Some final thoughts for Disability Pride Month.
I am neurodivergent, and I am also disabled.
Not every neurodivergent person identifies as disabled, but I do.
I am able in many ways. That does not mean I have ‘super powers’; it means I have a ‘spiky profile’. I have learned to lean into my strengths and self-advocate for my needs to be met, and where they are consistently not met I may withdraw myself from the situation.
I am not consistently disabled, because autism, ADHD and complex PTSD are all dynamic disabilities, their disabling effects may vary.
Compassion, understanding, adjustments, and support can all enable me, but I have also needed to put in some work myself. I believe in the social model of disability, but it is not the be all and end all. I do not need to be fixed, but I have benefited from improving my own psychological skills.
Neurodivergent is an ‘opt-in’ label. It can be very affirming, but when using it we need to remember this is a socio-political term, not to be mistaken for a medical diagnosis. Anybody can call themselves ‘neurodivergent,’ if they understand they do not have a typically wired brain, for whatever reason.
And yes, ‘neurodivergent’ can include people whose neural pathways have been altered by mental health conditions, accident, or brain injury.
Kassiane Asasumasu who coined the term ‘neurodivergent’ has often clarified that it explicitly includes mental health conditions and is intended to be inclusive, not exclusive. Let’s not gatekeep; ‘neurodivergent’ is not a diagnosis, so if an individual finds it helpful, then they can use it, no questions asked.
Remember: Neurodivergent is a socio-political term. One cannot be ‘diagnosed with neurodiversity’ or ‘diagnosed with neurodivergence’, because that is muddling up the medical model of disability with the social model of disability, mixing the pathology paradigm with the neurodiversity paradigm, and does not make sense.
Finally, I was told in one job to avoid using the word ‘disabled’ as apparently some people find the term ‘offensive’. Well, to be frank, I am offended by their offence, and this is ableism. No, ‘disabled’ is not an offensive word, nor a dirty word; it is neutral. There is nothing wrong with being disabled; it should not be a moral judgment, nor a value judgement. Hiding behind flowery language can only perpetuate the stigma. It is OK to be disabled.
#Disabled #Disability #DisabilityPrideMonth #Ableism #Neurodiversity
Ausome Charlie 