What is neurodiversity? | Right Decisions

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What is neurodiversity?

May 2025 RDS newsletter now available. Expand this announcement to view.

Welcome to the May 2025 update from the RDS team

1. RDS deployments

Three small-scale releases took place during April and May, including the following fixes and improvements:

Applying moderate severity security patch to Umbraco.
Fixes to:
- Random ordering of tiles on mobile app
- Simultaneous issuing of multiple copies of content review alerts
- Content display on mobile app for the left hand menu navigation option
Whitelisting of Jotforms outcomes pages so that recommendations for action can be displayed following completion of a form or calculation.

2. RDS performance

Two short outages took place on the mornings of 12^th and 22^nd May. Tactuum is still investigating the root cause and will report on this shortly.

3. Redesign of Gentamicin and Vancomycin calculator interfaces

New designs have been produced which make the health board name and calculator title clear to the user on these calculator pages, with a warning message and link to ensure users access the right calculator for their board. These designs have been implemented in a test environment and are now under review.

4. RDS Redesign, archiving and version control

We now plan to release at end of July 2025 the following major enhancements: redesigned Right Decision Service homepage, new search and browse interface, upgraded archiving and version control, and capability to edit content adopted from the Shared Content Library. We will provide slides and demos in advance of the release to introduce users and editors to the new functionality.

5. Training sessions for RDS editors

Introductory webinars for RDS editors will take place on:

Monday 16 June 12.30-1.30 pm
Tuesday 24 June 3.45-4.45 pm

Running usage statistics reports using Google analytics

Wednesday 11^th June: 2-3pm

To book a place on any of these webinars, please contact Olivia.graham@nhs.scot providing your name, role, organisation, title and date of the webinar you wish to attend.

6.New RDS toolkits

The following toolkits were launched during March 2025:

National cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and risk factors toolkit (Scottish Government CVD Steering Group and Preventative and Proactive Care Programme)
National quality of care review guidance – including interactive forms for self-evaluation and service improvement (Healthcare Improvement Scotland)

7.New RDS developments

Work is progressing on a number of decision support systems that are part of the wider Right Decision Service platform, beyond the web and mobile apps:

The Patient Reported Outcome Measures system. A minimum viable product version will be available for functional testing by key stakeholders at end of July.
Pharmacogenomics decision support as an extension of the current high risk prescribing decision support integrated with primary care electronic health record systems. This is part of a European research and innovation project.
Planned Date of Discharge decision support system to be tested in NHS Lanarkshire. Will undergo user acceptance testing in July with a view to piloting from November.

8. Implementation projects

Public library services in Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow Life, Angus, Falkirk and Stirling have come forward to work with the RDS team, the Scottish Library and Information Council and local Realistic Medicine leads, to develop their role in engaging citizens in Realistic Medicine. This includes promoting the Being a partner in my care app: Realistic Medicine Together. This provides tools and resources to support conversations about what matters to the person, shared decision-making and self-management.

If you have any questions about the content of this newsletter, please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot If you would prefer not to receive future newsletters, please email Olivia.graham@nhs.scot and ask to be removed from the circulation list.

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NHS GGC

Neurodiversity is the term that explains the natural variation in everyone’s brain, including thinking processes, information processing and learning approaches.

We’re all neurodiverse – all our brains are different. However, over 15% of people in the UK, or roughly 1 in 7 individuals, are neurodivergent.

A neurodivergent person’s brain processes information differently from what is considered typical for most people. Autism, attention deficit disorders (ADHD), dyslexia and dyspraxia are some examples of the most widely recognised neurodivergent conditions.

Most neurodivergent conditions are experienced within a spectrum – meaning that the experience will differ from person to person. A person can also identify with more than one type of neurodivergence.

Neurodivergent conditions tend to be invisible, which can create barriers for individuals in accessing the support they may need to thrive in society.

The concept of neurodiversity recognises the value of each variation making up the range of human thinking, whether it be neurotypical or neurodivergent.

It is important to use inclusive language when discussing neurodiversity, and individuals’ personal choices on how they identify should always be respected. However, identity-first language is generally preferred among neurodivergent communities, such as saying ‘autistic people’ rather than ‘people with autism’.