Neurodiversity and Neurotypical: What Do These Terms Really Mean?

You may have heard the words neurodiversity and neurotypical more often lately in schools, on social media, or during therapy or medical appointments. But what do these terms actually mean?

Understanding these concepts can help reduce fear, confusion, and stigma—especially for children and families navigating a new diagnosis.

Image Credit:Anna Bergbauer

What Does Neurotypical Mean?

Let’s start with neurotypical.

The word neuro comes from the Greek word neuron, meaning nerve, and typical means usual or expected. When someone is described as neurotypical, it generally means their brain processes information in ways that align with what society considers “typical” or expected. This can include areas such as learning, attention, communication, emotional regulation, and sensory processing.

Neurotypical is not better, it is simply one way a brain can function.

What Does Neurodiverse (or Neurodiversity) Mean?

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how human brains develop and function. Rather than viewing differences as deficits, neurodiversity is a framework that recognizes that brains can work in many different ways.

When someone is described as neurodivergent, it means their brain functions differently from what is considered typical. These differences can affect areas such as:

• Sensory processing

• Motor skills

• Attention and focus

• Communication

• Learning styles

• Emotional regulation

Neurodiversity itself is not a diagnosis rather it is a way of understanding brain differences.

What Conditions Fall Under Neurodiversity?

These includes things such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disorders (ID), communication disorders, specific learning disorders (SLD), and developmental motor disorders (including tic disorders) (APA, 2022). As you can see, this is a wide range which is exactly why the word diverse matters! Even within each of these diagnoses everyone’s experience is a little different and/or diverse!

How Are Neurodivergent Conditions Diagnosed?

Many neurodivergent conditions can be diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, or neurologists. The diagnostic process varies depending on the condition and may include:

• Standardized assessments

• Behavioral observations

• Developmental history

• Specific diagnostic criteria

It’s important to know that neurodiversity is not something you can catch or spread. In most cases, it is not something that can be “cured.” However, many individuals benefit greatly from therapies, supports, and sometimes medication.

Children may not fully understand what a diagnosis means and can sometimes feel scared or “different.” This can be even more challenging when a child has more than one diagnosis.

Wait, Can Someone Have More Than One Diagnosis?

Well, yes! This is actually very common. Research shows that many neurodivergent conditions frequently co-occur. For example:

• Studies indicate that 22–83% of children on the autism spectrum also meet criteria for ADHD (Hours et al., 2022).

• Approximately 50% of children diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, or Specific Learning Disorders also show symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder (dyspraxia) (Bonti et al., 2024).

Developmental Coordination Disorder or Dyspraxia can affect:

• Gross motor skills (running, balancing, jumping, riding a bike)

• Fine motor skills (writing, typing, buttoning, tying shoes)

• Executive functioning (organization, time management)

• Speech (slow speech or articulation difficulties)

  
  

Additionally, many neurodivergent individuals experience co-occurring emotional or behavioral challenges, such as anxiety, depression, or increased emotional outbursts.

A Spectrum of Experiences

When considering the terms neurodiversity and neurotypical it is important to remember that it is a spectrum – no two individuals will have the same behaviors or experiences even with the same diagnosis.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore these diagnoses in more detail to help families better understand and support neurodivergent children and teens.

If you or someone you love has received a recent diagnosis and are feeling confused or concerned, or is looking for neurodiversity therapy in Salt Lake City reach out to our therapists here at Cottonwood Counseling & Coaching at 801.513.1780. We have immediate openings!

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Neurodevelopmental Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x01_Neurodevelopmental_Disorders

Bonti, E., Zerva, I. K., Koundourou, C., & Sofologi, M. (2024). The High Rates of Comorbidity among Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Reconsidering the Clinical Utility of Distinct Diagnostic Categories. Journal of personalized medicine, 14(3), 300. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14030300

Hours C., Recasens C., Baleyte J.M. ASD and ADHD comorbidity: What are we talking about? Front. Psychiatry. 2022;13:154. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.837424