Neurodiversity: A Very Short Introduction

by Robert Chapman, Sue Fletcher-Watson

Neurodiversity is the idea that human brains function in a variety of ways. By understanding that people take in, process, and respond to information differently, we can appreciate how these profound differences affect the ways in which we experience the world and form relationships with one another. In spite of the central simplicity of this concept, the consequences of fully understanding and exploring neurodiversity can be transformative.

This Very Short Introduction looks at how neurodiversity has been understood in a variety of settings including education, research, workplace, health and social care, and criminal justice. Robert Chapman and Sue Fletcher-Watson also draw out interesting connections to models of disability, human rights, anti-capitalism, and intersectionality. Alongside this, they discuss how issues of gender, sexuality, neuroqueering, and decoloniality bear on neurodiversity. The book is an engaging listen for students, thinkers, and practitioners interested in neurodiversity and its links to philosophy, psychology, sociology, political theory, medicine, and biology.

144 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 26, 2026

About the author

Robert Chapman is an English philosopher, teacher and writer, best known for their work on neurodiversity studies and the philosophy of disability.