Neurodivergence. Just Another Brain Configuration?

Just like laptops, human brains come in many different configurations. More memory, a faster processor, more storage capacity, more power… The configurations are nearly endless and fall on a spectrum. The neurotypical and neurodivergent spectrum.

Hi, I am Dr. Z

Welcome to NDIVS. You are here because I have asked you to visit this site (if you are one of my current or former clients), or because you found me on the web (possible albeit unlikely, seeing that there are millions and millions of websites on the Internet), or you just got here by accident. In any case, welcome to Neurodivergence Research and Education!

This site will be of interest to you if

you already know you are on the autism spectrum,
you’re not sure you are,
you know, work with, or love someone who may be on the spectrum
you’re a professional working with neurodivergent individuals

If you can get past your natural reluctance to engage with the topic of autism (the word does have a historical stigma attached to it, unfortunately), or your skepticism of anything brainy, or your understandable desire to pretend that absolutely nothing is the matter with some of your behaviors, your frequently short attention span, and your sensory and emotional touchiness, then you’ve come to the right place. I wish you well on your search for meaning.
Contact me if you need more information.

Dr. Mark Zuccolo, Alpharetta, Georgia USA

Neurodivergent or Neurotypical?

So you have been told by a doctor, a psychotherapist, or someone in the know that you may be “on the spectrum.” You may have certain hypersensitivities (to tastes, sights, sounds, touch, or smells); you may have trouble keeping a schedule or completing tasks (ADHD or ADD); you may experience moments of awkwardness in social situations (Social Anxiety); you may have passions and interests that grab all your attention; you may be resorting to drugs (especially weed) or alcohol to find some relief from the unstoppable flow of thoughts and emotions that curse through your mind… what is going on? Rest assured: you are not crazy, weird, or bad. Not in the least! The words you want to use in describing yourself and the way your brain works are not those. Rather, begin to think of yourself in terms of variation, difference, or diversity of configuration. A machine with 8 gigs of RAM and 12 cores with 6TB of storage runs with a very different software configuration than that of a cheap Chromebook laptop. And yet, they are both computers – very differently configured and powered, for sure, but they work in exactly the same way. Read more

The Science of Neurodiversity by Hagar Goldberg

Neurodiversity is a concept and a social movement that addresses and normalizes human neurocognitive heterogeneity to promote acceptance and inclusion of neuro-minorities (e.g., learning disabilities, attention disorders, psychiatric disorders, and more) in contemporary society. Neurodiversity is attributed to nature and nurture factors, and about a fifth of the human population is considered neurodivergent.

What does neurodiversity mean neuroscientifically? This question forms the foundation of the present entry, which focuses on existing scientific evidence on neurodiversity including neurodiversity between and within individuals, and the evolutional perspective of neurodiversity.

Furthermore, the neuroscientific view will be synergistically integrated with social approaches, particularly in the context of the normalization of neurodiversity and its association with the medical and social models of disability.

This multidimensional analysis offers a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of neurodiversity, drawing insights from various vantage points, such as social, psychological, clinical, and neuroscientific viewpoints. This integrated approach fosters a nuanced and holistic discussion on the topic of human diversity. Continue reading

NEURODIVERGENCE UPDATES

Neuroscience

Featured Article by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision-making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations…

Basic Information

Understanding neurodivergence

Temple Grandin Movie Poster What is neurodivergence? It is not a disease. Neurodivergence is a highly differentiated brain configuration, characterized by a proliferation of cells in specific areas of the human brain…

Psychology

Featured Article by Madison McKee

Autism and ADHD are not annoyances or bad personality traits that one must learn to overcome. Numerous studies have demonstrated physiological differences in the brain that contribute to…

Historiography

Featured Article by Sula Wolff (1924-2009)

Since its discovery 60 years ago, autism has been puzzling, fascinating and massively researched. It has generated two international Journals: The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, which…

Psychopathology

Treatment of co-occurring disorders

Neurodivergence individuals and neurodiverse populations may present with symptoms consistent with one or more mental health diagnoses. These symptoms …

Semantics

Featured Article by Bridget Livingstone et al.

Neurodiversity as a concept, identity, and movement has radically challenged pre-existing ideas of human difference and value. First proposed by Judy Singer (1998) and largely developed through the work…

LATEST POSTS

Blog Post

To Clinicians Working with Adults On the Spectrum

I am happy to see that many of the barriers to appropriate therapy have been tackled with an increased willingness to bridge the gaps between separate fields of research and clinical practice (Cooper, Loades, & Russell, 2018; Maddox & Gaus, 2018). Nonetheless, I have continued...

Blog Post

We Asked NDIVS/ai a Question…

While wondering on how to make our website more appealing and brainstorming on ways to accomplish that goal, we decided to ask our artificial intelligence bot, NDIVS/ai this very simple question. Here are its answers (edited by us by adding a few additional tidbits, shown in [ ] brackets).

