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Neurodivergent -v- Autistic

Debbie
1 month ago

I will start by admitting I'm a bit grumpy as my brain is boiling in the heat (south of England heatwave).

Nevertheless, I am getting rather irritated by people talking about neurodiversity (neurodivergence) on threads without mentioning what the neurodivergence is.

I'm having to assume that they are talking about autism as it's an autism forum but it could be something else (see below).

I feel like this umbrella term becoming a substitute for each individual condition.

Does anyone else feel the same or should I take a cool shower?

Parents
  • 1 month ago

    I think all the terms tend to blend into one amophous blob, it can be quite anxiety inducing in itself knowing the correct way to describe onesself and there seems to be a growing hierarchy of how many other conditions you have along with autism. Now I guess there are going to be people jumping up and down because they don't have autism amoung thier neurodiverse conditions.

    I think it's probably a less clunky word in general conversation, but in others more explaination needs to be given. I do think there are so many things that "the spectrum" encompasses that we need both a shorthand word and more specific ones too. But I wouldn't like us to have an alphabet like LBTGQ etc, I can't remember the rest because dyslexia means I don't do sequenses well.

    On the whole it all feels a minefield for potential offence, leaving people out, including to many assumptions, it reminds me of the mind bending verbal acrobatics we had to go through everytime we thought about or addresses a non white person 30 years ago.

Reply
  • 1 month ago

    I think all the terms tend to blend into one amophous blob, it can be quite anxiety inducing in itself knowing the correct way to describe onesself and there seems to be a growing hierarchy of how many other conditions you have along with autism. Now I guess there are going to be people jumping up and down because they don't have autism amoung thier neurodiverse conditions.

    I think it's probably a less clunky word in general conversation, but in others more explaination needs to be given. I do think there are so many things that "the spectrum" encompasses that we need both a shorthand word and more specific ones too. But I wouldn't like us to have an alphabet like LBTGQ etc, I can't remember the rest because dyslexia means I don't do sequenses well.

    On the whole it all feels a minefield for potential offence, leaving people out, including to many assumptions, it reminds me of the mind bending verbal acrobatics we had to go through everytime we thought about or addresses a non white person 30 years ago.

Children
  • 1 month ago in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    But I wouldn't like us to have an alphabet like LBTGQ etc, I can't remember the rest because dyslexia means I don't do sequenses well.

    I just put + at the end (LGBTQ+).

    TheCatWoman said:
    it reminds me of the mind bending verbal acrobatics we had to go through everytime we thought about or addresses a non white person 30 years ago.

    I say 'non white' now as I was horrified at one point to find I was using a term from my past that was currently deemed offensive.

    It's also interesting how terms are (I can't think of the word) by groups.

    When I was young 'queer' was a derogatory term and I never used it.

    I was at first shocked to find it being used in media, until I discovered it had been (insert word) by the relevant group.