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I personally dislike calling myself neurodivergent (lemmy.ca)

submitted 23 hours ago by floralmortal@lemmy.ca to c/autism@lemmy.world

32 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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).

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[–] floralmortal@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, I do understand what the word "insist" means. You literally did insist on insulting me. Plus, insisting that you have more illnesses than I do without knowing my story is very much one-upping someone and trying to make yourself seem seem extra special.

I get that English isn't your first language, but it is a normal thing to say, "You insist on doing XYZ" after you've done XYZ. You're continuing to insult me, which only concludes my point that you insist on insulting me. This is literally part of normal English grammar, but I'll give you a pass since it isn't your first language.

"And I'd win." You're proving my point. You lose all credibility when you one-up someone in an argument. Sorry, you automatically lose when you one-up someone.

Also, "neurodivergent" isn't even a real medical term. Literally anyone and their grandma could identify as neurodivergent be there is no set medical usage for it. This term was literally only invented in the 1990s by an autism activist. You know that, right? It wasn't some professional doctor who diagnoses autism who created this term.

In terms of cars, you could technically say,

"I'm using a metallic machine," and still be technically correct. So really, my point isn't proven wrong about vagueness.

There are also multiple types of neurological conditions; neurodevelopmental conditions are neurological, but not all neurological conditions are neurodevelopmental. What you are doing is the equivalent of telling someone that it's wrong to mention both squares and rectangles in the same sentence, when not all rectangles are squares.

I really think you should learn a bit more English before correcting someone else's.

[+] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] floralmortal@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

You also used the wrong form of the word "you're." I have a neurological condition that isn't neurodevelopmental, therefore mentioning both neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions in the same sentence makes perfect sense. I thought you would've understood the hint by now, but apparently not.

Again, using the word "insist" the way I did was correct. English isn't your first language, yet you refuse to understand when a native English speaker is informing you of a clear language barrier. Here's an example provided by a dictionary website,

"Why did he insist on showing up when she was alone?"

Another one would be,

"Do you want to go to the store?"

"If you insist."

Or why did you insist on directly insulting me when I hadn't done so to you? The way I used this word is very similar to these examples.

"I know you're so neurodisabled that language doesn't come easily to you." Whoopsie daises, that's extremely ableist of you. You're going for extremely low blows when I'm objectively just criticising the things you've written. First, you call me stupid, and now you're basically politely calling me rtrded. Nice to know how much you actually support disabled people.

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 point of going to a hospital for most cases is for receiving medical care, which mostly consists of receiving medical diagnoses beforehand. Absolutely zero diagnoses require the usage of the word "neurodivergent" in their symptoms. It's an entirely optional word and I've never heard someone use that word when giving me any of my diagnoses.

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.

This brings me to another point; people sometimes use the word "neurodivergent" as a dogwhistle. It has been sometimes used to indicate that someone is "one of the good ones" and not like those "disabled guys." I've seen people use it in a similar manner to how people use the word "Asperger's."

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.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

A typing mistake when using autoinput on a mobile doesn't really speak to one's language proficiency (especially when I noticed the error and fixed it half an hour before you childishly even pointed it out).

therefore mentioning both neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions in the same sentence

That's not what we're debating. Is your literacy that low or is this plain old avoidance?

What you said is "neurodevelopmental disorders and neurology are wholly different categories" or words to that effect. They're not.

Not "mentioning both in the same sentence".

Again, using the word "insist" the way I did was correct.

No, it really, really wasn't. And just because this is my third language doesn't make it better for you. It makes it worse, because youre getting schooled.

"Why did he insist on showing up when she was alone?"

Another one would be,

"Do you want to go to the store?"

"If you insist."

First one implies almost a stalking sort of action, but on a socially acceptable level. The second one could be replied to with "well I sort of fancy a drink, but it's not a must" (as in politely negating the "insist").

Me casually pointing out you're using language wrong and you taking extra special offense at wanting to be called extra special, because you think "neurodivergent" is categorically different from "neurodevelopmental" is not me insisting to insult you. It's just your ego being really weak and you perceiving a casual remark as insistence.

