Every year, the dictionary welcomes new words into its pages. 150 witnesses to the evolution of the French language, our knowledge and our society. And among them, one word in particular caught my attention: neuroatypical.

What does “neuroatypical” mean?

BIRTH OF THE WORD: originally, the adjective “neuro-atypical” was coined to refer to people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

CURRENT DEFINITION: The term “neuroatypical” now refers to any person whose neurological functioning differs from what is considered the dominant norm. It is generally contrasted with the term “neurotypical“.

Today, this non-medical term is often associated with NDDs (Neurodevelopmental Disorders):

Main recognised NDDs:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • ADHD: attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity
  • DYS disorders: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysorthographia…
  • Intellectual Developmental Disorders (IDD)

It is common for the same person to have several NDDs together. This is known as comorbidity.

A neuroatypical person:

  • is born with their condition (their different way of functioning)
  • will live with it their whole life

However, neuroatypia is not an illness.

SPECIFIC FEATURES: some agree that neuroatypia can also include people with:

  • high potential (IQ > 130)
  • certain cognitive and sensory particularities such as hypersensitivity or sensory hypersensitivity

Neuroatypia, neurodiversity or neurodivergence:

Over the past few years, discoveries in neuroscience have led to the emergence of new words such as “neurodivergent”, “neurodiversity” or “neuroatypical”. But how do we tell them apart? Are they synonyms, used in different contexts?

What to remember:

  • It was in 1998 that people began talking about neurodiversity. Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, coined this new word to talk not only about people with an NDD, but about all differences in functioning.

This approach views certain neurological conditions not only as disorders to be corrected or compensated for, but also as natural variations in human functioning. Its aim is to shift the perspective, moving from “illness to be cured” to “difference to be included”.

  • The related adjective “divergent” is used more in English, whereas French tends to prefer the adjective “neuroatypical”.

Why does entering the dictionary matter?

A word doesn’t make it into a dictionary overnight. It generally means that its use has become widespread enough in society to be considered stable and understandable by a broad audience. In the case of “neuroatypical”, this linguistic recognition reflects several changes:

  • growing legitimacy for the people concerned, whether at school or at work;
  • a questioning of the strictly medical model of disability;
  • a shift in the vocabulary around mental health.

A few challenges to address:

  • While some agree that the emergence of “neuroatypical” reflects a genuine desire for a more inclusive society (inclusive schooling, education for all, recruitment of people with visible and/or invisible disabilities), others urge us to remain cautious.

Indeed, as these terms, once reserved for medical and paramedical professions, become more widespread, social media is now flooded with posts whose information isn’t always properly sourced.

  • What’s more, alongside the quiz in a women’s magazine we fill in at the beach or the hairdresser’s, more and more questionnaires now promise to identify, or even diagnose, your hypersensitivity, your ADHD…

Let’s stay mindful that these are neurological diagnoses, and that only neuropsychologists, speech therapists and psychiatrists are qualified to make them.

  • Let’s not forget how dangerous it can be for neuroatypical people to be “labelled”, “stigmatised” or “lumped together”, if you’ll allow the expression. Let’s remember instead that there are as many forms of neuroatypia as there are neuroatypical people, and that not all people with ADHD, for example, function in the same way…

 

Conclusion:

The word “neuroatypical” entering the dictionary goes beyond simple linguistics. This word is a symbol of a society beginning to accept that the human mind doesn’t come with just one instruction manual! It is also a sign that language is alive, and that it is growing alongside, we hope, our collective empathy.

 

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