SchellmanABLE: Using AI to Help Define Neurodivergence

The concept of neurodivergence may seem fairly easy to discern—on its face, it’s a combination of “neuro,” meaning “nerve and nervous system,” and “divergence,” meaning a deviation from a set course or standard. Simple enough, you’d think.

But that’s an enormously broad definition. Neurodivergence seems to be coming up a lot more in conversation, and as a co-chair of SchellmanABLE—our employee resource group dedicated to leveling the workplace playing field regarding disabilities—I think it’s important to try to nail down a clearer definition so that everyone can approach these conversations more confidently.

To do so, I turned to artificial intelligence (AI)—as this is a cybersecurity firm and AI has become an incredibly hot topic, I was curious about what it would have to say about this, and so I asked AI to explain neurodivergence.

AI’s Definition of Neurodivergence

The program we chose told us this:

“Neurodivergence is a term used to describe the diversity of neurological and biological differences among individuals, including those with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, and Tourette syndrome.

The term "neurodivergent" was coined to challenge the stigma surrounding neurological and psychiatric disorders, and to promote a more inclusive and respectful understanding of human diversity. It recognizes that individuals with these conditions are not "disordered" or "defective," but rather, they have different strengths, needs, and experiences that are valuable and worthy of respect.

By acknowledging and embracing the diversity of the human experience, we can work to break down stigmas, promote inclusivity, and advocate for the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their neurological or biological differences.”

While that definitely did help and make the idea of neurodivergence a lot clearer, we next asked our friendly AI pal for an explanation that a 10-year-old could understand, since that’s about the age where having this knowledge can really make a difference.

Here’s what it said:

“Imagine you have a superpower within you, waiting to be unleashed! That's what neurodiversity is all about – a lot of unique superpowers inside each of us just waiting to be discovered and celebrated!

Just like how Superman has his super strength and Spiderman has his web-slinging abilities, each of us has our own special talents and abilities that make us who we are. Some people might have amazing memories like a super-memory, while others might be super-fast and agile like the Flash!

But wait, you might be wondering – what if I don't have any superpowers? Well, that's where the term neurodivergence comes in! It means that everyone is different and special in their own way, and that's okay! We don't need to have superpowers to be awesome – we can just be ourselves and be proud of who we are!

So, embrace your uniqueness and let your superpowers shine! And remember, being different is not a weakness – it's a strength that makes us all special and special in our own way! 💪🏽”

Differences as Strengths

Between these two definitions, there’s a lot to like about what artificial intelligence had to say about neurodivergence, particularly that it noted that the term was coined to challenge stigma.

Historically, in my experience, being different wasn’t exactly something to be proud of—rather, you’d try to hide your differences. When I was growing up, conforming was really important even if most of the boundaries remained unspoken. For instance, it was OK to be outwardly smart, but if you were, you also had to be “well-rounded.” People who would do things out of the norm like hyper-focusing while working on something were considered “weird,” and procrastinators were simply labeled "lazy.”

But it’s like the AI said—these unseen distinctions between us are strengths. And since this understanding of neurodivergence still hasn't really penetrated workplaces everywhere, let it start here, with this important message: Being different is a strength - our differences are our individual superpowers, and that’s how we should consider neurodivergence so that we can all work together to create more inclusive environments.