Neurodiversity and Adults on the Autism Spectrum

The neurodiversity paradigm reframes autism as a neurological difference rather than a deficit, yet its application in adult autism care remains underexplored. A scoping review was conducted using PubMed with MeSH terms “autism and neurodiversity and adults and (approaches or perspectives).” From 104 initial results and four manual additions, 25 articles met inclusion criteria after excluding articles unrelated to autism, focused on children, or lacking neurodiversity perspectives. Eight themes emerged: preference for identity-first language and strengths-based framing; validity of autistic communication; strengths-focused assessment; environmental accommodation over individual remediation; importance of self-acceptance and community for well-being; intersectionality with gender, sexuality, and culture; autism as lifelong variation; necessity of co-production in research; and employment equity through universal design. Neurodiversity-informed approaches prioritize systemic change, participatory design, and intersectional inclusion. Implementation requires shifting from pathologizing to neurodiversity-informed frameworks that center autistic voices and remove barriers.