Neurodiversity as democratic theory and research

Abstract This chapter details the core components of neurodiversity theory, emphasizing a democratic shift in knowledge by centring neurodivergent expertise and contesting neuronormative assumptions. It contrasts medical, social, and relational models of disability to show how societal barriers, not impairment alone, disable neurodivergent people and reinforce stigma. The chapter presents standpoint epistemology, recognizing lived experience as valuable expertise and arguing that research must integrate community perspectives with clinical knowledge. It contests the association of health with statistical normality, promotes democratic definitions of pathology, and supports self-identification beyond rigid diagnostic categories. Finally, the chapter outlines how research, diagnostic frameworks, and cultural analysis must democratically involve neurodivergent people through co-production and participatory methods.