Imagine walking into a routine medical appointment. The fluorescent lights are harsh, a low buzzing hums, and you’ve waited far longer than expected. After being prodded by nurses, you finally see the physician—and must quickly recall everything bothering you in a short window of time.
For many neurodivergent individuals, this seemingly typical experience can feel overwhelming and anything but straightforward. Ruta Clair, PsyD '17, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at PCOM, says that small changes can make health care more accessible and affirming for patients with diverse cognitive needs. She brings this focus to her work in clinical training and teaching, drawing on a background in school psychology, neuropsychology, and developmental psychology.
In the conversation that follows, Dr. Clair explains the importance of understanding neurodiversity from a whole-person perspective, dispels common misconceptions, and shares practical strategies for creating more inclusive, empathetic healthcare environments.
Neurodivergence is a term that emerged in the 1990s and was originally based on the concept of biodiversity—the idea that a healthy ecological system has lots of variation. Similarly, in humans, there is significant variation in how our brains work. Our brains are complex systems, and neurodivergence reflects that variability.
Initially coined within the autism community, the term aimed to move away from the traditional medical model that defines diagnoses by symptoms and deficits. Neurodiversity now extends beyond autism to include ADHD, learning disorders, and other variations in brain function that reflect the complexity of how our brains work. It’s a reminder that people aren’t just their diagnoses. We all have different strengths, and those differences deserve to be understood in a whole-person way.
It's especially important in health care because we're not just treating illness; we are also trying to build physical and individual resilience to prevent illness. Having a perspective that considers the full picture can be really helpful.
We all vary across wide spectrums—our social abilities, communication styles, physical coordination, and even things like basketball skills. In health care, we draw lines on that spectrum to indicate what is “typical" and "not typical"—but we all have strengths, weaknesses, and stressors that we’re managing.
Neurodiversity now includes diagnoses like dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, which are cognitive profiles each linked to unique capacities. These differences reflect the value of cognitive biodiversity: humanity benefits from varied ways of thinking, and not everyone should approach problems or see the world in the same way.
Recognizing neurodivergent thinking as a strength allows health care’s focus to shift from simply managing deficits to supporting individuals in reaching their full potential and living healthy, fulfilling lives beyond the limits of the traditional medical model.
With many neurodiversity diagnoses, executive function challenges are common, affecting skills like focus, memory, and processing. Since these abilities don’t fully develop until our mid-20s, struggles often continue into adulthood—and some people naturally find certain areas harder than others.
Autism primarily involves social communication differences and fixed behavioral patterns or focused interests, while ADHD usually centers on executive function challenges. Both can include emotional regulation difficulties—outwardly expressed in children as tantrums or overwhelm, but often managed more subtly in adults through withdrawal, avoidance, or other self-regulating behaviors.
A common misconception is that neurodivergent individuals lack intelligence or don’t care about social interactions. In truth, it’s often a challenge in expressing care, not feeling it. Another myth is that neurodivergent thinking is only a deficit—when in fact, it’s often linked to creativity, unique problem-solving, and nuanced perspective.
In clinical and educational settings, flexibility matters. Neurodiverse individuals may not always respond well to the usual routines, so small adjustments (things like skipping the waiting room, bringing a support person or advocate, or using a fidget) can make a big difference. Letting providers know your needs ahead of time, even through a quick portal message or written list, can help appointments go more smoothly. Adding accommodations to a patient’s chart also saves the hassle of repeating requests.
These kinds of strategies aren’t just helpful for neurodivergent people—they improve care for everyone by making interactions more comfortable, personal, and effective.
Understanding neurodiversity means seeing the whole person—not just challenges, but also resilience and the value of different ways of thinking. We all have unique brains, and that variability helps us adapt, collaborate, and contribute in meaningful ways.
In medicine, I’d love to see accommodations and empathy become the norm. Building strong doctor-patient relationships where people feel emotionally safe and seen leads to better communication and outcomes, and even small gestures, like remembering a detail from a patient’s life, can go a long way. Inclusion starts with recognizing that everyone brings something valuable to the table.
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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