Introducing neurodiversity

Abstract This chapter introduces the neurodiversity paradigm as a transformative framework for understanding neurological variation across individuals and societies. It traces the emergence of the neurodiversity movement from autistic self-advocacy in the 1990s to a broad coalition of activists, scholars, and communities challenging the dominant normalcy paradigm. The chapter positions neurodiversity as both a scientific and cultural paradigm shift, grounded in two core principles: affirm complexity and politicize neuronormativity. It explains how these principles challenge deficit-based models and reframe neurological difference as natural, valuable, and shaped by social context. Finally, the chapter sets the foundation for exploring how neurodiversity reshapes science, policy, and culture towards collective liberation.