Neurodiversity is a concept that recognizes and accepts people whose brains function outside the standards considered normal. The difference between neurotypical people and neurodivergent people is that the latter have had neurodevelopment outside of what is expected and common. This has had a decisive influence on the way they process information, their skills or their behaviors.
Being a neurodivergent person only means having atypical neurology, since each one of them has a personality and a unique perspective on the world, which enriches society and makes it more valuable and diverse. This group includes people diagnosed with dyslexia, autism, ADHD or Tourette syndrome. But how can we identify them? Below, we explain in detail what their abilities are.
Neurodivergence manifests itself with a multitude of symptoms, which vary from subtle or imperceptible differences with neurotypicals to behaviors that differ significantly from what is considered common, as explained by psychologist Francisco Hidalgo Díaz in an article. Most of these symptoms are usually detected from the work environment or the educational environment. This is partly because the academic system is not prepared to adapt to the specific needs of neurodivergent people. Some of the most common types of neurodiversity are:
To know if you or someone around you is a person with neurodiversity, it is necessary to consult with a professional with the ability to evaluate and diagnose a neurological disorder. However, there are a series of informal tests with which you could get an idea and satisfy your curiosity. One of them is the Revised Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale (RAADS-R), a self-assessment test created to help identify subclinical autism in adults. On the other hand, the Bangor test is an instrument focused on linguistic skills that is used to detect possible cases of dyslexia.
