10 Signs You Might Be Neurodivergent (2023)

Everyone has their own way of thinking. Despite this, most people consider themselves neurotypical. Others have exceptions and are considered neurodivergent.

Neurodivergence can show up in many different ways. Common disorders associated with neurodivergence include ADHD, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and many more. Many of these conditions are often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.

While some signs suggest neurodivergence, it's also important to understand that there are many other ways neurodivergence can show up. It's also important that just because you've seen some of these signs in yourself or others doesn't mean you're necessarily neurodivergent. Such conditions vary widely, resulting in a diverse mix of individuals.

Let's look at ten signs that you might be neurodivergent.

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walk with 10 fingers

People with autism and other neurodivergent diagnoses tend to move in atypical or unusual ways. A common walking pattern is walking on your toes. The person will walk on their toes as if on tiptoe all the time, or may walk on their toes.

Toe walking can lead to long-term problems with foot pain and short-term problems with blisters, calluses, and socks and shoes that wear out quickly.

Tiptoeing alone doesn't dictate that a person be neurodivergent like many young children and then stop walking one day. But in children, an early sign of neurodivergence (usually autism) is toe walking, often associated with other signs. Still, it's a useful sign for parents, teachers, and doctors because it's easy to spot.

9 Conversation related to oneself

You have to look for number one, and for a neurodivergent person, that's not a problem. In fact, they might be paying too much attention to number one.

Neurodivergent people often have a hard time forming lasting friendships because they are often seen as self-centered. People with neurodivergence are intensely focused on themselves and their own interests. They may talk exclusively or excessively about themselves, sometimes leaving no room for the other person to enter the conversation. This can make conversations and ultimately friendships very difficult.

If you or someone you know seems obsessed with their own situation, interests, and needs, this could be a sign of neurodivergence.

8 sleep disorders

Neurodivergent people tend to have specific sleep needs. This can be attributed to a number of different neurodivergent conditions. OKAutismspeaks.org, more than half of children with autism have chronic sleep problems.

Sleep problems can be caused by sensory issues, particularly sensitivity to light and sound. Others may need to sleep next to or with someone, leading to many families having a full bed at night just to encourage some form of sleep.

Nighttime routines are important to promote positive sleep. Consider staying away from screens and other active or noisy areas as you unwind at night. While almost everyone has trouble sleeping at some point, people with neurodivergent disorders can deal with it at night.

7 Follow a strict routine

Most people like to have a routine and stick to it. However, this is taken to another level when it comes to people with neurodivergence diagnoses. People with autism benefit greatly from the framework. But when that structure is disturbed, altered, or modified, it can cause extreme anxiety and outbursts.

Any kind of deviation from a typical routine or structure can be met with resistance. For people with autism, their routines are incredibly specific. A person may want to wake up at 8 am every morning and go immediately to brush their teeth. If someone else is using the bathroom at the time, it can be very difficult to control.

This dedication and borderline obsession with routine can be problematic, but it can also be helpful in developing structure for younger people, particularly those newly diagnosed with neurodivergence. An unwillingness to change or alter a routine or schedule is often a sign of autism and neurodivergence in general.

6 Overstimulation and Adjustment

Neurodivergent people think differently than neurotypical people and experience the world very differently. One of the most remarkable ways to see this is through sensory sensitivity. These people may have a heightened awareness of touch, sound, light, and smell.

Some things can just be annoying to a neurotypical person, like loud chewing or a person needing a shower. A neurodivergent person can struggle in crowds due to such overwhelming sensitivity. Intense sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell clearly indicates neurodivergence.

You might see people wearing noise canceling hearing protection at a busy theme park, or someone just needs to buy clothes without tags to avoid uncomfortable touches. People with neurodivergence need to find ways to adapt to the world around them, as our world is skewed towards the neurotypical.

Sensory sensitivity is one of the most important aspects of neurodivergence, as it affects a person's view of the world and their interaction with the world around them.

5 Avoiding or having difficulty maintaining eye contact

One of the characteristics most commonly associated with neurodivergence is a lack of eye contact. This can be a real challenge, but it is usually addressed early in training, and neurodivergent students can overcome it with intensive practice.

In particular, women with neurodivergent diagnoses are more likely to maintain eye contact than men. Regardless, if you or someone you know is having trouble or difficulty making or maintaining eye contact, it could be a sign of neurodivergence.

Of all the items on this list, eye contact is probably the best known sign of being neurodivergent.

4 Increased anxiety

It's an unfortunate fact of life that everyone deals with anxiety to varying degrees. For neurodivergent people, this fear can be extreme and significant. Social anxiety is regularly associated with neurodivergence, particularly autism and ADD; These people can:

• Pondering or obsessing over future social interactions
• Making unsuccessful efforts to be sociable.
• feel left out
• Self-isolation for fear of rejection
• Talk to yourself for fear of failure

While this is not always the case, social anxiety and many other related fears can lead to other mental health problems. This can include a tendency toward addictive behaviors, depression, and in some cases, self-harm.

Regardless of whether or not the person is neurodivergent, these are serious issues that need to be addressed with a psychologist.

3 Voting behavior

Self-stimulation behavior, commonly known as stimming, refers to the repetitive behaviors that a neurodivergent person engages in when excited, nervous, angry, etc. Stimming is an early sign that a young person may be neurodivergent. While some of the actions above are less obvious, any of them could be a sign of a neurodivergent person.

Stimulating behaviors can include:

• Repeated phrases or questions
• Piedra
• be crazy
• Hit
• shake hands
• choose the skin
• a soma
• Cover and uncover the ears.

People with neurodivergent states tend to overstimulate the processing of feelings, usually those associated with overstimulation or anxiety. It is important to note that stimulation does not always come from a negative place. People with autism often stimulate when they are very excited.

While stimulation is positive for people, it is often not socially appropriate and can lead to ostracism from people. This can lead to social difficulties and increased feelings of anxiety and stress. Also, people stimming are not doing it intentionally and are often unaware of it.

2 intense or obsessive interests

Another sign of neurodivergence is fixation on a specific subject or object. It could be something very specific, like music, or something much broader, like marine biology. In both cases, the individual fixates on a particular idea or theme.

These intense interests can be a barrier to advancing in daily life. However, on the other hand, an obsessive interest can lead to connections with other people who share the same interest. Sticking to a specific topic can also go a long way when choosing a career. Many neurodivergent people have conquered their professional fields, making discoveries, inventing and positively impacting society.

If you are obsessively interested in a certain subject or subject, you may be neurodivergent.

1 Social difficulties

It's important to understand that autism, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, and other exceptions start at birth. However, these conditions are often not diagnosed until the child begins to develop. Older people who are undiagnosed neurodivergent often begin to discover their differences by observing social interactions.

People with neurodivergence have difficulty responding to social cues. It's not because they don't want to be social; it is often the opposite. In contrast, neurodivergent people have difficulty reading facial expressions, may not understand some non-verbal communication, and are often confused by sarcasm.

Due to socialization difficulties, along with some of the difficulties listed above, neurodivergent people often feel lonely and misunderstood. Of course, it's important to realize that not all people with social difficulties are neurodivergent. However, a repeated pattern of difficulty socializing and making and keeping friends is a sign that a person may be neurodivergent.

fact verified byRachel Jones