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Neurodiversity is estimated to affect 15% of the population [1], and despite a similar cause and a great deal of crossover, there are a variety of different diagnoses and expression of traits. Although many neurodiverse profiles are spiky by neurotypical standards, stigmatising terms implying severe disability such as ‘idiot savant’ have thankfully fallen out of use. A spiky profile means there are areas where ability is very high but others where natural ability is very low (when compared to a neurotypical normal range; an important caveat). Many neurodiverse individuals struggle with similar aspects of life because they are expected to conform to societal expectations and etiquette based on neurotypical norms, not neurodiverse ones: and the struggle to fit in whilst hiding your authentic self is exhausting and can lead to overwhelm and dysregulated behaviour. [2]

With neurodiversity deriving from a difference in the detection and transmission of sensory input, it’s no surprise that there’s a large crossover with hypermobility. Less ascending information due to less resistant tissues means the gain is turned up to get enough information to coordinate and perform physical function. The brain will listen harder, gaining more information at greater volume but with less specificity than in neurotypicals. Other senses can be used to compensate (e.g. visual feedback for balance and auditory feedback from heel strike), but these make the performance of function much more concentrated and effortful. The hypermobile patient always walks on sand, never pavement. Also, the necessity of having much more input across the board, to get the information you need, means processing and reaction times can be slower as the system takes longer to filter out the relevant from the irrelevant. And with this increase in volume across the board, it’s no wonder the rates of chronic pain are so much higher. [3] If we expand this model of hypermobility to all mental and physical functions relying on sensory input and feedback, you start to get some idea of the day to day struggles neurodivergent people face.

On the plus side, the sacrifice of speed for detail means neurodiverse individuals will often see the world differently and more completely, so it should be no surprise that a higher percentage of workers in innovation and the creative industries identify as neurodiverse. [4]