autistic people, as it contains the word “disorder”, which sounds very negative about a natural neuro-type.

4. “Non-Verbal” versus “Non-Speaking”

40% of Autistic adults are unable to reliably communicate through speaking all of the time, or some of the time. A lot of autistic adults who cannot speak, or cannot rely on speaking to communicate, have expressed a dislike of the term “non-verbal”. This is because some people think that “non-verbal” means that the autistic person has no language, or cannot understand what other people are saying. Research has found that the majority of autistic adults prefer the term “non-speaking” (Zisk and Konyn, 2022).

Some autistic people call themselves “Part-time non-speaking” which means they can speak sometimes, but not other times (e.g if they are overwhelmed or feeling under stress).

References:

Zisk A, H. and Konyn, L. (2022) “How to talk about AAC and AAC Users (according to them)” Available at: https://www.assistiveware.com/blog/how-to-talk-about-aac [Accessed 17^th February 2024]

Anthology Announcement: Personal Essays by Autistic Irish Adults

February 16, 2024Niamh GarveyLeave a comment

I’m currently editing an Anthology of personal essays written by Autistic Irish adults, which will be published by New Island Books. This will be the first of its kind in Ireland, and will be a wonderful way to compile the thoughts and experiences of a diverse range of Autistic people. I hope this book will not only be wonderful read, but will also spread autism awareness to the general public. I’m particularly keen to show how autism can be so different for different people.

I’m still looking for essays, so feel free to get in touch if you wish to express an interest in contributing to the book.The essay deadline is mid-May 2024.