Whenever people talk about autism, it seems to be a conversation trapped in a bubble (in other words, a conversation contained only in itself, without much external context or input). There’s “autism moms” and “autism therapy” and “autistic support” and so many other autistic-centric conversations happening… Without much concern for anything else.

Conversely, these days, whenever somebody brings up neurodiversity online, they’re almost exclusively discussing autism or ADHD, without considering the dozens of other conditions that fall under the neurodivergent umbrella.

Funny how that happens, huh?

Two totally relevant conversations are happening online and in-person, and yet the crossover is tiny at best.

Today, I plan on adding to that crossover and help clear up the question once and for all: Is autism neurodivergent?

Key Takeaways

• Neurodivergent is the conversation of brains that “diverge” from what we assume is normal.
• Neurodivergent is not a medical term; it’s a social term that helps us identify, separate, and support different brains.
• The word neurodivergent first appeared in early ‘90s internet forums about autism.
• Yes, autism is neurodivergent.

What is Neurodivergent?

Before we can hop into if autism is neurodivergent or not, we need to have a clear understanding of what neurodivergent even means.

Neurodivergent vs neurodiversity vs neurotypical

Neurodivergent, also called neurodiversity at a broader scale, is the generalized conversation of brains that “diverge” from what we used to assume was normal.

Note that I said used to assume was normal. This will be important later on.

Neurodivergent is not a medical term; it’s a social term that helps us identify, separate, and support different brains and the people that have said different brains.

To break it down simply, neuro = brain, and divergent = different.

With that in mind, can you guess what “neurotypical” means?

If you guessed non-neurodivergent or “normal” (hate that word)—you’d be right!

Neurotypical is the term neurodiverse folks use to describe anybody who doesn’t fall under the neurodivergent umbrella.

Where did neurodivergent come from?

Most people think the idea of neurodiversity first appeared in a thesis paper written by Judy SInger in 1998, but that’s not true. It was actually coined by early internet users on a forum site called InLv.

Regardless of who coined the term or not, it’s only grown since the ‘90s. It’s outgrown its first autistic-centric definition to include known conditions like ADHD and Tourette’s. And as more understandings of the human brain have appeared, neurodivergent and neurodiversity have only grown, too.

Is Autism Neurodivergent?

Now that you know the history of neurodivergent, the answer is pretty clear: Yes, autism is neurodivergent!

In fact, neurodivergent was first created for autistic people, and it has only grown to encompass more identities since then.

Are neurodivergent and autism the same thing?

When neurodivergent was first coined, autism and neurodivergent were the same thing. But things have grown and changed since then.

Neurodivergent no longer just means autism; it means a whole list of identities and conditions that I can’t go over in this blog post. Check out this post if you want to learn all about what neurodivergent includes.

Why the Distinction Between Neurodivergent vs Autism Matters

When it comes to labeling things in the medical world—even though neurodivergent isn’t a medical term—words matter. Like a lot.

Separating “neurodivergent” and “autism” matters because neurodivergent no longer means just autism. It means ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s, personality disorders, and so much more.

So when we talk about neurodivergence, we’re not just talking about autism. And when we talk about autism, we’re not talking about every neurodivergent person’s experience. (And honestly? When you talk about autism, you’re not even talking about every autistic person’s experience.)

Conclusion

When it comes to the question “Is autism neurodivergent?” the resounding answer is yes.

But that doesn’t mean every neurodivergent person is autistic or that every autistic person’s experience is the same as other neurodivergent person—they’re separate for good reason.

If you believe you could be neurodivergent, don’t just look into autistic symptoms and understandings. And the same is also true backwards; if you believe you could be autistic, don’t try to relate to every neurodivergent symptom out there. There’s just too many conditions under the umbrella to be able to relate to them all.