What is Neurodiversity?

In the late 1990s, the term, neurodiversity, was coined by Judy Singer who is an autistic autism advocate and was then a member of an autistic online network called Independent Living on the Autism Spectrum (InLv). Neurodiversity means diversity in the perception and experience of the world. Neurodiversity is considered as a pattern of biodiversity which is necessary for the diversity of humanity. With the emergence of the internet and growing access to text-based communication in the mid-1990s, autistic individuals started to interact with autistic peers and share ideas, which brought a paradigm shift in the understanding of autism.

From the outset, the understanding of autism was from psychiatrists and they understood autism as a “disorder” that needs to be “normalized” to meet their expectations of the “normal” human beings. This is called a medical model of disability. The understanding of autism was then led by the parents of autistic children. Their views were also based on the medical model. While the medical model view of autism could come from the genuine care of parents of autistic individuals, the medical model of disability has indeed contributed to the negative views on autism in society. With the arrival of the internet, autistic people started to contribute to the understanding of autism. Autistic autism advocates tend to have the view that autism itself is not a disability but autistic people can be “disabled” when society does not accommodate for their needs. This perspective is called the social model of disability.

The neurodiversity movement calls for social justice and civil rights and is considered as part of the wider disability rights movement where autistic people have become the pioneers in the movement. At the Grace Center for Autism, we are passionate about seeking social justice for autistic individuals and their families. We see autism from the social model and within the neurodiversity framework. Our hope is to contribute to making society a better place for autistic people and bringing social justice to the autistic community.

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