A recent conversation about neurodiversity caught my attention. Someone argued that terms like “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” risk dividing rather than including – that they imply deviation from a “norm.” But if we follow that logic, then almost every form of human variation could be read as otherness. Height, metabolism, digestion, immune response – none of these are uniform across the population. The human body is diverse. Brains are simply part of that continuum.
Neurodiversity, then, isn’t an indulgent slogan or “woke frippery.” It’s one instance of a broader truth: human physiology develops and functions along multiple viable pathways. Difference is not a defect. It’s a feature of life.
From neurodiversity to physiodiversity
The term physiodiversity captures this wider idea – that diversity runs through every system of the body, not just the brain. Our nervous, immune, endocrine and digestive systems all vary from person to person in ways that shape energy, mood, attention and stress. The brain doesn’t stand apart from these systems; it is interwoven with them.
Seen this way, neurodiversity becomes part of an embodied story about how humans sense, process and respond to the world.
Rethinking inclusion
If we accept that bodies themselves are diverse, inclusion stops being about fitting everyone to a single standard. Instead, it becomes about designing environments flexible enough to accommodate real biological variation – in sensory thresholds, attention rhythms, interoception, and emotional regulation.
Supporting learners, colleagues or family members isn’t about “normalising” their responses, but understanding that their physiology may simply operate according to a different pattern.
The science is already pointing there
Research on the gut–brain axis, endocrine sensitivity, and immune regulation all point to the same conclusion: human difference is systemic, not localised. The way a person feels, thinks and learns reflects the whole body’s pattern of communication, not just its neural circuitry.
Why this matters for education and everyday life
When schools or workplaces talk about inclusion, the focus often rests on cognitive and behavioural differences. Yet many challenges – sensory overload, fatigue, anxiety – have as much to do with physiology as psychology. Recognising physiodiversity means seeing regulation, attention and engagement as embodied processes. It invites compassion, not correction.
In the end
Physiodiversity doesn’t replace neurodiversity – it extends it.
It reminds us that difference is the rule, not the exception. The goal isn’t to erase divergence but to build systems flexible enough for every body and brain to thrive.
Kate Coldrick is an educator, researcher, and inclusive learning specialist based in Woodbury near Exeter. She supports schools, families, and home-educated learners through consultancy, training, and resources on neurodiversity and inclusive practice.
Kate Coldrick – Home Education Consultant for Neurodivergent Learners 