Neurodiversity

This chapter focuses on neurodiversity and provides some critique and highlights some controversies around the area of neurodivergence. I explore how neurodiversity interfaces with the medical model of mental health. I focus on ADHD and how that appears to have risen in prevalence or people’s awareness of it. I discuss the concept of masking and the functions this may provide and downsides. I consider the use of stimulant medication for ADHD. I also discuss neoliberalism and how that may impact the increasing rates of diagnosis. I provide a case study to illustrate a common situation within social work of children seeking neurodivergent diagnoses. I also touch on crossover of diagnosis, pointing to concerns about the validity and reliability of all diagnoses and differences subsumed in the DSM.