Using ‘neurodivergent’ as a catch‑all term is problematic – here’s why

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By Alessio Bellato, Samuele Cortese

The term “neurodivergent” is being used more and more often in everyday conversation, on social media and even in scientific research.

Neurodivergent is usually used to described a brain that works differently from what is seen as typical. For instance, it is often used to describe someone with a diagnosis of autism or ADHD.

Even academics can’t agree on what 'neurodivergent' actually means, or which clinical diagnoses it covers

But there’s an inherent problem with the term: it’s hard to say exactly what counts as “typical” brain function. Our new review shows that even academics can’t agree on what neurodivergent actually means, or which clinical diagnoses it covers.

We looked at 134 scientific studies that included over 151,000 participants. The majority of this research was conducted in the UK and US. These studies mainly looked at people who were labelled “neurodivergent” or “neurodiverse”, exploring their education and work experiences, mental health, identity and social connection, diagnosis and traits, support, and the views of families and caregivers.