Unlike in that case, there's no proscriptively right answer, and the most correct answer will be defined by the author's intent. Who authored the bit you're insisting (see that's the correct way to use the word) has insistence? Oh, right, me.

Would you care to list any of the things you've perceived to be me insisting on an insult? No...? Quelle surprise.

when I'm objectively just criticising the things you've written

Yeah you're being soooooo objective. Not at all just have your feelings hurt because someone saw right through you and pointed out a mistake you made.

now you're basically politely calling me rtrded

You LITERALLY self-identified as "I would prefer being called neurodisabled", when clearly having somewhat functioning faculties (debatable but), and now you're strawmanning that I'm using ableist slurs when you literally literally chose to self-identify with the word I'm respectfully using (against my personal dislike of the term, because I've literally never seen it and read a lot of neurological literature due to my own disabilities).

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.

Ah yes, so I should've been able to read your mind when you said that "it's not even a real word, it was invented in the 90's", that you actually meant "neurodivergence isn't a diagnosis". Because fuck everything, and you just saying shit that's wrong doesn't matter, because you can just say you actually didn't even mean it and didn't even make a mistake but that it obviously means the correct thing, which is actually very different?

Mmm. Right. I can see that neurodisability showing through again, imo. Mind explaining better this disability you have so I don't say anything offensive about your psychological predisposition to ever admit you're wrong and avoid all the stupid shit you've happened to say?

No, "neurodivergent" isn't a diagnosis. Neither is "neurodevelopmental," "neurological", "psychological", "acute" "first-aid", "resuscitation", "suture" diagnoses either, but still they're every much commonly used in medicine, because they're kinds useful when doing it and talking about it.

entirely optional word

For you. But for anyone actually practicing neurology, no it is fucking not "optional". That's like saying that "acceleration" is an entirely optional word for physicists. That is ridiculous.

I've never heard someone use that word when giving me any of my diagnoses.

Yes? And I've never heard the word "suture" in any of my diagnosis. I still have a at least 50 scars of them on my body, left by actual medical professionals. Do you believe they could've been using the word even... even when I wasn't in the room...? :O

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.

I genuinely mean no offense in this part, and I probably have to avoid mocking you for that, but is this the neurodisability of yours again?

You're saying "words are coined through the use prefixes, roots and suffixes. This wasn't coined, because it's created by using prefixes, roots, and suffixes" and you don't see how that's an utterly ridiculously contradictory thing to say? You genuinely don't see it? Uff, guess it's more serious than I thought.

It has been sometimes used to indicate that someone is "one of the good ones" and not like those "disabled guys." I've seen people use it in a similar manner to how people use the word "Asperger's."

I really don't give a flying fuck to your subjective experiences. In what way they use "aspergers"? Mockingly? Praisingly? The "he might be slightly socially awkward" (without an implication as to whether the person is bad or good.)

Perhaps you don't realise but those are subjective experiences of yours. You're just trying to avoid admitting to having made a language mistake. Especially after your insistent implication (repeated, stressed, angry, those are hallmarks of insistence, none of which my comments have :))) ) that I must be bad at English because it's not my first language. Must be kinda shameful to realise how badly you know languages.

If you qualify for a diagnosis that is categorised as a disability, you are disabled. Autism and ADHD, are by definition, disabling.

No, they're not. By definition, they're not. Disabled has actual fucking well-defined legal definitions, (most of which are different in different countries) . But no they're not by definition disabilities. You can actually have mild to severe autism and by no definition is all autism and ADHD disabling. THAT is fucking ableism and offensive af. Especially on c/autism

It's beyond pathetic going to edit your comments instead of admitting to having made semantical mistakes. "People forget its possible being mildly disabled". Depends on the context and country, again. But YOU are conflating a disorder with a disability. Neurodevelopmental disorders don't mean you're disabled even slightly. They can be disabling, but there is no implied necessary disablement. That's ableist as fuck.