DP7 - Variations in Brain Devlopment

Question 1

Neurodiversity

Answer 1

The natural neurological differences that occur between people’s nervous systems, particularly their brain, resulting in differences in learning, thinking and processing.

Question 2

Brain development and neurodiversity

Answer 2

Neurodivergent individuals may show variations in their brain structures and functioning.

Structurally, the autistic brain generally has areas that are larger than in neurotypicals such as the amygdala.

In autistic people the amygdala may be overactive, which provides some insight into why people with autism experience heightened anxiety more regularly and find recognising and processing emotions more difficult.

Question 3

What does “Neurodiversity” tell us?

Answer 3

The use of the term ‘neurodiversity’ infers that diagnoses such as autism and adhd are natural variations in brain development. This contrast with the medical classifications systems such as the DSM-5-TR which considers autism a disorder.