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Zoe Raschke

Maurya Brand

English 101

April 6, 2023

Report Essay: Neurodiversity

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “am I normal?” Chances are, you probably

have. We are living in one of the most rapidly advancing time periods in human history, and

among those advances is the concept of neurodiversity. The topic has rapidly gained the attention

of our society, and although some aspects are not currently agreed upon, there’s no arguing that

increasing awareness is shaping the lives of individuals and institutions today. So, if you’ve ever

silently wondered whether or not you were “normal”, let’s take a look at why you’re probably

not alone.

What is neurodiversity anyways? Well, an exact definition is not entirely agreed upon

due to the complex nature of what it covers. According to Harvard Medical School, the

neurodiversity stance refers to “the idea that people experience and interact with the world

around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and

behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits” (What is Neurodiversity, Harvard Medical

School). Scientifically, this boils down to the fact that no two brains are identical. Neurodiversity

awareness aims to bring our attention to this fact, and potentially the ways that we can be more

accommodating of the differences naturally present in our cognitive make-up. There is another

view, however, that feels as though a “one size fits all” term downplays the struggles of

individuals with cognitive impairment that is more debilitating. Take this quote from a Big Think

article for example; “…some “neurodiversities” result in considerable difficulty — functional

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illiteracy, an inability to communicate, problems with fine motor skills, an inability to pay attention,

and so on. To imply that these conditions are entirely benign ignores the very real, and sometimes

severe, consequences these individuals live with” (More Harm Than Good?, Big Think).

So, it begs the question, who is neurodivergent? For quite some time, western medicine

has focused its efforts on diagnosing and treating any symptoms they find that stray from what is

most common, or “typical”. This is based around an ideal that developmental differences, such

as autism, are disabilities that need to be treated, but according to the Cleveland Clinic,

“neurodivergent people struggle because of systems or processes that don’t give them a chance

to show off their strengths or that create new or more intense challenges for them”

(Neurodivergent, Cleveland Clinic). This new perspective led to the coining of the term

“neurodiversity” by Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, in 1998.

This, in combination with the autistic self-advocacy movement in the 1990’s, paved the

way for a new perspective of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) along with other developmental

differences. Neurodivergence has grown into a movement that encompasses most of these

differences, such as ADHD, Down Syndrome, sensory processing disorders, and learning

disorders like dyslexia. Of course, there are many more things that this refers to, but “Some

people oppose the idea of neurodiversity as being about differences instead of deficits. Many

who take that stance say they’re against it because some who are neurodivergent have true

medical conditions that need treatment” (Neurodivergent, Cleveland Clinic). Some research,

however, does not support this stance, and instead says being aware of neurodiversity allows

individuals to achieve more through a better understanding of themselves. Still though, perhaps

one of the most divided communities on the subject is the autistic community. Some people feel

that the neurodiversity stance only pertains to individuals with high functioning autism.
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According to one article posted on Scientific American, “Many of these are parents of autistic

children or autistic individuals who struggle substantially in any environment, who may have

almost no language, exhibit severe learning difficulties, suffer gastrointestinal pain or epilepsy,

appear to be in anguish for no apparent reason or lash out against themselves or others.”

It's not just people who identify as neurodivergent who are becoming more aware of this

new idea. Whatever your stance, many businesses and other institutions such as schools are

updating their practices to be more accommodating of naturally occurring cognitive differences.

In particular, fields associated with math, art, and science. For example, one article titled

“Neurodiversity in the Lab” aims to educate readers about the many ways they can foster a more

suitable working environment through clear communication, updates in hiring and meeting

practices, and starting a conversation about neurodiversity in the workplace. People appear to be

changing the way that they think about neurodiversity, and even encouraging a more diverse

staff in order to optimize the way that we are progressing.

