Neurodivergent. Huh?

You may have heard this term but aren’t quite sure what it means or what it is even supposed to indicate about someone. Is it a diagnosis? Is it a disorder? Is it even a real thing?

It seems many people have grown weary of “new terms” or “new labels,” but I find them very interesting and intriguing. The reason is I am of the mindset that it has just taken “us” forever to validate everyone’s (different) truths. Most new “things” aren’t new at all, they’ve just been given a name once enough people publically agree that it’s “a thing.” Understand, when I say, “a thing,” I don’t mean that in any offensive way or to downplay anything. I mean it’s really a thing whether you believe it or are affected yourself or not.

Take for example; I have a hatred of Styrofoam rubbing against literally anything and no one can take that way from me.

Although I wish they could, haha.

The point is, even with something ridiculous like finding someone whose skin crawls as much as mine does if I hear Styrofoam– it is still a connection to my weirder side. It’s like a little rush when you find someone who understands, agrees and doesn’t feel the need to tease you about it. It’s that moment where you usually feel the need to say (or yell), “See?!! They feel the same way so it’s not just me…it’s a thing.”

It does a little something. It makes you feel seen and understood. Even if the stuff is seemingly very odd or makes very little sense to others from the outside. If someone else feels the same, it’s like breathing a sigh of relief that whatever it is, you aren’t the only one. Hmmpt. Validation.

So, again, where there seems to be a lot of “new” terms, there really aren’t that many new types of people. You know?

People have been repeating certain behaviors, ticks, quirks, inabilities that look like laziness, manic behavior that seems attention seeking only—for pretty much forever. Sometimes things may be behavioral issues you can control….but more than many realize there are plenty of people who just have a bit of screwed up wiring in our brains.

Intelligence is not a factor here; the wires are crossed in how we process information—and it’s a real thing for the cynics among us.

I don’t pretend to be an expert and simply grabbed some general information from websites like www.verywellhealth.com  and www.clevelandclinic.org  so I could try to understand this term that seemingly encompasses many of our “quirks” and difficulties with ways of learning, communication preferences and input processing…. and gives a name to it.

As I understand it, neurodivergent people are people who think differently than “the norm,” whose learning styles are outside of what is considered normal or neurotypical.

Now the debate over what is normal could go on for eternity, not to mention there are factors of location and cultural beliefs. Things we might do in everyday life could be considered very peculiar to someone in a different region of the country – much less those who live in a completely different country. However, current research has found certain groups of people to be considered neurodiverse. These groups can include those with autism, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome and various different learning disabilities (dyslexia being one noted.)

As with any newer term (or one that is gaining momentum with interest) there are thought to be certain “signs and symptoms” – if you will. If you are interested in what I came across in my limited research– watch for my follow-up article that dives in a little deeper to characteristics and tendencies thought to fall under this umbrella, as well as suggestions for how you can best support someone you love who could likely be neurodivergent.