neurodiverse

English

WOTD – 13 March 2023

Etymology

PIE word
*snéh₁wr̥

PIE word
*dwís

From neuro- (prefix denoting the nervous system) +‎ diverse,^[1] probably modelled on neurodiversity which was coined by the Australian sociologist Judy Singer (born 1951) in her 1998 Bachelor of Arts dissertation.^[2] The latter word was popularized by Harvey Blume in a September 1998 article in The Atlantic.^[3]^[4]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌnjʊəɹə(ʊ)daɪˈvɜːs/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌn(j)ʊɹoʊˌdaɪˈvɝs/, /-dəˈvɝs/
Audio (General American): (file)
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s
Hyphenation: neu‧ro‧di‧verse

Adjective

neurodiverse (comparative more neurodiverse, superlative most neurodiverse)

Of a person: exhibiting neurodiversity; varying in mental configuration from others, especially being on the autism spectrum; of a group: made up of neurodivergent people. [from early 21st c.]
Synonyms: (uncommon) aneurotypical, neuroatypical, neurodivergent

Antonym: neurotypical
- 2019 October 21, Robbie Wojciechowski, “Worklife 101: Where 75% of Workers are on the Autistic Spectrum”, in BBC Online‎^[4], archived from the original on 2022-12-06:
  But while programmes at companies including Microsoft and accounting firm EY are small and focused around supporting neurodiverse workers in the office, Ultranauts has redesigned its entire business around neurodiverse employees, changing hiring efforts to actively recruit and accommodate individuals on the autism spectrum.
- 2024 February 21, Nick Brodrick, “Inclusion and development for all”, in RAIL, number 1003, page 62:
  "Out of the trauma of COVID came the recognition that working from home does benefit some people who are neurodiverse," says Foster.
Of or pertaining to neurodivergent people or groups.

Related terms

Translations

of a person: exhibiting neurodiversity; of a group: made up of neurodivergent people

Finnish: ei-neurotyypillinen
Macedonian: невроразноо́бразен (nevroraznoóbrazen)
Spanish: neurodiverso
Welsh: niwroamrywiol

of or pertaining to neurodivergent people or groups

Finnish: ei-neurotyypillinen
Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
Spanish: neurodiverso
Welsh: niwroamrywiol

References

^ “neurodiverse, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “neurodiverse, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
^ Judy Singer (1998) “What is the Autistic Spectrum?”, in Odd People In: The Birth of a Community amongst People on the ‘Autistic Spectrum’: A Personal Exploration Based on Neurological Diversity‎^[1] (unpublished B.A. (Social Science) dissertation), Sydney, N.S.W.: Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of Technology Sydney, archived from the original on 25 March 2023, pages 13–14: “For me, the significance of the "Autistic Spectrum" lies in its call for and anticipation of a "Politics of Neurodiversity". […] The rise of Neurodiversity takes postmodern fragmentation one step further.”
^ Harvey Blume (1998 September) “Neurodiversity: On the Neurological Underpinnings of Geekdom”, in William Whitworth, editor, The Atlantic‎^[2], Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-02-05.
^ Howard Timberlake (2019 October 10) “Why there is No Such Thing as a ‘Normal’ Brain”, in BBC Online‎^[3], archived from the original on 2023-02-20.