Neurodiversity holds that atypical neural configurations of certain mental conditions are too diverse to be collectively "othered" as abnormal. The antecedents of neurodiversity are addressed in this article by understanding media representations of neuroatypicality and how words construct our perceptions regarding the mentally ill. This evolution, partly due to a climate of political correctness, is apparent when comparing the language of the Lunacy Act (1858) with the Mental Health Care Act (2017).
