Good Different

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in communication, sensory processing, social interaction, and patterns of interest or behavior. Historically, autism has been defined through the lens of the medical model of disability, which frames a disability as a problem or deficit located within an individual. Under this model, autistic traits are viewed as symptoms to be minimized, corrected, or treated. However, contemporary disability scholarship, autistic self-advocates, and neurodiversity scholars increasingly emphasize a different framework: the social model of disability. This model argues that disability arises not from individual traits but from the interaction between those traits and an environment that is designed for a different majority. In this framing, barriers such as noise, bright lights, rigid social expectations, and stigma—not autism itself—cause many of the challenges that people with autism face.

A related concept, neurotype theory, asserts that neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others constitute natural forms of human variation. Rather than seeing these differences as disorders to be corrected, the neurodiversity paradigm frames them as valid cognitive styles with individualized ranges of strengths and challenges. This perspective has gained traction in education, psychology, and children’s literature, offering younger readers a different, healthier model for understanding their own minds and breaking free of deficit-based narratives.

Language use plays a notable role in this shift. Many autistic individuals see their autism as an aspect of themselves that should not be separated from their identity, and they therefore prefer to use identity-first language (“autistic person”) over the person-first phrasing (“person with autism”) that is commonly recommended in generalized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. For them, autism is an integral part of their identity—no more detachable than ethnicity or gender—and is not something external that a person “has.” In contrast, some people still prefer person-first language, and the community remains diverse in its preferences.

A second key term in contemporary autism vocabulary is the word “stim,” which is short for “self-stimulatory behavior”. “Stimming” refers to the act of making repetitive movements or sounds—such as squeezing objects, hand-flapping, rocking, humming, or tapping—that help a person to regulate their sensory input or emotions. While older medical literature pathologized these behaviors, modern autistic advocates emphasize that stimming serves essential self-regulatory purposes. The same is true of sensory tools like earplugs, sunglasses, fidgets, weighted objects, and chewing aids. These supports are increasingly understood as accommodations that help individuals with autism to manage environments that they find overwhelming.

Another important concept is masking, the practice of suppressing natural behaviors, emotions, or sensory needs in order to appear “normal.” Masking can include forcing eye contact, imitating neurotypical body language, hiding confusion, or enduring sensory discomfort to avoid standing out. Research shows that masking is especially common among girls and women with autism, who are often socialized to be compliant and to meet others’ expectations. Because traditional diagnostic criteria were based largely on studies of young boys, girls with autism are frequently misdiagnosed or identified much later in life. Their traits may be mistaken for anxiety disorders, depression, or perfectionism, or these girls might be overlooked entirely because they have learned to camouflage their differences until masking becomes unsustainable.

Children’s literature has increasingly incorporated neurodiversity-informed storytelling, and Good Different participates in this movement by depicting autistic traits using contemporary vocabulary and frameworks. The novel aligns with the social model of disability by portraying sensory differences, emotional intensity, and stimming as meaningful aspects of a neurotype rather than flaws to be corrected. The novel’s attention to employing identity-first language, sensory regulation tools, and the psychological effects of masking reflects current thinking within autistic communities and disability studies.