Building a Culture of Respect in the Neurodiversity Movement

by Prof. Charlotte Valeur, Chair & Founder of ION

Across the world, organisations and communities are realising that how we engage with difference matters as much as the differences themselves. Universities, workplaces, and civic groups have introduced civility pledges or honour codes to set a baseline of respect and tolerance in public life. These initiatives recognise that disagreement is natural, but respect, curiosity, and empathy are choices.

The neurodiversity movement has reached a moment where we need the same cultural infrastructure.

Neurodiversity runs through every identity

Neurodiversity is not a silo. It runs across race, gender, culture, class, disability, sexuality, and age. Every neurotype, whether in the majority or the minority, exists within these wider intersections.

That means inclusion must be whole, not partial. A workplace cannot be neuro-inclusive if it ignores gender equity. A school cannot claim inclusion if it supports autistic students but fails to address racism. Recognising neurodiversity requires us to recognise the full human being in all their complexity.

Beyond awareness and acceptance

For decades, much of the conversation about neurodiversity has been framed in terms of awareness and acceptance. These are important first steps, but they are not enough. Awareness tells us that difference exists. Acceptance suggests we endure it.
What our movement needs now is appreciation, the understanding that different minds bring value, resilience, creativity, and new ways of seeing the world. Respect and civility are the cultural practices that turn appreciation into reality.

A pledge as a social contract
Movements thrive when they create visible, shared commitments.

A Neurodiversity Civility & Respect Pledge can serve as that anchor for our community. It can:

• Set a baseline expectation for dialogue across neurotypes and identities.
• Remind us that neurodiversity is part of the wider human rights and inclusion landscape.
• Provide a practical tool for workplaces, schools, and community groups to adopt.
• Reinforce that this movement is not just about policy, but about culture and everyday action.
  In short, the pledge is not about silencing differences. It’s about how we hold them: with curiosity, care, and dignity.

Neurodiversity Civility & Respect Pledge

We recognise that neurodiversity is part of human diversity.

It runs across all backgrounds, cultures, identities, and experiences. Every neurotype, whether minority or majority, adds value to our shared world.

By signing this pledge, I commit to:

1. Respecting every mind – valuing people for who they are, not how closely they match a “typical” way of being.
2. Honouring intersectionality – recognising that neurodiverse identities overlap with race, gender, culture, sexuality, age, disability, and more, and that inclusion must reflect this complexity.
3. Practising civility and curiosity – meeting differences with openness, patience, and interest rather than judgment.
4. Creating safe spaces – contributing to environments where all neurotypes can express themselves without fear of ridicule, exclusion, or punishment.
5. Repairing with care – when misunderstandings occur, taking responsibility to listen, learn, and rebuild trust.
6. Actively appreciating difference – seeing neurodiversity and all identities, not as a challenge to be “tolerated” but as a source of strength, creativity, and resilience.

Together, we can build communities, organisations, and societies where all humans belong.