As a verb, it refers to the act of challenging neuronormativity and heteronormativity, as well as advocating for recognition and celebration diverse experiences and identities.
[5] The advocates and scholars who argued against the use person-first language would suggest that using "person with" then the label of "dis/abled, autistic, or neurodivergent" coveys the term in a negative and pejorative way which should be separated from personhood.
"[2] The word neuroqueer first appeared in print on the back cover of Michaels-Dillon's novel Defiant (2015) and in Yergeau's Authoring Autism (2018).
[5] These same scholars and activist say that people who identify as neuroqueer actively reject ableist assimilation practices; by embracing their selfhood and refusing to conform, they are queering their existence, actions, and behaviors in social spaces.
[5] Statistical data on both queer and neurodivergent people is limited by differing social and cultural definitions of identity, safety concerns of coming out, the ability to receive a diagnosis, and other factors.
[17][18] Similar studies compiling world-wide data have estimated about 0.4-1.3% of the general population identifies as gender diverse.
[7][9][8] Compared to their cisgender peers, gender-diverse individuals are more likely to report traits of autism—enhanced pattern recognition, sensory issues and difficulty understanding other emotions—and 5 times more likely to suspect they have undiagnosed autism.
[10] A study in the U.S. showed a similar result, where 3-5% of the general population wanted to be the opposite gender compared to 11.4% of autistic adults.
[10] Neurodivergence has been pathologized and associated with various conditions, including autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and specific learning differences, among others.
Neuroqueer theory aims to depathologize such differences and as such, has implications across diverse sectors, including education and research.
Therefore, educational institutions tend to take steps to "correct" the ways students act, behave, and learn in schools that do not fit into the social expectations, in line with rehabilitative, behaviorist and interventionist approaches.
[5] Similarly, educational research regarding neurodivergent individuals, based on discrete measures of performance, regularly points to evidence-based practices and strategies as a means to help students improve their academic skills throughout different content areas.
[5] Neuroqueer theory rejects the pathologization of neurodivergence and thus pedagogical and research approaches which focus on "fixing" students, so they fit into the standards set by their neurotypical peers.
[6] Neuroqueer theory is reliant on the idea of intersectionality, where the various identities and individual holds cannot be separated from each other as the ways they interact produce unique experience of privilege and discrimination.
[2][3] Holding a multiple minority status can contribute to greater levels and unique forms of prejudice and discrimination.