The Story Behind the Flag
How the Neurodiversity Strength Flag came to be.
The Idea
The Neurodiversity Strength Flag was created in 2021 by its designer, Josh Mirsky, but the idea behind it formed years earlier.
Through his own experiences as a neurodivergent person and conversations across the community, a pattern became impossible to ignore. Stigma showed up everywhere, in employment, in relationships, and in everyday interactions. Often quietly. Often without explanation.
What was missing was a unifying symbol that reflected pride rather than deficit.
For Josh, the need for that symbol was personal. Repeated experiences of being dismissed or judged after disclosing his neurodivergence made the impact of stigma impossible to ignore.
Those moments were not unique to him. They echoed what many neurodivergent people experience every day. The flag emerged from a belief that the community deserved better representation, something visible, affirmative, and unapologetic.
The Creation
The Neurodiversity Strength Flag was designed by Josh Mirsky in 2021, but the work began before the design itself existed. Long before the flag was created, Josh was already meeting with elected officials and advocating for the idea that neurodiversity needed a visible, unifying symbol.
The flag emerged from that advocacy, not the other way around.
Josh created the original version of the flag by hand, with each element chosen intentionally to reflect values expressed by the neurodivergent community.
Red represents strength. Gold represents value, dignity, and first place. The diamond shape represents worth. The infinity symbol reflects infinite possibilities when stigma is removed and intentionally replaces the puzzle piece long criticized by the community.
From Concept to Public Symbol
After the design was created, Josh personally led the effort to bring the flag into the public sphere. This work did not occur through automatic channels or institutional momentum
Josh independently initiated meetings with elected officials, advocated for the flag’s recognition, and pushed for it to be treated as more than a symbolic submission. He coordinated outreach, followed up repeatedly, and carried the responsibility of advancing the flag beyond its initial inception.
Public displays, media coverage, and broader awareness did not happen on their own. They happened because Josh continued to show up, make the case, and insist that the flag be seen, acknowledged, and taken seriously. Flags, pins, public displays, and media coverage occurred because the work continued beyond design and approval.
Through Josh’s direct outreach and persistence, the Neurodiversity Strength Flag was publicly displayed during Autism and Neurodiversity Acceptance Month and recognized across New York State.
These moments marked a turning point, not because a design existed, but because sustained effort ensured it would not be ignored.
This public recognition marked a turning point. What began as a hand drawn design became an officially recognized symbol, helping give the neurodivergent community greater visibility and a shared point of pride.
The Neurodiversity Strength Flag exists as a public symbol today because its designer did not stop advocating when the work became difficult.
Purpose Going Forward
The Neurodiversity Strength Flag is not meant to speak for every experience. It exists to offer a shared symbol that people can stand behind.
As the flag spreads, so does the message. Neurodivergent people are not problems to be solved. They are people to be recognized, respected, and valued.