Thirty years on from Sinclair: A scoping review of neurodiversity definitions and conceptualisations in empirical research

Added on 01/02/2025

Type de contenu

Journal article of the type Scientific literature review ( ; english)

Helen McLennan , Rachel Aberdein * , Beth Saggers , Jenna Gillett-Swan
Thirty years on from Sinclair: A scoping review of neurodiversity definitions and conceptualisations in empirical research published in the journal "Review journal of autism and developmental disorders" Preprint, 16 pages , doi: 10.1007/s40489-025-00493-2

*One co-author has publicly identified as autistic. [Learn more about this mention]

- 8% of authors cited in the bibliography of this resource have publicly identified as autistic (23 out of 274 authors).
- 24% of references cited in this resource contain at least one author who has publicly identified as autistic (28 out of 118 references).

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Summary/Presentation

A review of research is beneficial in contributing to the debate about neurodiversity conceptualisation. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify how neurodiversity has been defined and conceptualised in empirical research. A scoping review of research featuring neurodiversity as a central focus was conducted, accessing 10 databases. Key concepts related to neurodiversity were collated from 46 articles, and a constant comparative analysis was used to generate results. Results position neurodiversity as natural human variation alongside a further seven categories. These results were compared to theoretical work and early principles of neurodiversity, particularly those introduced by Jim Sinclair 30 years ago. While some consensus in the field exists, contrasts and debate remain, particularly regarding the alignment of neurodiversity with disability models.

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(2) Authors listed in this bibliography whose names are in color have published other resources referenced on the site. Clicking on the name allows you to see the list of resources they have published and shared on the site.

(3) Authors whose names are followed by an asterisk have publicly disclosed being autistic.

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