Diversity Within Neurodivergence

[GHA]

One of the most remarkable — and often overlooked — aspects of neurodivergence is just how diverse it is within itself. There’s no single pattern, no fixed template, no “playbook” that can truly define it. Even the most sophisticated psychological models or neuroscience frameworks can only scratch the surface.
Every neurodivergent individual carries a unique constellation of traits, strengths, challenges, and inner landscapes. Two people given the same identification might navigate life in completely different ways. The same traits that look similar on paper can be expressed in ways that are worlds apart in real life.

This uniqueness is what makes the community so extraordinary — and so difficult to generalise about. You can’t fully understand it by reading a description or ticking boxes on a checklist. You have to listen, observe, and experience the individuality of each person. That’s where the real understanding begins.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I agree not finding many with similar to myself.

 

[Tired]

You can just say it's about every other person. ND or NT - we are all different people.

 

[GHA]

I agree not finding many with similar to myself.

I think your situation highlights something I’ve observed for years.

Psychologists and psychiatrists have deep expertise — no question about that — but their training is often built on structured models and standardized frameworks. The challenge is that real life, especially in the neurodivergent space, rarely fits neatly into those pages.

Human experience is too broad, too layered, and too varied to be fully captured by any one theory or diagnostic manual. Professionals do their best with the tools they have, but there’s always a gap between the “book” version and the ground reality. And in that gap is where the most unique, individual truths often live.

It’s not about discrediting their work — it’s about recognising that the canvas is vast, and no single palette can cover it all.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

You can just say it's about every other person. ND or NT - we are all different people.

Eight billion different people, Nice to have skills only one in a few thousand may possess. The psychologist that measured me years ago was stunned. Noticed the plant manager at the time treated me differently. She must have told him my abilities could change his plant. Which did not happen until years later at other employers.