Neurodivergent

Neurodivergent describes people whose neurological functioning differs from the dominant social standard. It covers autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, and other cognitive or sensory differences. The word was coined around 2000 by biracial autistic activist Kassiane Asasumasu, who intended it as a broad, inclusive term rather than a diagnosis. It sits under the wider idea of neurodiversity, which holds that these differences are natural human variation instead of defects to fix. The term matters to LGBTQ+ communities because research consistently finds higher rates of gender diversity and non-heterosexual identity among autistic and other neurodivergent people, so the two communities overlap heavily.