Neurodiversity is an idea that asserts that atypical (neurodivergent) neurological wiring is a normal human difference that is to be tolerated and respected as any other human difference. The concept of neurodiversity is embraced by many autistic individuals and people with related conditions, who believe that autism is not a disorder, but a part of who they are, and that curing autistic people would be the same as destroying their original personalities. Proponents prefer the term over labels such as "abnormal" and "disordered".
Autism Positivity
Neurodiversity proponents often pose that mental disabilities come with strengths as well as difficulties.
Autism Strengths
Many autistic people benefit from the following characteristics:[1]
- Excellent memories[2]
- Nonjudgmentalness and sincerity
- Outperforming neurotypicals on auditory and visual tasks[2]
- Curiosity
- Loyalty
- Strong values (which crime data supports)[3]
- Perceptiveness and skill with noticing patterns
Self Esteem
Karla McLaren notes that autism positivity is meant to "stave off despair."[4] Autistic children and adults are at serious risk for anxiety and depression. Describing autism as something other than a burden may help them view themselves more positively.[5]
Social Model of Disability
The social model of disability, a key tenet of neurodiversity, considers disability to be a social construct.[6]
The social model of disability holds that people are disabled not because their minds or bodies are somehow inferior, but because society has not fully accommodating them. For example, nearsightedness is not a disability because glasses and contacts are readily available, and no one is discriminated against for less-than-perfect vision. Autism is a disability because it is not fully accommodated or accepted by society, so autistic people struggle to cope.
In practice, this means accommodating disabled people with various supports to help them live as well as they can.[7]
The social model of disability is also promoted because it shifts the onus of accommodation onto society as a whole, rather than forcing disabled people to try to adapt to a world that doesn't accommodate them (often failing or experiencing pain in the process). This can help them see themselves not as burdens or broken people, but as worthwhile people who can make a contribution to the world.[8]
In other mental and behavioral manifestations
Some groups apply the concept of neurodiversity to ADHD, developmental speech disorders as well as dyslexic, dyspraxic and hyperactive people. Such a wider expansion of the definition, if progressed further in coming decades, may put forth a challenge to expand the rights of those who possess different mental and behavioral settings than the accepted norm in human society.
References
- ↑ Cynthia Kim: Aspie Strengths and Superpowers
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Live Science: Autism Can Be an 'Advantage,' Researcher Says
- ↑ Psychology Today: Asperger's, Autism, and Mass Murder
- ↑ Focusing on autism-positive approaches (to stave off despair)
- ↑ Neurowonderful - Active Acceptance: Why Does It Matter?
- ↑ PWD: The Social Model of Disability
- ↑ Scope: The social model of disability
- ↑ Blind Canadians: The Social Model of Disability Explained