It is a very strange phenomenon. I have ADHD, and I certainly wouldn't advertise it on LinkedIn! I've spent my entire adult life learning strategies, techniques and systems to compensate for my deficits and let me harness the power of my strengths. While I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish in my career despite having ADHD, I still don't think it is anything I would ever want to tell a potential employer!
As the mother of two young adults, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and the other with ADHD, I do get concerned about all the "neurodivergent" content out there. It's one thing when it is something offering helpful advice, techniques, or insight - but a lot of is just "I'm neurodivergent and thus it's unfair to expect me to have a job/exchange polite pleasantries/eat a balanced diet/shower regularly/leave the house/whatever."
Another odd trend I've noticed on places that skew young, such as Reddit, is neurodivergent people complaining how terrible it is to be neurodivergent in a capitalist society - which seems like an odd sentiment. I mean, neurodivergent people living in socialist countries like Scandinavia are still expected to get up and go to work and be productive members of society like everyone else; and likewise I'm pretty sure that communism isn't particularly sympathetic to the plight of the person with PDA, RSD, and ASD and all the other various diagnoses. As most of the people complaining about capitalism also freely admit that their main interests involve bed-rotting for days on end while scrolling TikTok, with a general dislike of going outside or leaving the house at all, I don't think they would be particularly well-suited to subsistence farming or being hunter/gatherers in a premodern society, either. It's very weird.
In researching examples for the article, I did encounter several cases where the term was used positively. There were instances, for example, where individuals worked with neurodivergent children or trained companies on how to better accommodate neurodivergent customers.
What struck me as particularly interesting was that among those who prominently displayed the term in their profiles, the majority also included pronouns and other markers of progressive allegiance. This (to me) suggests an incentive structure is present, which raises the question of to what extent such signals are expressions are genuine and to what extent they are performative.
As a mother to an 11 yr old with Down Syndrome, I too am very perplexed by this phenomenon and have really grown to dislike the term. I’ve never referred to my daughter as neurodivergent, and while we don’t treat Down Syndrome as a disease or something to be ashamed of, we also don’t make it her identity or let it be an excuse. I also get frustrated when well meaning people attribute her positive traits to her DS (“they” are always so happy) rather than to her personality and character.
I'm sorry, you can be as open-minded and kind as you like, but these people you illustrate here are simply much too inclined towards self-indulgence. It's like having to watch some kind of mental masturbation. It's unseemly. (Sorry for the old fashioned term.)
I think we can trace all this back to - those "trendy" parenting books. These parents, mostly moms, call their precious special children these same labels. The kids grow up hearing that they are xyz. So why is it no surprise that they spout the same labels off to every teacher/employer/etc? The kids were bathed in this terminology all their lives, thinking that is what everyone else needs to hear and know. And now society is paying the price.
I still hear and read moms always describing their kids in this way when searching for a specific curriculum or tutor or activity or trying to explain a certain incident -- "My Jonny is neurodivergent so searching for a XYZ that will accommodate for his abc." XYZ could be a class, sports team, tutor. ABC could be rudeness, adhd, poor behavior, laziness, but disguised as a personality quirk that is allegedly fixed and a part of him forever. So much for a growth mindset.
What’s particularly intriguing about the term is its origin. It isn’t, strictly speaking, a clinical term—at least, it didn’t begin as one. It emerged from the field of sociology.
Yet, today, many seem to be using it as though it carries the weight and authority of a clinical designation. To my mind, this is a textbook example of concept creep.
yes! How can one even determine one is "neurodivergent?" Is there a test? Can someone disprove or prove their neurodivergency?
I have a theory... these special labels - at first, I think people use it as a shield - b/c it automatically puts them in a "protected" group. It's not PC to make any negative comment about a neurodivergent person, right? Then suddenly, liberal society put positive weight on these labels - like a cool personality trait.
Everyone wants to be neurodivergent - b/c if you don't have any other accomplishment to write down on your resume, what else can you put?
You can put a list of pronouns and list of internal non-physically obvious adjectives to highlight how special you are.
Now or hopefully soon, we see these labels become mentally limiting to the holder.
Then, these labels will be a liability, or a sign that you will be an unemployed 30-something year old still living at your parents' house.
Imagine putting ‘schizophrenia’ on one’s LinkedIn profile!!! Or complex trauma! Or borderline personality disorder! Just goes to show that some disorders have more cultural caché than others, and reveals the disingenuousness of this performative cultural creep.
I've seen so many petty accusations of "abuse" from the workplace I'm now skeptical of anyone who claims it. And it happens a lot with neurodivergence - "Oh no, my employer asked me to follow the company routine, oh no, my employer said I wasn't a good team player because of my social skills issues, they're so rigid and inflexible! They're only doing this because society said so, it's not like they have legitimate reasons for these policies!"
My misdiagnosis of autism used to own me. The autistic community likes identity-first language, "autistic person," as in all of my experience and unique traits are thanks to my autism. I felt like if I ever made a movie, they should just put "Autism Spectrum Disorder" down as my name in the credits. Even if jobs are trying to hire me to appease their disability ratio, I'm not using that to gain an advantage (it's sad that such a tragic thing can do that for me now), I'm going to earn something by my own merit.
