Have you ever encountered an athlete who suddenly shouts out or someone who seems disengaged? What was your initial reaction? Did you assume the athlete was being offensive or underperforming that day? Or did you wonder whether they might be neurodiverse? Neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in the human brain that influence how people process information, communicate and engage with their surroundings.1 It includes a range of clinical diagnoses (figure 1A) and emphasises that these conditions are normal variations of the human brain, rather than deficits.1 2 Neurodiverse athletes (NdA) often thrive in sports, leveraging their exceptional skills in attention to detail, pattern recognition, intense focus and heightened sensory awareness. Despite these strengths, they encounter distinct challenges that may not be well understood by sports and exercise medicine (SEM) clinicians, coaches, athlete staff and sporting organisations.2 This editorial aims…