Written by Gio Arcuri, OT, MSc
Occupational Therapist
University Lecturer
Founder, Clinique Vivago
Neurodivergence is often discussed as an individual trait — something located within the brain, the nervous system, or cognitive functioning. Yet this perspective only tells part of the story. To truly understand neurodivergence, we must ask a deeper question: what happens when neurological variation meets environments that were never designed to accommodate it?
From a contemporary mental health perspective, neurodivergence challenges the idea that there is a single, universal way to think, feel, communicate, learn, or function. It invites us to reconsider long-standing assumptions about normality, productivity, social behavior, and emotional regulation — and to examine how environments shape what we label as “difficulty” or “disorder.”
What Is Neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence refers to natural variations in neurological functioning that differ from what is statistically or socially considered typical. This includes, but is not limited to:
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Autism spectrum profiles
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ADHD and attentional variability
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Learning differences
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Sensory processing differences
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Differences in emotional regulation, executive functioning, or social communication
Importantly, neurodivergence is not synonymous with pathology. It describes diversity in how brains process information, interact with the world, and respond to demands.
Who Defines “Normal” Functioning?
The concept of “normal” functioning in mental health is largely based on statistical averages, not universal truths. Diagnostic thresholds are often determined by how far a person’s functioning deviates from population norms — norms that reflect majority experiences, dominant cultures, and historically privileged ways of living and working.
But averages are not ideals.
When we label someone as impaired, we are often implicitly comparing them to an environment that rewards speed, verbal fluency, multitasking, emotional restraint, and sensory tolerance — regardless of whether those traits are inherently necessary for a meaningful or healthy life.
This raises a critical question:
Is neurodivergence inherently disabling — or does it become disabling in environments that demand conformity rather than flexibility?
Functioning Exists on Continua, Not Categories
From a clinical and functional perspective, human abilities do not exist in binary categories. Instead, they unfold across continua, including:
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Attention and focus
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Sensory sensitivity and modulation
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Emotional intensity and regulation
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Cognitive flexibility
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Social communication styles
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Energy levels and processing speed
Individuals move along these continua throughout their lives depending on stress, context, expectations, supports, and environmental demands.
Neurodivergence does not represent a break from humanity’s range — it exists within it.
The Role of Environment: When Difference Becomes Distress
One of the most overlooked aspects of mental health is the role of the environment.
Environments include:
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Physical spaces (noise, lighting, sensory load)
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Social expectations (eye contact, small talk, emotional expression)
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Institutional structures (school systems, workplaces, healthcare models)
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Cultural norms (productivity, independence, performance)
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Power dynamics and marginalization
Many difficulties attributed to neurodivergence emerge not because a person is incapable, but because they are required to function in environments that do not adapt.
If environments were:
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Sensory-aware
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Flexible in communication styles
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Tolerant of different rhythms and needs
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Oriented toward strengths rather than compliance
Would neurodivergence still be experienced as a problem?
Or would it simply be another way of being human?
Masking, Burnout, and the Cost of Adaptation
When environments are not validating or inclusive, neurodivergent individuals often learn to mask — consciously or unconsciously suppressing natural ways of thinking, moving, communicating, or regulating emotions in order to fit in.
While masking can facilitate short-term adaptation, it often comes at a high cost:
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Chronic stress
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Emotional exhaustion
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Identity confusion
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Anxiety or depressive symptoms
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Autistic burnout or attentional burnout
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Loss of connection to one’s authentic needs
From this perspective, much of what we treat in mental health is not neurodivergence itself — but the consequences of prolonged misalignment between the person and their environment.
A Functional and Occupational Perspective on Neurodivergence
From an occupational and functional standpoint, mental health is not defined by how closely someone resembles a norm, but by whether they can engage meaningfully in their daily life.
Key questions become:
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Can the person participate in activities that matter to them?
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Are environments structured in ways that support or hinder this participation?
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What adaptations, supports, or changes reduce unnecessary friction?
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How can identity, self-understanding, and agency be preserved?
At Clinique Vivago, neurodivergence is understood through this lens: the goal is not normalization, but alignment — between the person, their environment, and the occupations that give life meaning.
Neurodivergence, Identity, and Self-Understanding
Understanding neurodivergence often brings profound shifts in identity. For many individuals, especially those diagnosed later in life, it reframes years of feeling “too much,” “not enough,” or “out of place.”
Rather than asking:
“What is wrong with me?”
The question becomes:
“What have I been adapting to — and at what cost?”
This reframing can be deeply therapeutic. It supports self-compassion, reduces shame, and opens the door to healthier ways of relating to oneself and the world.
Moving Forward: Beyond Accommodation Toward Inclusion
True inclusion goes beyond individual accommodations. It requires rethinking how systems are designed in the first place.
A mental health system informed by neurodiversity asks:
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How flexible are our expectations?
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Whose needs are centered?
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Which forms of functioning are rewarded — and which are penalized?
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How can environments evolve alongside the people who inhabit them?
Neurodivergence does not demand that individuals change who they are. It challenges environments — and societies — to expand what they consider possible.
Final Thought
If mental health care is truly about well-being, then understanding neurodivergence means moving beyond diagnosis and toward context, meaning, and belonging.
The question is no longer simply whether neurodivergence exists.
It is whether we are willing to create environments where difference does not have to hurt.