The Neurodiversity-affirming Philosophy

Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds. Everyone has a different neurotype, and you can never find two people with the exact same mind. It is a form of human diversity, similar to race and gender.

While there is no right or wrong answer in neurodiversity, there are people who are considered “neurotypical“ and others considered “neurodivergent“ under the dominant social standards of being “normal“. Just like racial and gender minorities, the idea of being “neurotypical“ vs “neurodivergent“ is a social construct created by the culture around us.

Being neurodiversity-affirming is a philosophy based on the understanding that there is no one “right“ mind even though the societal pressure sometimes make it seem that way. We do not try to change an individual to a neurotypical standards; we work to help them develop a healthy self-concept and build up an authentic identity.

We sure live in a world with rules and expectations, but human minds are not defined by any of them. The diversity of human minds makes the world a wonderful, endless-learning place, and we never want to stop learning. Neurodiversity should be celebrated, not confined!

Ashley Liu, LICSW