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TheGaygency

Glossary

Neurotypical

Neurotypical describes a person whose brain develops and works in the way a society treats as standard, meaning they are not autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent.

Neurotypical describes people whose neurological development falls within the range a society treats as typical, meaning they are not autistic and do not have ADHD, dyslexia, or other forms of neurodivergence. The word emerged from autistic self-advocacy communities as a neutral counterpart to neurodivergent. It deliberately avoids labeling one kind of brain normal and another abnormal, instead treating both as points on the wider spectrum of neurodiversity. The term has become common in intersectional LGBTQ+ spaces as awareness of neurodiversity has grown, since many queer and trans people also identify as neurodivergent and use this vocabulary to describe the difference plainly.

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