This image is from my family archive. Shared here for storytelling only — not for reuse or reproduction. © Rachel Bakewell, 2026
Neurodiversity describes the full range of human brains, just as biodiversity describes the full range of life. Every person is part of neurodiversity, because no two brains are the same. Some people share significant differences in how they process information, sense the world, or communicate; these groups are described as neurodivergent.
The term was introduced in the late 1990s by sociologist Judy Singer, an autistic person who wanted to shift the conversation away from pathologising neurological differences. Instead of framing people as “disordered,” the neurodiversity movement argues for acceptance, dignity, and support that respects how each brain works.
What kinds of differences does it include?
Neurodiversity covers a wide range of neurological profiles, including.
• Autism — differences in communication, sensory processing, and social interaction.
• ADHD — differences in attention regulation, activity levels, and executive function.
• Dyslexia — differences in language processing.
• Dyspraxia — differences in coordination and movement.
• Dyscalculia, Tourette’s, and others.
These differences often come with unique strengths, such as creativity, deep focus, pattern recognition, problem‑solving, and original thinking.
Around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, over 15% of the population.
Why neurodiversity matters
The neurodiversity paradigm challenges the idea that there is one “normal” or “correct” way to think. Instead, it argues that:
- Brains are naturally diverse, and that diversity is valuable.
- Support should adapt to the person, not the other way around.
- Barriers come from environments and expectations, not from the person’s brain.
- Strengths and challenges coexist, and both deserve understanding.
This approach encourages workplaces, schools, and communities to create environments where neurodivergent people can thrive, not by masking or forcing themselves to fit in, but by being understood and supported.
A small historical note
Neurodivergent people have always existed, long before we had the words. In historic photographs like the one I’ve shared, at least one or two children would almost certainly have been neurodivergent, living without language, support, or recognition for the ways their minds worked differently. Understanding neurodiversity today helps us honour the lives of those who never had that understanding.
In short Neurodiversity reframes neurological differences as part of human variation, not flaws. It’s about respect, inclusion, and recognising the strengths that come from different ways of thinking.
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