Does it appear as even though extra individuals are popping out as neurodivergent at the present time?
Most likely you’ve heard lawsuits that social media – specifically TikTok – is using a development. Or possibly you’ve encountered the recommendation that neurodivergence has by some means develop into stylish, a label folks undertake for consideration, standing or belonging.
For neurodivergent folks, those claims will also be deeply dismissive. They scale back complicated stories and actual struggles to a passing cultural craze.
My analysis suggests one thing fairly other. A ways from being a contemporary phenomenon, neurodivergence has an extended historical past. In different phrases, folks whose techniques of pondering, sensing or behaving differed from social expectancies have all the time existed. Contributors of my analysis venture have described finding those ancient figures as like discovering neurodivergent ancestors.
After all, this isn’t about diagnosing individuals who lived centuries in the past with autism, ADHD or different stipulations. Diagnostic classes have their very own historical past. They modify over the years, and will also be formed by way of particular cultural and geographical contexts. Additionally, I’m really not a health care provider nor a psychologist, and I’m really not involved in retrospectively diagnosing ancient folks.
What pursuits me is one thing broader: the many of us prior to now who have been understood – by way of others or by way of themselves – as other.
One instance is Hannah Allen. She was once an English widow who printed an account of her stories in 1683. She wrote about sessions of profound despair and listening to voices, drawing on magazine entries she stored all through the ones tough years. Tales like Allen’s remind us that individuals have lengthy looked for language to explain minds and stories that didn’t are compatible conveniently inside approved norms.
Folks have all the time tailored and reshaped the language to be had to them. Nowadays, scientific phrases ceaselessly spill into on a regular basis dialog. Folks speak about being “anxious” about an examination or “depressed” by way of unhealthy climate, with out essentially claiming a analysis. Literature has all the time reworked and enriched our working out of scientific and mental ideas.
In my paintings, I outline neurodivergence as techniques of pondering, sensing or behaving that diverge from social expectancies. What’s additionally necessary is that the ones expectancies range throughout time and position. Behaviour considered odd in a single context is also completely applicable in every other.
A nun from the Medical institution of Santo Spirito, Rome maintaining rosary beads.
C. Duflos le père/Wellcome Assortment
Take repetitive motion, as an example. Nowadays, many neurodivergent folks describe the usage of “stims” or fidgeting to keep an eye on consideration, feelings or sensory stories. In early trendy Catholic worship, rosary beads may serve a an identical serve as. Repetitive hand actions weren’t best approved, however inspired as a part of non secular apply. However context additionally issues.
Within the 18th century, the Scottish laird Hugh Blair was once criticised for suffering to take a seat nonetheless all through circle of relatives prayers. As an alternative, he occupied himself by way of knitting a sock. The addiction was once thought to be so bizarre that it was once cited in a court docket case as proof that he lacked the rational capability to marry.
Examples like this display how concepts about applicable behaviour are socially built. Additionally they expose how folks whose behaviour diverged from expectancies may face suspicion, exclusion or stigma. A huge definition of neurodivergence lets in us to discover a variety of ancient stories that don’t are compatible smartly into trendy diagnostic classes.
It opens up questions on phenomena corresponding to non secular despair, compulsive behaviours or odd sensory stories with out forcing them into fresh scientific frameworks.
It additionally encourages us to assume in a different way concerning the provide. If neurodivergence is known as a spectrum of human distinction moderately than a set set of diagnoses, it is going to lend a hand scale back stigma round stories which are ceaselessly closely moralised, together with dependancy.
Studying for resonance
Neurodivergent readers ceaselessly have one of those intuition for recognising stories that really feel acquainted in ancient texts. This doesn’t imply that individuals prior to now have been precisely like us. Nor does it imply we will be able to know exactly what they idea or felt. As an alternative, it way acknowledging moments of connection.
Take Morose, the central personality in Ben Jonson’s play Epicœne. Morose is very delicate to noise. He seals up his space, insists that servants put on soft-soled footwear and is dependent upon one of those silent verbal exchange.
For plenty of autistic readers, specifically the ones with sensory sensitivities, sides of this portrayal would possibly really feel strikingly acquainted, and that familiarity issues.
Too ceaselessly, experience about neurodivergence is believed to are living solely with docs and researchers. Studying for resonance recognises that have could also be a type of wisdom. Neurodivergent folks can deliver treasured views to ancient interpretation exactly on account of how they enjoy the arena.
This issues at a time when public conversations about neurodivergence are turning into louder and extra polarised.
On the 2026 Wales Neurodiversity Display, our analysis group requested guests a query: who is aware of extra about neurodivergence – folks as of late, or folks residing between 1550 and 1750? Just one particular person out of 15 selected the early trendy duration.
Our ballot was once only for amusing, after all. Nevertheless it displays a commonplace assumption that neurodivergence is one thing trendy folks have came upon and understood. That is one thing that I am hoping my analysis would possibly exchange.
No doubt, we’ve ideas corresponding to neurodiversity, in conjunction with a wealthy vocabulary evolved inside neurodivergent communities themselves. Phrases like “AuDHD” (autistic and ADHD) and “neurospicy” (neurodivergent) would had been absent centuries in the past.
However new language does no longer essentially imply completely new stories. For neurodivergent individuals who really feel remoted or traditionally invisible, finding an extended historical past will also be profoundly validating. It reminds us that distinction has all the time been a part of human society.
Our neurodivergent ancestors would possibly every now and then really feel strangely acquainted. At different occasions, they are going to appear so far-off that we will be able to by no means totally perceive them. Each sides are necessary.
The following time anyone dismisses neurodivergence as a fad or a development, it can be price remembering that individuals had been debating, describing and residing neurodivergent lives for hundreds of years. So, if this is a development, it’s one who has lasted an awfully very long time.
