Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the variation and differences in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions. All neurotypes are part of the variation of the human population, and should be considered as ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’, as well as ‘different’ not ‘disabled’.

Neurodiversity: The diversity or variation of cognitive functioning in humans.

Neurodiverse: Inclusion of a number of substantial cognitive functioning variations.

Neurodivergent: Having a less-typical, cognitive variation, such as Autism or ADHD.

Neurodivergence: The presence, or grouping, of less-typical, cognitive variations.

Types of Neurodivergence include:

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is the most common neurodivergence, and most understood, usually affecting someone’s ability to read or write accurately.

Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a learning difference that affects how the mind processes actions, usually affecting coordination and movement.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Autism

Autism is a spectrum condition which affects how people interact and communicate with the world.

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Other types of Neurodivergence…

Dyscalculia

– Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is a specific learning disorder that is characterised by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numbers and performing accurate and fluent calculations.

Dysgraphia

– Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that affects written expression. Dysgraphia can appear as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Dysgraphia can be a language based, and/or non-language based disorder (dsf.net.au).

Hyperlexia

– Hyperlexia is a syndrome observed in people who demonstrate the following cluster of characteristics: A precocious, self-taught ability to read words which appears before age 5, and/or an intense fascination with letters, numbers. logos, maps or visual patterns.

Meares-Irlen Syndrome

– Irlen Syndrome (also referred to at times as Meares-Irlen Syndrome, Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, and Visual Stress) is a perceptual processing disorder. It is not an optical problem. It is a problem with the brain’s ability to process visual information.

Tourette Syndrome

– Tourette Syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds and movements. This is a complex condition and a large amount of people with the condition may also experience other disorders or conditions, such as anxiety.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

– Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

Synesthesia

– Synesthesia is a condition in which one sense (for example, hearing) is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Another form of synesthesia joins objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.

Content from this page is referenced from: https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/