Is It Just a Trend? Why So Many Women Are Exploring Neurodivergence and Why That Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Real
By Michelle Labine
July 2025
In recent years, I’ve heard many women say something like this:
“I think I might be Autistic or ADHD, but I’m afraid people will think I’m just jumping on a trend.”
If that thought has crossed your mind you’re not alone. Awareness of autism and ADHD in adult women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) people has grown dramatically. Books, podcasts, research, and personal stories are finally bringing visibility to experiences that were overlooked for decades.
For many women, this visibility brings both relief and doubt.
What if I’m imagining it?
What if I’m just looking for an excuse for my struggles?
What if people think I’m following a trend?
These fears are understandable and they also deserve to be challenged.
Why So Many Women Are Recognizing It Now
For much of modern history, research on neurodevelopmental differences focused primarily on boys, especially white boys. Girls and women were expected to be adaptable, agreeable, and socially competent. Many learned to mask copying social behaviour, suppressing sensory discomfort, and pushing themselves to meet expectations.
Because of this, many women were misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders or simply told they were “too sensitive” or “trying too hard.”
It’s not that neurodivergence is suddenly more common. It’s that the language and understanding to recognize it are finally catching up.
Expanded diagnostic criteria, greater awareness of masking, and more inclusive research have helped clinicians recognize how autism and ADHD can appear differently in women. Increased access to information through books, podcasts, and online communities has also helped many people see their experiences reflected for the first time.
Exploring Isn’t the Same as Claiming
Learning about neurodivergence doesn’t obligate you to adopt an identity or pursue a diagnosis. It simply offers a new framework for understanding your experiences.
For some people, that exploration leads to formal assessment. For others, it provides language and self-compassion that were missing before.
Either way, curiosity about yourself is not something to be ashamed of.
A Few Things Worth Noting
You don’t have to prove your struggles to anyone.
Your experiences matter, even if others don’t understand them.
Curiosity about your own mind is self-awareness.
Cultural conversations about neurodivergence may be expanding, but that doesn’t invalidate the very real experiences of the people who recognize themselves within them.
If You’re Wondering
If you’re beginning to question whether you might be neurodivergent consider reflecting on questions like these:
Do descriptions of neurodivergent experiences feel familiar?
Have you spent much of your life feeling like you were performing a role that never quite fit?
Do you experience chronic overwhelm, sensory sensitivity, or burnout that others don’t seem to notice?
Have you long blamed yourself for struggles that might reflect differences in how your brain works?
You don’t need permission to ask these questions.