---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: neurodiversity: the notion that…"
description: "\"“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be regarded as naturally ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg"
---

#  neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism…

![“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be regarded as naturally occurring cognitive variations with distinctive strengths that have contributed to the evolution of technology and culture rather than mere…” quote by Steve Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg)

> ““neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be regarded as naturally occurring cognitive variations with distinctive strengths that have contributed to the evolution of technology and culture rather than mere checklists of deficits and dysfunctions.””

Steve Silberman

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Neurodiversity reframes conditions like autism as natural cognitive variations that drive cultural and technological progress.

**In simple terms:** Neurodiversity sees autism as a natural variation.

Key Takeaway

Value diverse cognitive strengths.

Themes

inclusion neurodiversity innovation

Mood

hopeful analytical

Type

educational advocacy

When to use this quote

- education
- workplace hiring
- technology design

Key Concepts

cognitive variation strengths cultural evolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies nurture neurodiverse talents?
- What barriers still exist for neurodiverse individuals?

A Different Perspective

Risk of romanticizing challenges without support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adhd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adhd/)

## Related quotes

> [“An imbalance of these neurotransmitters is why some people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) come across as stress junkies. They have to get stressed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-ratey/an-imbalance-of-these-neurotransmitters-is-why-some-people-with/)

[John J. Ratey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-ratey/)

> [“My thoughts are like butterflies. They are beautiful, but they fly away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-thoughts-are-like-butterflies-they-are-beautiful-but-they-fly-away/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“a great deal of damage is caused by lack of knowledge about, and misinterpretation of, ADHD symptoms. Couples who learn about the specific patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/a-great-deal-of-damage-is-caused-by-lack-of-knowledge-about-and/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [These diagnostic profiles like depression, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, it's half science and the other half is a committee of doctors bickering over what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/these-diagnostic-profiles-like-depression-adhd-autism-dyslexia-it-s/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [“Not enough people realize that ADHD is not a disorder about loss of focus. It is a disorder of loss of emotional control, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/not-enough-people-realize-that-adhd-is-not-a-disorder-about-loss-of/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [When the link between the use of unsafe, mercury-laden vaccine and autism, ADHD, asthma, allergies and diabetes becomes undeniable, mainstream medicine will be sporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-rimland/when-the-link-between-the-use-of-unsafe-mercury-laden-vaccine-and/)

Bernard Rimland

> [“The whole notion that ADHD is a specific disease easily remedied by a pill is convenient but alarming. In several schools throughout the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/the-whole-notion-that-adhd-is-a-specific-disease-easily-remedied-by-a/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [“because people with ADHD don’t receive and process information in a hierarchical way, Maria’s suffering enters his mind at about the same level as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/because-people-with-adhd-don-t-receive-and-process-information-in-a/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [The ADHD side of me does lead to certain disorganisation and chaos in my life, and I have many flaws and things I'm bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/the-adhd-side-of-me-does-lead-to-certain-disorganisation-and-chaos-in/)

[Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/)

> [You're always moving and thinking about a whole bunch of things. But those traits work well for me in studios and in meetings about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/you-re-always-moving-and-thinking-about-a-whole-bunch-of-things-but/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adult, but I don't remember a time when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/i-was-diagnosed-with-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-add/)

[Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/)

> [Increased physical activity during the school day can help children's attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/increased-physical-activity-during-the-school-day-can-help-children-s/)

[Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/)

> [I have severe ADHD!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-beaumont/i-have-severe-adhd/)

[Lucy Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-beaumont/)

> [Working is the best thing for me because I'm borderline ADHD, so I need some kind of focus or I go a bit extreme.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-winstone/working-is-the-best-thing-for-me-because-i-m-borderline-adhd-so-i/)

[Jaime Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-winstone/)

> [“One of the defining symptoms of ADHD is distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/one-of-the-defining-symptoms-of-adhd-is-distraction/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

## More by Steve Silberman

> [“Write me a creature that thinks as well as a man, or better than a man, but not like a man. —JOHN W. CAMPBELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/write-me-a-creature-that-thinks-as-well-as-a-man-or-better-than-a-man/)

