The Danger of the "Single Story" in Neurodiversity

Years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a transformative TED Talk titled The Danger of a Single Story. She cautioned that reducing people, places, or cultures to one singular narrative leads to critical misunderstandings.

Her profound insight was this: “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

This warning is critically urgent when we interact with neurodivergent individuals.

Too often, we allow a primary diagnosis to become the definitive story of a person. We flatten the complex reality of a human being—their personality, culture, comorbidities, and lived experience—into a narrow set of universally understood traits.

The Harm of the "Single Story" in Advocacy

The danger of this reduction is the daily battleground for parents of neurodivergent children. It is especially damaging when a child is not considered "disabled enough" because they do not fit the single story held by those meant to support them.

I remember speaking to my son's teacher about his struggles in class. I was told I must be mistaken about his diagnosis. Why?

* He didn't "present" in the manner expected for that profile.

* He was polite, respectful, and very likable.

* He was intelligent and articulate.

Because he deviated from the "single story" of his diagnosis, his genuine struggles were rewritten. They weren't seen as symptoms of a disability; they were attributed to laziness, disinterest, and a need to "try harder."

The Cost: Fixing the Person Instead of Providing Tools

When we view neurodivergence through this single, incomplete story, the consequences are systemic and damaging:

1. We deny them the tools to navigate.

When we attribute struggles to character rather than biology, we stop looking for solutions. We fail to ask, "What tools does this person need to navigate their neurological wiring?" As a result, no work is done to provide the necessary accommodations, leaving the individual stranded without a roadmap.

2. We pivot to "fixing."

Instead of support, the focus shifts to "fixing" the individual. The burden is placed entirely on them to "be better" or change behaviors that are biologically driven and often beyond their control.

3. We amplify flaws and silence strengths.

This approach forces us into a deficit mindset. We become hyper-focused on their "flaws"—the ways they fail to fit the single story—while completely ignoring their immense strengths and unique contributions.

The Fallout

The result of this invalidation is not improvement; it is trauma. It tells a child or adult that their struggles are their fault. The fallout is severe mental health issues, burnout, and a lifetime spent trying to "fix" a brain that simply needed to be understood and supported.

The Role of Power (Nkali)

Adichie speaks of Nkali—an Igbo word for power. She notes that power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.

When teachers, doctors, and professionals hold on to a single story of what ADHD, Autism, or Dyslexia "looks like," they wield the power to deny support. When we ignore the "balance of stories"—the factors of severity, masking, and individual personality—we rob neurodivergent individuals of their dignity and their right to be understood.

A Call for a "Balance of Stories"

We must reject the single story. We must recognize that a primary diagnosis is just one chapter, not the entire book.

* To the Professionals: We must look beyond the checklist. Do not let intelligence or politeness overshadow a disability. We must be conscious of the trap of Diagnostic Overshadowing. Let us ensure that a single narrative does not obscure the reality of a diagnosis or the support a patient needs.

* To Society: Let’s stop reducing neurodivergent individuals to a caricature of the commonly known facts of their diagnosis, and consciously strive to understand their whole story.

Together we must validate their reality, provide the tools they deserve, and celebrate their strengths rather than fixating on their struggles.

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