I have several disorders which are located inside of the brain (which obviously includes autism, hence me posting here). I dislike calling myself “neurodivergent” for many reasons. For one, people use this term as a replacement word for autism, and I have many conditions besides autism.

For example, I’ll see posts saying, “neurodivergent people sre more likely to do XYZ.” There are so many disorders which fall under the neurodivergent umbrella that it isn’t humanly possible for neurodivergent people to be more likely to say or do something than other folks; just say autistic in this context.

I also find that my personal experience gets watered down by calling myself neurodivergent; it feels like a modern version of being called special. I have several conditions which fall under different categories; psychiatric, neurological, and neurodevelopmental. To call all of that just neurodivergent is not very specific and doesn’t tell a person what my needs are (plus, they’ll just assume I’m autistic).

  • Dasus@lemmy.world
    62·
    4 months ago

    I also find that my personal experience gets watered down by calling myself neurodivergent; it feels like a modern version of being called special. I have several conditions

    Aah so you’re upset that you’re not called “extra special”, got it.

    A person with cancer has an illness. Someone with autism is neurodivergent. Just how words work. Some are specific and others are broader. Water is a liquid. But not all liquids are water. Spaghetti is pasta, but not all pasta is spaghetti. Autism is part of neurodivergence, but not all neurodivergence is autism.

    Also neurodevelopmental issues are part of neurology. Listing those two side by side is like saying “today I drank liquids, then I drank water, then I had pasta and some spaghetti.”

      • Mommy Longarms@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        4 months ago

        Neurodisabled would be a different category all together. Many forms of neurodivergency aren’t disabilities, or aren’t always disabilities. Autism is one of these. It can be a disability, but it’s a broad enough spectrum that sometimes it isn’t a disability.

        • Dasus@lemmy.world
          21·
          4 months ago

          It’s a disorder. A disordered thing isn’t necessarily disabled. OP is too neurodisabled to see categories properly I’m afraid.

          And that’s me using the word OP literally asked people to use, before a mod removes this comment as well. Even though that’s not actually a medical term even 1% as common as neurodivergence, which OP says is “not even a medical term”.

          It’s literally the title of a medical journal. Saying it is not a medical term is like saying “acceleration” isn’t a term physicists use.

                  • Dasus@lemmy.world
                    11·
                    4 months ago

                    If you qualify for a diagnosis that is categorised as a disability, you are disabled. Autism and ADHD, are by definition, disabling. People forget that it’s possible to be mildly disabled.

                    Just like when you said “neurological and neurodevelopmental are different categories” you’re making rhe same mistake again. “Disorder” is not synonymous with “DISABILITY”.

                    That is ableist as fuck not to mention disgustingly wrong

                  • Dasus@lemmy.world
                    11·
                    4 months ago

                    Sure, it’s a term used in medical journals, but that doesn’t make it a diagnostic term. When I say medical, I mean in a diagnostic sense. The poin

                    So when you make a mistake people arr still supposed to mind read around it?

                    You made a mistake. You are literally unable to Admit to it.

                    Yeah, yeah, coined vs created. You literally coin words by creating a new term based on old prefixes, roots, and suffixes. To say that a word is created is still accurate because you’re still creating a term that never previously existed by mashing prefixes, roots, and suffixes together.

                    Honestly that’s one confusing as fuck explanation that’s pure avoidance. Just try uttering “I was wrong” it’s really not that hard.

                    But no, crying to mods because people agreed with me and my comments about how wrong you are.

                  • Dasus@lemmy.world
                    11·
                    4 months ago

                    You’re confusing disorder and disability.

                    Not to mention using grammar wrong and then getting upset when someone points out how wrong you are.

                    I did not in any way insist on insulting you. You project that because youre insecure and I pointed out that you’re using words wrong and making mistakes which amount to the same thing as “spaghetti and pasta are different categories.”