Critical Approaches to Literature: Challenging Deficit Depictions with Authentic Representations of Neurodivergence in Young Adult Literature | Synapse
July 1, 2025
Critical Approaches to Literature: Challenging Deficit Depictions with Authentic Representations of Neurodivergence in Young Adult Literature
Key Points
Authentic representations of neurodivergence improve understanding and acceptance among readers, fostering empathy and community.
Strategies for evaluating literature include examining character depth and avoiding stereotypical portrayals that reinforce deficit depictions.
Incorporating diverse narratives promotes neurodiversity as a valid aspect of human variation, enhancing literary richness and inclusivity.
Honoring neurodiversity encourages the celebration of diverse experiences, showing that they are inherent to human identity.
Abstract
This column recommends strategies for evaluating and including authentic representations of neurodivergence in young adult literature to honor neurodiversity as a natural form of human variation.