Published on 12, July, 2020
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?
For what it's worth in my own small experience, specifically in a school setting, using ND has been socially helpful for students in that it is more general and thus, it would seem, less stigmatising.
An advantage for the kids is that in collectively referring to themselves as ND, they're a social group, there are more of them, and their status as ND becomes normalised in the school community.
It's contextual, obviously, yet a situation in which there's a positive side to simply being ND..
In some settings e.g. courses where I don't know people very well; I might say Neurodivergent rather than Autistic (to help people be considerate ... without perhaps highlighting particular potential vulnerabilities).
Among a cohort where I become aware there are a number of other Neurodivergent people - then I am more likely to be comfortable to say Autistic (so fellow Neurodivergent people do not get frustrated with the second-guessing in the way Debbie described).
Debbie: sorry to hear you have found today's weather a bit of a trial I hear you! (I am OK with warm dry weather, but I do not appreciate warm and humid weather ...so yes, I was a bit grumpy too earlier today).