Blog Post

The road from ‘Autism’ to ‘Neurodivergence’?

We publish excerpts from two chapters of sociologist Gil Eyal's 2016 book, The Autism Matrix (written with Brendan Hart, Emine Onculer, Neta Oren, and Natasha Rossi), in which the authors appear to trace the path from autism as a dynamic psychopathology to neurodivergence as a stable personality trait.

Blog Post

A Neurodivergent Reading of Volkmar and Palphrey’s ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’

Autism and related conditions (previously termed the pervasive developmental disorders and more recently the autism spectrum disorders [ASDs]) share their major similarity in the significant difficulties in social development and interaction associated with problems in communication and behavior.

Blog Post

Can the 6 Principles of ACT Be Applied to Neurodivergence?

A reflection by Dr. Mark Zuccolo on the feasibility of applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles to the discussion of neurodivergence with an individual client or couple in the therapy setting.

Blog Post

Can the Research Domain Criteria Project of NIMH be reframed to accommodate research on neurodivergence and autism spectrum disorders?

We reprint excerpts from a book chapter that explores the applicability of RDoC to psychopathology, for reflection on the NIMH framework's possible applicability to neurodivergence studies and research. For the sake of reframing, substitute "psychopathology," "disorder(s)," or "mental health disorder(s)" with "neurodivergence".

Guest Post

A Very Brief Overview of The Established History of Autism

We publish the greater part (pp. 5-28) of the Introduction to Dr. Haswell-Todd's 2015 dissertation The Turn to The Self: A History of Autism, 1910–1944. The dissertation is available in its entirety in our library.

Blog Post

Neurodivergent vs. Neurodiverse

“Neurodiverse” refers to a place, not an individual. “Neurodivergent” is an umbrella term that is used to describe individuals with a wide range of neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other conditions that affect the way a person thinks, learns, and communicates.

Guest Post

“Am I Autistic?” A Guide to Navigating Questioning Your Neurotype

Perhaps you’ve always had a suspicion. Maybe you know other neurodivergent people and recognise a lot of their traits in yourself. Or maybe someone in your life has suggested you may be Autistic. Whatever your reason, first of all, know that you are safe and welcome here, however you identify!

Guest Post

What Does ‘Neurotypical’ Mean?

The word “neurotypical” is an informal term used to describe a person whose brain functions are considered usual or expected by society. This term is often applied to people who do not have a developmental disorder like autism, differentiating them from those who do.

Guest Post

A Review of Autism Screeners For Adults

The Autism Quotient (AQ) is a standard screener for Autism includes 50 questions and measures how many autistic traits a person has. Pros: It has been widely used in many populations and studies—one of the few screeners specifically created for Autistic adults without co-occurring intellectual disabilities...

Guest Post

Lost in Translation – The Social Language Theory of Neurodivergence

“Reality simply consists of different points of view.” -Margaret Atwood. We the neurodivergent are genetically different. We experience the world through a hypersensitive nervous system which informs every aspect of our thinking, our behavior, and our social values. The dominant social group...

Guest Post

Neurotypical, Neurodivergent, and Neurodiverse Differences

Neurotypical, neurodivergent and neurodiverse are terms that are used to describe how an individual(s) sees, interacts and understands the world. These words helped change, deflect and broaden the conversation from focusing on the mental health component of the behaviors involved.

Guest Post

What Does It Mean to Be Neurodivergent?

Neurodivergence is the term for when someone's brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered "typical." Formerly considered a problem or abnormal, scientists now understand that neurodivergence isn’t inherently an issue for the individual and that it has a large societal benefit.

Guest Post

A Day in the Life of a Neurodivergent vs a Neurotypical

Disclaimer: This is just a bit of fun and of course is extremely overgeneralised. Everyone is different! In-case you are unfamiliar with the language of neurodiversity: NEURODIVERSITY = The diversity of human minds. Includes both neurotypicals and neurodivergents. A group of people...

Blog Post

Neurodivergence and Mental Health: Navigating Challenges and Promoting Well-being

Neurodivergence is a term that has gained recognition in recent years, but what does it actually mean? In simple terms, neurodivergence refers to the natural variations in how our brains function and process information. It recognizes that not everyone's brain works in the same way, and...

Blog Post

Neurodivergence in Society: Embracing and Supporting Neurodiverse Individuals

In today's society, there is a growing recognition of the importance of embracing and supporting neurodiverse individuals. This shift in perspective is driven by a desire to create a more inclusive and equitable society that values diversity in all its forms. By understanding and accommodating the needs of neurodivergent individuals,

Blog Post

What Is Neurodivergence

Neurodivergence is a term that has gained increasing recognition in recent years. It refers to the concept that neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other conditions, are simply variations of the human brain rather than disorders or deficits. This perspective challenges...