Definition
Neurodivergent means having a brain that works in a different way to what is considered ‘typical’.
Although not all neurodivergent people will consider themselves to be disabled, it is likely that they will meet the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability, which says that a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
The bigger picture
Neurodivergent is sometimes used as another word for autistic. However, there are lots of forms of neurodivergence, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette’s Syndrome, so using neurodivergent in this way is misleading. If you’re communicating about autism and autistic people, use ‘autism’ and ‘autistic people’, not ‘neurodivergence’ or ‘neurodivergent people’.
What people say
“I still don’t quite like the setting apart bit. I find that a bit difficult, because it still puts us in different camps when actually I’d just prefer – you know, we’re all neurodiverse. We all have different strengths and challenges. We all have different support needs.” – Steph Phillips