Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological variation, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and Tourette syndrome, is a natural part of human diversity rather than a set of deficits. A group of people is neurodiverse; an individual is neurodivergent. The framing came from the autistic community in the late 1990s and sits alongside the social model of disability: barriers come from environments that assume a narrow neurological default.

Two W3C user stories cover part of the range. Ian, a data entry clerk who is autistic, needs consistent layouts, plain language, and advance notice of changes. Stefan, a student with ADHD and dyslexia, is distracted by busy pages and relies on reading mode, text-to-speech, and pop-up blockers. Together they cover autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette syndrome and others aren't represented.

Plain language, consistent navigation, short sections with headings, and clear error messages help across neurodivergent experiences. So does letting people adjust font and spacing, avoid moving content, undo mistakes, and take enough time.