It is a very strange phenomenon. I have ADHD, and I certainly wouldn't advertise it on LinkedIn! I've spent my entire adult life learning strategies, techniques and systems to compensate for my deficits and let me harness the power of my strengths. While I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish in my career despite having ADHD, I still don't think it is anything I would ever want to tell a potential employer!
As the mother of two young adults, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and the other with ADHD, I do get concerned about all the "neurodivergent" content out there. It's one thing when it is something offering helpful advice, techniques, or insight - but a lot of is just "I'm neurodivergent and thus it's unfair to expect me to have a job/exchange polite pleasantries/eat a balanced diet/shower regularly/leave the house/whatever."
Another odd trend I've noticed on places that skew young, such as Reddit, is neurodivergent people complaining how terrible it is to be neurodivergent in a capitalist society - which seems like an odd sentiment. I mean, neurodivergent people living in socialist countries like Scandinavia are still expected to get up and go to work and be productive members of society like everyone else; and likewise I'm pretty sure that communism isn't particularly sympathetic to the plight of the person with PDA, RSD, and ASD and all the other various diagnoses. As most of the people complaining about capitalism also freely admit that their main interests involve bed-rotting for days on end while scrolling TikTok, with a general dislike of going outside or leaving the house at all, I don't think they would be particularly well-suited to subsistence farming or being hunter/gatherers in a premodern society, either. It's very weird.
In researching examples for the article, I did encounter several cases where the term was used positively. There were instances, for example, where individuals worked with neurodivergent children or trained companies on how to better accommodate neurodivergent customers.
What struck me as particularly interesting was that among those who prominently displayed the term in their profiles, the majority also included pronouns and other markers of progressive allegiance. This (to me) suggests an incentive structure is present, which raises the question of to what extent such signals are expressions are genuine and to what extent they are performative.
As a mother to an 11 yr old with Down Syndrome, I too am very perplexed by this phenomenon and have really grown to dislike the term. I’ve never referred to my daughter as neurodivergent, and while we don’t treat Down Syndrome as a disease or something to be ashamed of, we also don’t make it her identity or let it be an excuse. I also get frustrated when well meaning people attribute her positive traits to her DS (“they” are always so happy) rather than to her personality and character.
I'm sorry, you can be as open-minded and kind as you like, but these people you illustrate here are simply much too inclined towards self-indulgence. It's like having to watch some kind of mental masturbation. It's unseemly. (Sorry for the old fashioned term.)
I think we can trace all this back to - those "trendy" parenting books. These parents, mostly moms, call their precious special children these same labels. The kids grow up hearing that they are xyz. So why is it no surprise that they spout the same labels off to every teacher/employer/etc? The kids were bathed in this terminology all their lives, thinking that is what everyone else needs to hear and know. And now society is paying the price.
I still hear and read moms always describing their kids in this way when searching for a specific curriculum or tutor or activity or trying to explain a certain incident -- "My Jonny is neurodivergent so searching for a XYZ that will accommodate for his abc." XYZ could be a class, sports team, tutor. ABC could be rudeness, adhd, poor behavior, laziness, but disguised as a personality quirk that is allegedly fixed and a part of him forever. So much for a growth mindset.
What’s particularly intriguing about the term is its origin. It isn’t, strictly speaking, a clinical term—at least, it didn’t begin as one. It emerged from the field of sociology.
Yet, today, many seem to be using it as though it carries the weight and authority of a clinical designation. To my mind, this is a textbook example of concept creep.
yes! How can one even determine one is "neurodivergent?" Is there a test? Can someone disprove or prove their neurodivergency?
I have a theory... these special labels - at first, I think people use it as a shield - b/c it automatically puts them in a "protected" group. It's not PC to make any negative comment about a neurodivergent person, right? Then suddenly, liberal society put positive weight on these labels - like a cool personality trait.
Everyone wants to be neurodivergent - b/c if you don't have any other accomplishment to write down on your resume, what else can you put?
You can put a list of pronouns and list of internal non-physically obvious adjectives to highlight how special you are.
Now or hopefully soon, we see these labels become mentally limiting to the holder.
Then, these labels will be a liability, or a sign that you will be an unemployed 30-something year old still living at your parents' house.
What's the one, "twice exceptional"? It's the worst.
yes. "2e" peppering every parenting blog out there. It's so 1985 being "gifted." Now it's 2e.
Imagine putting ‘schizophrenia’ on one’s LinkedIn profile!!! Or complex trauma! Or borderline personality disorder! Just goes to show that some disorders have more cultural caché than others, and reveals the disingenuousness of this performative cultural creep.
No, those labels are for memoirists..... and getting book deals.
Haha! Interesting take.
Or “trans woman living with a toddler”- celebratec by his company captured HR diring June..
I've seen so many petty accusations of "abuse" from the workplace I'm now skeptical of anyone who claims it. And it happens a lot with neurodivergence - "Oh no, my employer asked me to follow the company routine, oh no, my employer said I wasn't a good team player because of my social skills issues, they're so rigid and inflexible! They're only doing this because society said so, it's not like they have legitimate reasons for these policies!"
My misdiagnosis of autism used to own me. The autistic community likes identity-first language, "autistic person," as in all of my experience and unique traits are thanks to my autism. I felt like if I ever made a movie, they should just put "Autism Spectrum Disorder" down as my name in the credits. Even if jobs are trying to hire me to appease their disability ratio, I'm not using that to gain an advantage (it's sad that such a tragic thing can do that for me now), I'm going to earn something by my own merit.