Could I Be Neurodivergent?

This is a term used to describe someone who has neurodevelopmental conditions which affect their daily abilities and causes more struggles.

Neurodivergence can be from birth or from brain injuries or illness. It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent in one way or another. 

Being neurodivergent doesn’t mean they have a mental illness. There are many factors that can cause mental illness from being neurodivergent like from lack of support, lack of understanding, anxiety (including social anxiety). This may lead to depression and other mental illnesses.

What conditions/disorders are classed as neurodivergence?

• Autism Spectrum Disorder also known as Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASD/ASC)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Development Coordination Disorder (DCD) also known as Dyspraxia
• Epilepsy
• Tourette’s and Tic Disorders
• Dyslexia/ Dyscalculia
• Global Development Disorder (GDD)
• Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

These are only a handful of conditions and disorders which are classed as neurodivergence.

Which one do I have?

Many of these conditions/disorders can overlap which means they have similar traits to one another, or they can co-exist together which means you may have more than one condition/disorder. 

For example, I am autistic and dyslexic (maybe ADD). They have similar traits which lead to me being diagnosed autistic in my early 30’s as many thought my dyslexia were causing traits that overlap into ASC and ADD. 

What are the common traits of neurodivergence?

• Routine
• Repetition
• Picky eaters
• Special interest 
• Tics/Stimmers
• Social Anxiety
• Anxiety
• Sensory Sensitivity
• Hyper Focused 

These are on a handful of traits as the list can go on forever. Having these traits can still mean you are not neurodivergent but classed as neurotypical. If you have questions, please speak to other neurodivergent people or seek professional help. Self-diagnosis is valid, but you may need to get an official diagnosis to get support. 

What is neurotypical?

Being neurotypical means that the brain functions and processes information in the way society expects. 

Who can I go to for professional help (in my experience)?

In the UK as an adult, I had to go to my GP to get advice about a referral to get an autism assessment, but this isn’t always the case for other adults. I was lucky to have a GP who knew me quite well. I was on the waiting list under 2 years which at the time was the average length of waiting. This was just before COVID-19, so waiting lists may be longer. 

With my dyslexia I was 15 and my secondary school arranged for a dyslexia screening. This was the same in all colleges. I had to talk to the head of SENCO to get an updated screening for dyslexia for their proof that I needed extra time during assessments and exams. Due to the cost of an official dyslexia diagnosis (which would have been done privately) I have been unable to get officially diagnosed as dyslexic, but this did not stop me from getting extra time and support during my time in school and college.

Here are some links to a couple of autistic online tests that can be used as a starting point:
Autism Spectrum Quotient | Embrace Autism (embrace-autism.com)
RAADS–R | Embrace Autism (embrace-autism.com)