A plain-English guide to neurodiversity in adults

Neurodiverse adults may experience unique challenges and strengths. Understanding and embracing neurodiversity can foster inclusivity, acceptance and support for people with diverse neurological profiles — and that starts with understanding what these conditions actually involve, rather than relying on the shorthand versions most of us grew up with.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in how people’s brains work — how they think, process information, communicate and experience the world — are a natural part of human variation, not a deviation from some single “normal” way of being. Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and sensory processing disorder all fall under this umbrella.

What does autism look like in adults?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects social interaction, communication and behaviour. Some adults may not be able to function without a lot of support from parents and support workers. Adults with ASD often find it difficult to interpret social rules and body language, which can mean they come across as quite rude — but they don’t mean to. What looks like bluntness or a lack of interest is often simply a different way of reading a room.

What does ADHD look like in adults?

ADHD affects attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adults with ADHD may seem restless, and may try to do several things at once, most of them unsuccessfully. They can come across as disorganised and chaotic, when what’s actually happening is a mind managing more at once than it comfortably can, without the filters that come naturally to other people.

What about dyslexia?

Dyslexia isn’t just a literacy difficulty. It also affects personality, motivation and cognitive strength. Adults with dyslexia often have issues with finance management, and tend to be unorganised, with messy handwriting, messy workspaces and messy bags. It can also affect time management, navigation, memory and listening skills — which means dyslexia can shape a working day well beyond reading and spelling.

What is dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), does not affect intelligence. What it does affect is co-ordination and fine motor skills, such as writing or using small objects. It’s easy to underestimate how much daily life depends on that kind of physical co-ordination until it’s the thing making a task harder than it should be.

What is sensory processing disorder?

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) affects the way the brain processes sensory information. People with SPD may be over- or under-responsive to certain sensations — sound, light, touch or texture, for example. A room that feels ordinary to one person can feel overwhelming, or barely noticeable, to someone with SPD.

How common is this?

Some of these conditions are now diagnosed as a specific learning difficulty (SpLD). There are 869,000 adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability in the UK, and many more who remain undiagnosed.

What does support actually look like?

Under our “Caring, Helping, Living” way of working, support is built around what someone actually wants to do, not a fixed list of activities. For some people that’s help at home; for others it’s cinema trips, concerts, or days out — the everyday things that get harder to access without the right support, and much easier with it.

Why celebrate as well as educate?

We’ve told people plainly that neurodiversity is amazing, and we’ve promoted and taken part in a Neurodiversity Festival under the banner “celebrate and educate” — because understanding these conditions is only half the picture. The other half is recognising the strengths that come with a different way of thinking, not just the challenges.

What does this mean for you or your family?

A diagnosis, or the possibility of one, can bring relief and worry in equal measure. Relief, because a name for something can explain years of feeling out of step. Worry, about what support actually looks like, and whether it will fit around a real life rather than a textbook one. Plymouth has both formal services and informal, local ones, and the right mix is different for every adult.

How can we help?

If you support someone who’s neurodivergent, or you think you might be yourself, our client journey explains how support with Kintota starts. It’s also worth a look at what’s on in Plymouth — there are groups and activities that suit all kinds of minds, not just one.