If you’ve been around the disability community or even general TikTok in the past few years, you’ve probably come across the term “neurospicy” at some point.

So let’s just cut to the chase: What does it mean? And who is it for?

Neurospicy Meaning

Neurospicy is a new term developed by the disability community to be used in exchange with neurodivergent.

It’s a fun-loving, light-hearted title neurodivergent people have taken upon themselves through developing internet culture to self-describe their experience as somebody with an atypical neurology or brain.

What Does Neurodivergent Mean?

Neurodivergent is a generalized term for anybody with an atypical—or non-neurotypical—brain or neurology.

The umbrella of what falls under neurodivergent is large. To keep things simple, you can imagine the following under neurodivergence:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Tic Disorders like Tourette’s Syndrome
• Personality Disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• PTSD
• Down Syndrome
• Schizophrenia
• Epilepsy
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia
• Synesthesia

To be clear, this is not an extensive list of every identity that falls under the neurodivergent—and therefore, neurospicy—umbrella.

Is Being Neurodivergent A Disability?

This is a long-standing discussion within the disability community, and therefore a question that doesn’t have a straightforward answer.

There are simply too many sides to argue for or against neurodivergence being a disability to give a single answer.

For example, some people in the disability community advocate for neurodivergent people accepting their shortcomings and recognizing that they need support beyond the means that self-help and self-love can provide.

They argue that systemic, structural support from external sources is necessary to survive and thrive in today’s dynamic world, and only by accepting the status of “disabled” does that come.

However, there are others in the disability community that stress neurodivergence isn’t a disability but a different ability, suggesting a more inclusive way of viewing the many identities that fall under the neurospicy umbrella and the spectrum of ability each individual under the umbrella has.

Personally, I don’t stand one way or another, which may seem like I’m fence-sitting, but the reality, in my view, is that it’s different for every neurospicy individual.

While I may be able to drive, manage money, show up to events on time, and socialize amongst neurotypical people without too much uproar, that doesn’t mean I can hold down a job, keep long-term friendships, or stay focused on a task for longer than an hour (part of the reason I can’t hold down a traditional job).

Why Use the Term Neurodivergent to Describe People?

Neurodivergent, much like nonbinary, is a placeholder word to describe a certain, atypical experience someone goes through.

Using neurodivergent—or neurospicy—is a way of grouping people with similar lived experiences together in a positive, collectivism manner. (Not a negative, othering manner.)

Firstly, the biggest reason to use the term “neurodivergent” or “neurospicy” is because the people in this community are using the word to describe themselves.

When you put your allyship through the lens of how the people you’re trying to describe are describing themselves, you take the pressure off yourself to suddenly know everything.

Instead, through observation and interaction, you can learn organically how to describe certain groups of people based on how they describe themselves.

Secondly, I encourage you to use the term neurodivergent because it shines a light on how not every person experiences the same neurotype or mental ability.

And because awareness is the essence of advocacy, bringing this topic to light is an ongoing battle within the disability community to the outside world.

Why Do People Use Terms Like Neurospicy?

Is it so hard to consider that neurodivergent people want to have fun, too?

Terms like “neurospicy” come into the internet sphere when collectivism and collaboration begin; the fun-loving, light-hearted way of describing an experience is used as a way to bring the community together under an identity that nobody else can have—unless, of course, they share that experience.

It’s important to note now that you shouldn’t call somebody else neurospicy unless they themselves call themself that. And even then, you should probably ask if they’re comfortable with you calling them that.

Is Neurospicy Offensive?

Simply put: No.

But just as I mentioned not to call others that above, there’s an appropriate time and place for the term to be used.

Using it for yourself? Absolutely go ahead.

Using it for others? Please ask.

Using it for somebody you don’t know? Don’t.

You can’t know if somebody is neurodivergent just by looking at them or watching their mannerisms—no matter how well you think you know symptoms of ADHD, autism, Tourette’s, or other neurodivergent experiences.

It’s not your place nor right to psychoanalyze anybody, but especially a stranger.

Why Is Neurospicy An Important Phrase For Us To Have?

It’s important that marginalized communities of people can come together and create something meaningful for themselves—something that others have no part to play in.

Just like the Black community has African American Vernacular English (AAVE), the disability community having terms like “neurospicy” create a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Belonging is a need every human has from their very conception, and therefore, having terms like “neurospicy” which foster that sense of belonging becomes a very natural need for the disabled community to share with one another.

Thoughts To Take With You

”Neurospicy” is nothing new. It also won’t be the final rendition of the label neurodivergent people give themselves.

Like all language, as the term becomes more broadly known and accepted into the community, new words will crop up and take root in the fringes of the (usually Black) community before they’re given life by interests of others or the internet.

Next time you find yourself wondering what the heck a word means, try asking someone within the community about it!

Maybe that’s why you ended up on this blog, and if so, then I applaud you.

But if you just stumbled across this website looking for answers you could’ve asked a neurodivergent friend or family member about, try giving them a call next time!

And if you struggle with phone calls, well, maybe you’re more neurospicy than you originally thought 😉