There are three main models of approaching disability, the medical model, social model, and neurodiversity approach. The medical model views the disability as a disorder or deficit that needs to be cured. The social model views the disability as a result of the environment. The neurodiversity approach views disability as an interaction between the characteristics of the disabled person and the environment.

Dwyer (2022) explains that there is not just one neurodiversity approach, but many different definitions of what neurodiversity means. The neurodiversity model aligns more with the biopsychosocial approach, which stipulates that disabilities are the result of a combination of biological, social, and environmental factors.