Neurodivergent glossary
Accommodation vs Cure
The fundamental philosophical divide in how to respond to neurodivergence—should we change the person to fit the world, or change the world to fit the person?
What it means
The accommodation vs cure debate is the central philosophical divide in how society approaches neurodivergence. The cure model says the goal should be to eliminate or minimize neurological differences—to make neurodivergent people function as neurotypically as possible. The accommodation model says the goal should be to change environments, systems, and expectations so that neurological differences aren't disabling.
This isn't an abstract debate. It shapes everything from how therapies are designed (eliminate autistic behaviors vs support autistic people), how schools operate (remediate differences vs provide alternative pathways), how workplaces function (require conformity vs design for diversity), and how research funding is allocated (cure-focused vs quality-of-life focused).
Most neurodivergent self-advocates favor accommodation over cure, arguing that many of their difficulties come from environmental mismatch rather than intrinsic deficiency. This doesn't mean all neurodivergent people reject medical support—many benefit from medication, therapy, and specific interventions. The distinction is between support that helps a person thrive as they are and interventions aimed at making them someone they're not.
In practice
What this can look like
- A parent is offered ABA therapy to teach their autistic child to stop hand-flapping. They ask: "Why? The flapping doesn't hurt anyone—it helps them regulate. Can we instead teach the classroom to accept it?" That question is the accommodation model in action.
- A company offers a "neurodiversity training" program that teaches neurodivergent employees to fit neurotypical communication norms. A neurodivergent employee suggests redesigning the communication norms instead. Same problem, fundamentally different approaches.
Context
Community note
The "cure" framing is especially contested in autistic communities, where many people view autism as an identity rather than a disease. The question "would you cure your autism?" often receives the response: "You can't separate the autism from the person—to cure it would be to create a different person."
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