"Neurodivergent" versus "Neurodiversity"

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A couple times now I've heard the term "neurodivergent" used in place of the term "neurodiversity."

Both times it could be traced back to undergraduates at my university, so it could be made up, and not really in use in the autism community. Or maybe I just don't understand.

IS "neurodivergent" an actual term? Does it mean something separate from "neurodiversity?"

So far it just sounds like that series of books "Divergent" to me. I can see how it would be attractive to link that series to autism, but if we already have a word that we're using, I'm not going to stop using it unless there's a reason it should now be out of date.

Can someone help me out?

I am completely winging it here, but, maybe, within neurology, neurodivergent could make sense. "Divergent" from the norm, so to speak. Socially speaking, though, I suspect neurodiverse would be more reasonable.

But I am sure "neurodivergent" is a made up word.

But all words in every language started out as "made up".

Whether its a legit needed word that should be allowed to catch on is an open question.

Neurodiversity is the concept. Neurodivergent describes people.

I thought of the book series.
Then I looked to see if any user names were Four (or Five)

Words like numbers are things I like. (Odd numbers as a preference)

Certainly a new word to me!

Kind of makes sense though, now that I see it. I would think of "neuro-divergent" as meaning "not neuro-typical", whereas to me, "neuro-diversity" implies the inclusion of everybody, including NT people - in the same way that "ethnic diversity" does not exclude Caucasian people of West European ancestry.

Neurodiversity = the belief that all kinds of minds are valuable and having an unusual mind does not mean being defective or needing to become more normal in some way

Neurodivergent = a person whose mind works in an atypical way, such as autistic, gifted, cognitively disabled, ADHD, LD, etc

So one is the name of a political movement, the other is a term for the people that political movement seeks to defend. It's like the difference between the terms 'anti-racism' and 'ethnic minority'.

In many ways neurodivergent is similar to the word queer. I've heard standard gays call themselves queer because they'd rather use a more general term instead of the precise term. I've also heard people call themselves queer because they aren't heterosexual but don't fit any specific label precisely, or don't know where they fit in the sexuality rainbow.

Similarly, anyone who isn't neurotypical is neurodivergent - whether they be autistic, ADHD, etc, or have multiple conditions. But the term probably appeals more to those people who don't fit the narrower categories.

"Neurodiverse" includes NTs as a principle. Some people incorrectly think that neurodiversity doesn't involve NTs.

I don't like any of the words.