Neurodiversity: A Paradigm Shift in Understanding Neurological Differences in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The World Autism Awareness Day, 2025 observance, on 2nd April, 2025, under the United Nations theme "Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)", highlights the intersection between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts, showcasing how inclusive policies and practices can drive positive change for autistic individuals worldwide and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Neurodiversity is a concept that acknowledges and values neurological differences as natural variations of human cognition rather than deficits. The concept of neurodiversity emerged in the late 1990s as a sociopolitical movement advocating for the acceptance of neurological differences as part of natural human diversity rather than as disorders that require fixing. The neurodiversity concept challenges the traditional medical model of disability and promotes the social model, emphasizing inclusion and acceptance of individuals with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodevelopmental differences.