Pathology lite complements the now well-known concept of neurodiversity lite. It highlights equally risky ways that scientific discourse and practice can subtly reinforce harm against neurodivergent people, often without being described as such.
In the emerging field of critical neurodiversity studies (Ashley, Creechan, and Jones, n. d.; Bergenmar, Creechan, and Stenning 2025; ND Hums Network, n. d.), the phrase ‘neurodiversity lite’ has been used to describe rhetorical practices of assimilation and neutralisation of the neurodiversity lexicon (and of its critical and subversive potentials) by mainstream actors in psychological, economic, or institutional spheres (Neumeier 2018).
In the neoliberal era, neurodiversity lite functions by claiming to embrace the neurodiversity paradigm without concretely committing to a break from the pathology paradigm. Such a paradigm shift, however, is the sine qua non of all neurodiversity-affirming work (Walker 2021). While similar in its appearance, pathology lite differs in its function. Pathology lite refers to past or present discourse seeking to transform the pathology paradigm from within the bio-psycho-medical sciences without explicitly adopting a neurodiversity approach.
Because of its critical approach to mainstream medical models, it may deceptively lend itself to perceptions and representations of neurodiversity affirmation among proponents of the neurodiversity movement. Unlike neurodiversity lite, which undermines the rhetorical potency of the neurodiversity lexicon by claiming it unjustly, pathology lite discourse targets the core principles of the neurodiversity paradigm. It does so by maintaining the illusion that the pathology paradigm can be transformed to accommodate neurodivergent individuals.
In my PhD thesis, I diagnose pathology lite in recent scientific discourse on autism stemming from humanistic psychology. Indeed, within recent psychology scholarship, there is a trend of trying to humanise autism and other forms of neurodivergence while still framing them as disorders and deficits, and searching for a cure. Indeed, by lending themselves – albeit only implicitly – to the idea that a more humanising and person-centred approach to psychopathology could equal a neurodiversity-affirming approach, pathology lite proponents still make their curative intentions clear for whoever is ready to look.
In other words, neurodiversity lite proponents may act as if they have already depathologised their approach and practice. Pathology lite proponents, by contrast, believe that a more empathetic and humane approach to medicine will succeed in bringing about the long-awaited cure for autism. While it is possible that pathology lite approaches may concretely improve the living conditions of people facing institutionalisation and psychiatrisation, these short-term benefits may eventually turn their back on neurodivergent and Mad people by undermining their critiques of psychiatry.
As such, I argue that a neurodissident approach requires continued caution against pathology lite approaches, which ultimately serve to justify pathologisation and constrained medicalisation. As we are collectively moving towards critical neurodiversity studies, it’s more important than ever that neurodiversity studies and the neurodiversity movement work hand in hand with Mad studies and Mad communities to avoid the traps of neurodiversity lite and pathology lite.
References
Ashley, Abs. S., Louise Creechan, and Daniel P. Jones, ‘Towards a Critical Turn in Neurodiversity Studies: Bridging the Arts, Humanities and the Social Sciences’, Call for Papers, Neurodiversity, n. d.
Bergenmar, Jenny, Louise Creechan, and Anna Stenning (Eds.), Critical Neurodiversity Studies: Divergent Textualities in Literature and Culture, London, New York, and Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2025.
ND Hums Network, ‘Critical Neurodiversity Studies Conference 2025’, n. d. https://ndhumanities.com/critical-neurodiversity-studies-conference-2025/.
Neumeier, Shain M., ‘“To Siri With Love” and the Problem With Neurodiversity Lite’, Rewire News Group (9 Feb. 2018), https://rewirenewsgroup.com/2018/02/09/siri-love-problem-neurodiversity-lite/.
Walker, Nick, Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities, Fort Worth: Autonomous Press, 2021.
This blog entry is inspired by a chapter of my doctoral thesis to be defended in 2026.
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