Neurodiversity: From Phenomenology to Neurobiology and Enhancing Technologies

[摘要] Edited by LK Fung, with a foreword by Temple Grandin, PhD. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Press; 2021. Reviewed by Kenneth J. Weiss, MDneurodiversityautismlearning disabilitypositive psychologydiscriminationDiversity, equity, and inclusion is a familiar mantra for liberal-minded Americans, disability attorneys, and AAPL members. Laws must be administered fairly to insure life, liberty, and property. We in forensic psychiatry may be asked to identify individuals with behavioral differences in situations ranging from entitlement programs (educational or financial) to sentencing in criminal proceedings (reduced culpability due to a mental condition). In those settings there is usually no problem with using diagnostic labels as leverage, a threshold to obtain benefits. Where it gets harder is with a range of conditions whose constituents reject pathologization and disability stigma. The differences, gross or subtle, represent underlying diversity in brain structure and function. Affected individuals increasingly seek parity while eschewing diagnostic labels. These are persons self-identified with neurodiversity, known to us as learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and others. In a fascinating exploration of the subject, Dr. Lawrence Fung and colleagues offer Neurodiversity: From Phenomenology to Neurobiology and Enhancing Technologies.

[学科分类] 儿科学

[关键词] neurodiversity;autism;learning disability;positive psychology;discrimination