Promoting neurodiversity without perpetuating stereotypes or overlooking the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

We are highly concerned with the way in which LeFevre-Levy et al. (2023) characterize neurodiversity and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia in their focal article. In our opinion, the focal article is overly concerned with neurodiversity as a source of gifted outliers among the neuroatypical population. This framing perpetuates stereotypes of neuroatypical individuals that over-emphasize claims of narrowly defined strengths associated with specific conditions (e.g., greater visuospatial ability among individuals with ASD). Not only are these conditions more complex and interrelated than characterized in the focal article, but the article also fails to fully acknowledge the serious challenges that these conditions pose for most neuroatypical individuals. We value the goal of increasing neurodiversity in the workplace but contend that this cannot truly be achieved without an accurate understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders and the diversity of challenges faced by many neuroatypical individuals.