Language and Neuroatypical

Has anyone noticed? In recent years there has been an explosion of lexicon to describe the multitude of changes surrounding us. New vocabulary for the Planet’s existence, such as, climate change, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas, global average temperature, fossil fuels, renewable energy and sea-level rise are taught to school age children to emphasize the Earth’s physical changes. In tandem, neologisms for atypical neurological behaviors in children and adults have appeared, but with less interest. Words, such as, echolalia, transition, inclusion, neurotypical, Asperger’s syndrome, high functioning autism and elopement are part of the autistic community vocabulary.  Unless there is contact with someone with a neurological disorder, like autism spectrum disorder, the words are not understood. Approximately, one in 54 people are neuroatypical today among developed nations. Australian sociologist, Judy Singer, coined the term neurodiversity in the late 1990s to point out that each human has a unique combination of abilities and needs. A neurodiversity movement exists.

Language, as a tool, alerts you to an evolution. During the onset of change, pay attention to words. Nature proves again and again its ability to reset. People call them natural disasters and pandemics. It is time to pay attention to the resetting of the human neuro-variability. Language is leading the way.