In 1970, April was designated Autism Awareness Month and in recent years has been expanded to be known as Neurodiversity Awareness Month. (ISC)² is excited to celebrate all the different ways our brains navigate the world in which we live and work. But what does “Neurodiversity” mean?

There are three aspects that we must first define:  

1. Neurodiversity refers to the fact that people experience and interact with the world differently from each other. 
2. The Neurodiversity Movement is a social justice movement that aims to increase acceptance of, and destigmatize, neurodivergence. It seeks civil rights, equality, and full social inclusion for the neurodivergent. 
3. The Neurodiversity Paradigm is a form of human diversity that is subject to the same social dynamics as other forms of diversity (including dynamics of power and oppression).

These three definitions are important as they often get mixed, resulting in people using the incorrect terms. When talking about neurodivergence, it is important to use the correct language so as not to confuse, divert or undermine.  

The Neurodiversity Movement has its origins in the Autistic Rights Movement that sprung up in the 1990s. “Neurodiversity” as a term was coined in 1998 by an autistic Australian sociologist named Judy Singer and was quickly picked up and expanded upon within the autistic activist community. The Neurodiversity Movement aims to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences. 

The focus of work within the neurodiversity paradigm has broadened beyond autism (ASD) to encompass other forms of neurodivergence, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Camilla Pang’s introduction in her award-winning book, Explaining Humans. Dr. Camilla Pang is ASD & ADHD.  

“Over time I have come to realize that my curious cocktail of neurodiversity is also a blessing, one that has been my superpower in life – equipping me with the mental tools for fast, efficient and thorough analysis of problems. ASD means I see the world differently, and without preconceptions; while anxiety and ADHD allow me to process information at rapid speed, as I pogo between boredom and intense concentration, and mentally envisage every possible outcome of each situation I find myself in. My neurodiversity created so many questions about what it meant to be human, but it also gave me the power to answer them.  

With my Asperger’s syndrome, often referred to as a high-functioning form of autism that makes you too ‘normal’ to be stereotypically autistic, and too weird to be neurotypically normal, I see myself as an interpreter between both worlds in which I have lived.  

I also know that what changed my life was being aware that I was seen and understood. Realizing that I was a person, and I had the right to be myself: in fact, the duty to be. Everyone has the right to human connection – to be heard and taken seriously. Especially those who, by nature and instinct, struggle to connect.”  

Neurodiversity is something to be celebrated and valued in all areas of life but is of particular importance in cybersecurity. Cat Contillo shared her thoughts on how her autism diagnosis gave her purpose and helped her understand how vital neurodivergent individuals can be in the cybersecurity industry. Just last year, Dark Reading also discussed how “Diversity, including neurodiversity, in cybersecurity could improve an organizations’ overall resilience to cyberattacks.”

To learn more about neurodiversity, visit the following resources:

• https://neuroqueer.com/   
• https://www.neurodiversityhub.org/what-is-neurodiversity   
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity-202111232645