Gatekeeping the Neurodivergent Umbrella

We are going back to basics, an introductory 101 level course, if you will, and taking an in-depth look at what it means to be neurodivergent.  The definition as well as who gets to decide if someone is, in fact, neurodivergent.  Because, much like many things, there is not one definitive answer on this.  Depending on who you ask, neurodivergence can look many ways.  Which has led me to the question:

•  what exactly is a neurodivergent brain?
•  who gets to gatekeep whether an individual “gets” to claim themselves as neurodivergent? 

The work of Kassiane Asasumasu, a multiply neurodivergent neurodiversity activist, who coined the terms “Neurodivergent” and “neurodivergence” in 2000 and Dr. Nick Walker, an autistic writer and educator that is best known for her foundational work on the neurodiversity paradigm and the development of the term “neuroqueer” helped inform this episode.  You can find more information about them here:

Kassiane Asasumasu quote:

https://sherlocksflataffect.tumblr.com/post/121295972384/psa-from-the-actual-coiner-of-neurodivergent

Research and work by Dr. Nick Walker:
https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/
https://neuroqueer.com/essays/

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