ADHD and ASD are Normal Biological Variations as part of Human Evolution and are not "Disorders".
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Authors
Swanepoel, Annie
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Issue Date
01/12/2024
Type
Journal article
Language
Keywords
Mental Health
Alternative Title
Abstract
Recent developments driven by people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have highlighted that far from being disorders, ADHD and/or ASD can be seen as natural variations in neurodevelopment. The neurodiversity movement acknowledges that people with ADHD and/or ASD have specific strengths, that can help them outperform neurotypical individuals in certain situations and that these conditions should therefore not be seen as disorders. This view is supported by evolutionary science, which can be used as a framework to understand ADHD and/or ASD as natural variations that were not eliminated by natural selection due to their benefit to the individual and group in certain situations. The evolutionary perspective supports neurodiversity as relevant and important in helping our species thrive.
Description
Citation
Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 21(6), 451-454.
Publisher
License
Journal
Clinical Neuropsychiatry
Volume
21
Issue
6