Steve Silberman

> [ “After \[Paul\] Schilder mentioned that he had treated a schizophrenic teenager with psychoanalysis because the “sex center” and “fear center” of the brain are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/after-paul-schilder-mentioned-that-he-had-treated-a-schizophrenic/)

Steve Silberman

> [“Pulp devotees did not invent the word fan (derived from the Latin fanaticus , "possessed by divine madness") but they established the first fandom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/pulp-devotees-did-not-invent-the-word-fan-derived-from-the-latin/)

Steve Silberman

Explore all 4 Steve Silberman quotes

## More Adhd quotes

> [“One of the defining symptoms of ADHD is distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/one-of-the-defining-symptoms-of-adhd-is-distraction/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [Working is the best thing for me because I'm borderline ADHD, so I need some kind of focus or I go a bit extreme.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-winstone/working-is-the-best-thing-for-me-because-i-m-borderline-adhd-so-i/)

[Jaime Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-winstone/)

> [I have severe ADHD!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-beaumont/i-have-severe-adhd/)

[Lucy Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-beaumont/)

> [Increased physical activity during the school day can help children's attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/increased-physical-activity-during-the-school-day-can-help-children-s/)

[Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/)

> [I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adult, but I don't remember a time when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/i-was-diagnosed-with-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-add/)

[Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/)

> [You're always moving and thinking about a whole bunch of things. But those traits work well for me in studios and in meetings about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/you-re-always-moving-and-thinking-about-a-whole-bunch-of-things-but/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [The ADHD side of me does lead to certain disorganisation and chaos in my life, and I have many flaws and things I'm bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/the-adhd-side-of-me-does-lead-to-certain-disorganisation-and-chaos-in/)

[Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/)

> [“because people with ADHD don’t receive and process information in a hierarchical way, Maria’s suffering enters his mind at about the same level as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/because-people-with-adhd-don-t-receive-and-process-information-in-a/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [“The whole notion that ADHD is a specific disease easily remedied by a pill is convenient but alarming. In several schools throughout the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/the-whole-notion-that-adhd-is-a-specific-disease-easily-remedied-by-a/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [When the link between the use of unsafe, mercury-laden vaccine and autism, ADHD, asthma, allergies and diabetes becomes undeniable, mainstream medicine will be sporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-rimland/when-the-link-between-the-use-of-unsafe-mercury-laden-vaccine-and/)

Bernard Rimland

> [“Not enough people realize that ADHD is not a disorder about loss of focus. It is a disorder of loss of emotional control, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/not-enough-people-realize-that-adhd-is-not-a-disorder-about-loss-of/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [These diagnostic profiles like depression, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, it's half science and the other half is a committee of doctors bickering over what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/these-diagnostic-profiles-like-depression-adhd-autism-dyslexia-it-s/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [“a great deal of damage is caused by lack of knowledge about, and misinterpretation of, ADHD symptoms. Couples who learn about the specific patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/a-great-deal-of-damage-is-caused-by-lack-of-knowledge-about-and/)

[Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/)

> [“My thoughts are like butterflies. They are beautiful, but they fly away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-thoughts-are-like-butterflies-they-are-beautiful-but-they-fly-away/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should've been named ADHD poster child of the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/what-i-did-next-was-so-impulsive-and-dangerous-i-should-ve-been-named/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

[Browse all 114 Adhd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adhd/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be regarded as naturally occurring cognitive variations with distinctive strengths that have contributed to the evolution of technology and culture rather than mere checklists of deficits and dysfunctions.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steve Silberman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/neurodiversity-the-notion-that-conditions-like-autism-dyslexia-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adhd"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/neurodiversity-the-notion-that-conditions-like-autism-dyslexia-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/steve-silberman-69835_adhd_neurodiversity-the-notion-that-condition_371861.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity…” — Steve Silberman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steve Silberman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-silberman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/neurodiversity-the-notion-that-conditions-like-autism-dyslexia-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/neurodiversity-the-notion-that-conditions-like-autism-dyslexia-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
