Published on 12, July, 2020
Neurosplaining...By analogy with 'mansplaining', I guess; the act of telling a neurodivergent person how they experience their neurodivergence.
A new word for my vocabulary today, but wondered whether anyone else had heard it before.
I can't claim any credit for inventing this new lexical item here, but I like it and yes it does nicely sum up some rubbish we hear from others (sadly, often professionals as frequently as friends and family). I just came across it in a post on LinkedIn from a psychologist and neuroinclusion specialist. It's made my day. So, I thought I'd share.
My doctor neurosplains me every time he tells me I "suffer with autism". Or tells me he regrets that "he cannot cure my autism".
Has anyone neurosplained you recently?
Ugh. Yes. The one I usually get is "but my nephew is autistic and you're nothing like him, so..." as if the only way to be autistic is the one way they've already seen.
Of course I'm not like their nephew! I'm a grown woman, not a little boy! I'm not less autistic just because I don't behave the same way as a child.
battybats said: The one I usually get is "but my nephew is autistic and you're nothing like him, so..."
Yeah, that one. Because my brother is autistic and was non-verbal as a child I was the 'normal' one who was just difficult and uncooperative...
We weren't alike, so...
Now I have three nieces who are autistic, and two who are not. They're all very different from each other.
People use the term 'on the spectrum' as a derogatory term, a lot of the time. It would be helpful if they'd learn what the word 'spectrum' actually means..
I had a very similar experience with my sister, she looks after 2 autistic boys after school, I told her why I think I’m autistic, she replied,” no I work with autistic children and your nothing like them.” The same reason as you gave, I'm not a child.