Annie Swanepoel

Key words: neurodiversity, evolution, ADHD, autism, neurodevelopment, variation

Recent developments driven by people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have highlighted that far from being disorders, ADHD and/or ASD can be seen as natural variations in neurodevelopment. The neurodiversity movement acknowledges that people with ADHD and/or ASD have specific strengths, that can help them outperform neurotypical individuals in certain situations and that these conditions should therefore not be seen as disorders. This view is supported by evolutionary science, which can be used as a framework to understand ADHD and/or ASD as natural variations that were not eliminated by natural selection due to their benefit to the individual and group in certain situations. The evolutionary perspective supports neurodiversity as relevant and important in helping our species thrive.