So, how has all of this affected the lives of the neurodivergent? According to OCED

Forum Network, “around 15% of the world population is believed to be neurodivergent but

perceptions of them are still coloured by information mainly attained from an outside

perspective, so they keep facing invisible hurdles from expectations derived from a typical

standard” (Shifting Mindsets, OECD). The same article states that the employment gap for

autistic people remains substantial, with only 22% holding a paying job. Despite this, a quick

internet search shows that awareness does appear to be spreading, and more big names seem to

be making accommodations and educating others on how to do the same. One article from

Harvard Business Review states “A growing number of prominent companies have reformed

their HR processes in order to access neurodiverse talent; among them are SAP, Hewlett Packard
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Enterprise (HPE), Microsoft, Willis Towers Watson, Ford, and EY. Many others, including

Caterpillar, Dell Technologies, Deloitte, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and UBS, have start-up or

exploratory efforts under way” (Competitive Advantage, Harvard Business Review). This would

suggest that it’s becoming easier for individuals with less severe neurodiversities to obtain jobs

or be accepted into schools through alternative methods of interviewing and applying. Based on

statistics, however, a deficit remains.

In conclusion, if you’ve ever asked the question, “am I normal”, the answer is a little up

to interpretation. Perhaps a better question would be, does such a thing exist? If you’re basing

your answer on the fact that every brain is different, then technically no. If you’re operating

based off the traditional medical model, it may be more black and white. With so much variance

in the ways humans experience the world, it’s easy to see why this has become a hot topic in a

relatively short amount of time. It will be interesting to see where this increased awareness of our

cognitive differences will take us as a society; so, I leave you with the question, what do you

think of neurodivergence, and where do you hope we go from here?

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Works Cited

Nicole Baumer, MD, and MD Julia Frueh. “What Is Neurodiversity?” Harvard Health, 23 Nov.

2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity-

202111232645. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Fink, Jennifer L.W. “Neurodiversity in the Lab.” Neurodiversity in the Lab, The Physiologist

Magazine, https://www.physiology.org/publications/news/the-physiologist-

magazine/2022/september/neurodiversity-in-the-lab?SSO=Y. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Originally published Sept. 2022.

“Neurodivergent: What It Is, Symptoms & Types.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 2 June

2022, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent. Accessed 29

Mar. 2023.

Wiklander, Elisabeth. “Shifting Mindsets: How Embracing Neurodiversity Can Benefit Us

All.” The OECD Forum Network, | Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and

Development |, 25 Nov. 2022, https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/shifting-mindsets-how-

embracing-neurodiversity-can-benefit-us-all. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Thomson, Johnny. “Does the Term ‘Neurodiversity’ Do More Harm than Good?” Big Think, 19

Apr. 2022, https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/neurodiversity-more-harm-than-

good/. Acessed 10 April. 2023.

Baron-Cohen, Simon. “The Concept of Neurodiversity Is Dividing the Autism

Community.” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2019,

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https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-concept-of-neurodiversity-is-

dividing-the-autism-community/. Accessed 12 April. 2023.

Austin, Robert, and Gary Pisano. “Neurodiversity Is a Competitive Advantage.” Harvard

Business Review, 27 Aug. 2021, https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-

advantage. Accessed 14 April. 2023.

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Reflection

I think the biggest thing I learned from writing this essay was how I can work on being

truly neutral with my writing if need be. In my first draft, I genuinely believed I hadn’t shown

any true preference. After some guidance, however, I realized I had almost no evidence of an

opposing view. In my initial research, I was attempting to only put in searches that seemed

neutral. I read probably 10 articles this way, and after so many I assumed what I was reading was

the only view. It was really helpful to receive feedback on how I could try to search for more

opinionated things instead. The second attempt immediately gave more polarized results. I think

this experience with research will be extremely helpful if I ever have to do something like this in

the future.

For these reasons, the majority of my highlighted text is an attempt to showcase the

opposing view of my initial research. In the very first paragraph, I changed one of the words to

“concept.” I believe this word alone started off the paper in a more neutral tone by depicting

neurodiversity as something conceptual for some rather than concrete for all. I continued to go

back through the paper and adjust my original wording to mirror this tone. The rest of the added

text is primarily my research of the opposing view. It was interesting coming at a controversial

topic in this manner. I started to see certain valid points in both arguments, and I feel better

informed for doing so. I enjoyed being surprised in this way, and I will definitely keep this in

mind when looking into controversial topics in the future.