The Problem with Mainstream Media's Coverage of Neurodiversity
Mainstream media outlets like Forbes have increasingly been covering the topic of neurodiversity in recent years. On the surface, articles like the recent Forbes piece titled “Neurodiversity Means More Than Just Autism” may seem positive - they seemingly aim to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and offer strategies for accommodating neurodivergent people.
However, a closer look reveals that much of this coverage actually reinforces harmful stereotypes and a problematic view of neurodivergence rooted in the medical model of disability. The medical model treats ways of being like autism as deficits or abnormalities that need to be fixed or accommodated in order for us to fit into “normal” society.
In contrast, the neurodiversity paradigm and the social model of disability, which are embraced by many autistic people, hold that there is no one “right” way of thinking or being. Autism and other forms of neurodivergence are natural variations in human cognitive functioning, not diseases to be cured. We don’t need to be fixed - society needs to expand its definition of normal.
The problem is, most mainstream coverage pays lip service to acceptance while implicitly treating neurodivergence as an abnormality, a burden on businesses and society. The Forbes article, for example, frames accommodations primarily as a way to “significantly enhance the productivity and comfort of neurodiverse employees.” Our worth is still measured by how productive we can be for our employers.
What’s missing is a fundamental belief that neurodiversity is a natural part of human variation that should be valued and celebrated in its own right, not just tolerated or accommodated. We don’t exist to be productive cogs in a capitalist machine. We are human beings with our own intrinsic worth.
Undoubtedly, the increase in mainstream coverage of neurodiversity has helped raise awareness. But to achieve true inclusion, we need to shift away from the medical model and deficit-based thinking. Stop asking how you can accommodate us and start asking how you can dismantle the ableist systems and attitudes that disable us. Believe that we are not problems to be solved, but rather essential parts of human diversity with unique insights and value to offer society - on our own terms.
The path forward is not more special accommodations, but universal inclusion and accessibility for all. Only then will neurodivergent people be fully empowered to be our authentic selves and participate in society as equals. Mainstream corporate media has an important role to play in advancing this shift - by amplifying neurodivergent voices, challenging prevailing narratives, and imagining a world that fully embraces all kinds of minds. We have a long way to go, but I believe we'll get there.