Neurodiversity
Last updated: October 2025
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Definitions
- Neurodiversity: A way of describing the natural differences and diversity across human brains.
- Neurodiverse: A group of people with differing neurocognitive experiences. For example, a team with neurodivergent and neurotypical members would be neurodiverse. Sometimes, people use ‘neurodiverse’ when they mean ‘neurodivergent’ – an individual (e.g. an autistic person) or a group of people with the same experience (e.g. a group of people with ADHD) can’t be described as neurodiverse.
- Neurodivergence: “Having a ‘neurocognitive’ experience (to do with how information is processed by the brain) that ‘diverges’ from (is different to) what is considered typical.” (National Autistic Society). There isn’t a defined list of neurodivergences, but commonly included are: autism; ADHD; learning disabilities; dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia; Tourette’s syndrome; epilepsy; OCD; mental health conditions; developmental conditions; and brain injury.
- Neurodivergent: People who experience and interact with the world differently to what is considered ‘typical’. Example: Autism is an form of neurodivergence, autistic people are neurodivergent.
- Neurotypical: People who aren’t neurodivergent, who experience and interact with the world in what is considered the ‘typical’ way.
Sources
- National Autistic Society: Autism and neurodiversity.
- Royal College of Nursing: What is neurodiversity?
- Nick Walker: Neurodiversity: Some basic terms and definitions.
Library resources
The library has a wide selection of books and e-books on neurodiversity and neurodivergences. Search the catalogue at the link below. Any books not in stock we can often borrow from another library, just ask!
Guidance and strategy
- East Cheshire NHS Trust: Learning Disability and Autism Strategy 2025-2028.
- NICE Guidance:
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries:
- House of Commons Library: Autism policy and services: Health and social care (Published April 2025).
Supporting neurodivergent patients
- NHS England: How to support autistic people – a guide for GP practice staff (Published September 2017).
- NHS England: Making information and the words we use accessible.
- Don’t Forget The Bubbles: Communicating with neurodivergent patients – communicating with children and young people (Updated April 2024).
- Healthwatch: The challenges neurodivergent people face receiving care (Published August 2023).
- Bild: Resources for those supporting people with learning disabilities.
- Easy Health: Easy read health information leaflets and videos.
- Change People: Easy read resources including leaflets about the Accessible Information Standard.
- East Cheshire Council: Autism support organisations and groups in Cheshire.
Neurodiversity in the workplace
Resources for neurodivergent staff and students
- NHS England: Guide to Practice-Based Learning for Neurodivergent Students.
- Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Support for neurodivergent SLTs.
- Royal College of Nursing (RCN): Support for neurodivergent nursing staff.
- Autistic Doctors International: An online community of autistic medical doctors.
- The Brain Charity: Free help and resources – includes topics like workplace rights and legal advice.
- Goblin Tools: A collection of tools that help to break down tasks, including creating to-do lists, checking texts for tone, estimating activities’ timeframes, and more.
- Unlocking ADHD: Workplace resources.
- British Medical Association (BMA): Disabilities, long-term conditions and neurodiversity (DLN) member network.
- Autistic Girls Network: Knowledge base with resources for autistic women and autistic LGBTQIA+ people, and on self-advocacy in the workplace.
- Neurodiversity UK: ADHD Access to Work support group.
Supporting neurodivergent colleagues
- NHS England: Making meetings accessible.
- Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Support for those working with or managing neurodivergent colleagues.
- NHS England Nursing and Midwifery Workforce: The development of a Neurodiversity Toolkit to support Neurodivergent learners and those in practice supporting them (sign in with your NHS Athens account to access the toolkit).
- Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development: Neuroinclusion at work.
- ACAS: Reasonable adjustments are work – adjustments for neurodiversity.
Organisations
- ADHD UK
- ADHD Adult UK
- British Dyslexia Association
- British Institute of Learning Disabilities (Bild)
- Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
- Mencap
- Mind
- National Autistic Society
- OCD UK
- Space4Autism (Macclesfield-based)
- Tourettes Action