Neurodiversity Movement Expands Acceptance of More Than Just Autism

Autism, an intellectual and/or developmental disorder that impacts millions of people—both adults and children, has had a meteoric rise in awareness and acceptance thanks to global efforts and better diagnosis criteria.

New Jersey has seen sharp increases in diagnoses since the millennium, with increases of 300% in some parts of the state between 2000 and 2016, according to a new Rutgers University study published in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers are making diagnoses on the autism spectrum that do not include intellectual disabilities, which is a shift in thinking about the disorder and how it is recognized by professionals. Currently, the two main criteria for diagnosis are social communication and behavioral issues, which is one less criteria than previous.

People are also realizing that no two people experience autism in the same way. Yes, there are classic signs of the disorder, but no two people present them the same, so autism is described as a spectrum disorder with a broad range of symptoms that affect each individual differently.

In addition to changing the diagnosis criteria, autism awareness has opened the door for more neurodiverse inclusivity.

So what exactly does that mean? What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a broad umbrella that includes many neurological or developmental conditions in addition to autism, according to Harvard Health Publishing at Harvard Medical School. It does include autism spectrum disorder under its definition. Other conditions that can be classified are: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities or Williams syndrome.

Neurodiversity is used to describe differences, not deficits and show acceptance for these differences.

The neurodiversity movement—which is primarily a social justice initiative to foster acceptance and inclusivity—emerged during the 1990s to embrace neurological differences.

Another term you may hear used is neurodivergent, which are differences in the way the brain actually works, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Again, no two neurodivergent people are alike, since no two brains are alike.

Supporting Neurodiverse Individuals

Adults in New Jersey with neurodiversity may qualify for state-funded services to assist them by providing funding for trained support professionals that work with people towards their individual outcomes while ensuring their needs are met.

The Supports Program and Community Care Program Department of Human Services ’ were developed by the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), which provides public funding for certain services that assist eligible New Jersey adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, age 21 and older, to live as independently as possible.

The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has been funding services for state residents with developmental disabilities since 1959. The division was created in response to the need for better and more effective services for state residents with developmental disabilities. Advocates for those services included many parents and other family members who wanted community-based alternatives to the institutional care that had been their only option for many decades.

Today, nearly 25,000 adults are eligible to receive services funded by the division.

World Autism Day

The United Nations will observe World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) with the theme “Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive World for All.”

The narrative around autism is gradually moving away from misconceptions of curing and converting autistic people to an inclusive approach focusing on accepting, supporting and involving autistic people, and embracing the concept of neurodiversity — the idea that people experience and interact with the world in many different ways and that there is no one “right” way.

The neurodiversity perspective allows recognition and appreciation of the positive contributions that autistic people make to their families, communities and — beyond that — globally, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, our common blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.

This is a major transformation for all autistic people, their allies, the wider neurodiversity community and the world at large. It enables autistic people to claim their dignity and self-esteem, and to become fully integrated as valued members of their families and societies.