AuDHD: Wash at 30°C

I had lunch with a friend recently and we discussed neurodiversity, mainly the bias and stigma that still shrouds conditions such as autism and ADHD. My friend, then asked me a question I have heard a lot over the years, how do you feel about being labelled? Now I am very recently diagnosed, however the term 'labelled' is something I've heard many times with my son.

' You don't want to label him so early'

'Labelling him will make him different'

'A diagnosis will label him as problem child'

There were many others, but ALL were negative. That suddenly, a diagnosis would mean the next day son would have a neon sign above his head... AUTISTIC!

Shaming someone, has been considered a form of punishments for centuries. From placing someone in the stocks or made to wear identifiable clothing or equipment. My publicly airing their deviance and ostracising them from society, it can be viewed that the general public are kept safe as they can identify the 'wrong do'ers' of society but also as crime prevention, through fear of being publicly shamed. There are various ethical arguments to whether public shaming should be used as a form of punishment. 'Labelling' or 'shaming' could be measured as an adequate form of deterrence, but how does it help to reform and rehabilitate? It leans more that the labelling motives were used more for humiliation.

Shaming through labelling wasn't just used by the criminal justice system, but in the early Victorian era, was adopted by schools. Children who where not performing academically or disruptive, where made to sit/stand in the front of the classroom or sent to the corner and wear a cone with a D, on their head. The Dunces cap, was a mark of stupidity. Although, the history of the cap dates back to the 13th century where it was believed by Duns Scotus, that the cone shaped hat would actually stimulate the brain, dubbing the cone as a 'thinking cap'.

As we have learned more about specific learning conditions, such as dyslexia/dysgraphia etc, we know that SHAMING or LABELING that child as a form of punishment to be barbaric. We have progressed to understand that children need different types and levels of support. Then why, are we still framing labelling, as something that's bad... almost deviant or criminogenic? It fires the rhetoric of 'them and us', separating neurotypicals and neurodivergent individuals. When I was met with the very unhelpful 'why are you labelling him'... my answer was clear: to get the support he needed. In education, particularly in the UK, support can be hard to get in schools unless you have an EHCP. Formally known as a statement, these policies ensure a child's needs are met during their years in education. The EHCP does not need a diagnosis, only needs met. Once that individual has left education... what is there to support them?

According to Sparkle Class, 4 out of 5 autistic individuals are adults. However, the resources, support and general information about the condition is aimed at children. I could not find a statistic for ADHD or other Neurodivergent conditions. Neurodivergent conditions are lifelong. We learn coping mechanisms and mask, but we still feel and experience our characteristics to the same degree. Unfortunately, many will never receive a diagnosis and face a life of struggle.

If we were given tools or practices to make our lives easier, we would take them. As children, outside of a educational setting our needs were met by our caregivers - having text read to us like a menu, avoiding busy areas, reading an environment and offering sensory aids etc. However as an adult where do you get that support? How do you identify? And the most pertinent, how do you ensure others are aware?

The Equality Act says there's a duty to make reasonable adjustments?if you're placed at a substantial disadvantage because of your disability compared with non-disabled people or people who don't share your disability. That only supports you, if you KNOW you have a disability or neurodivergent. Employers do not ask for proof of a medical diagnosis, the trouble lays mainly in that the individual cannot identify them selves as being neurodivergent or specifically recognising what addaptions they may need. Many workplaces in recent months are claiming to be neuroinclusive. Great news, but they are placing their efforts by adopting approaches that supports a diagnosis, rather than individual need. Focussing on the 'label'.

Here lies the danger of organisations deploying a well meaning 'neuroinclusive' awareness scheme focussing on just targeting the specific neurodivergent conditions. They are not addressing unconscious bias, fully understanding what reasonable adjustments can be made, access to technology aids and creating internal support and mentorship programmes and lastly, turning the focus more to individual needs - not diagnosis met. This is where I fully support labelling. Here, is how I explained it to my friend. Labels give us information, it helps us identify things. Think now, of a clothes label. Not every garment has the SAME clothes label, it depends what fabric it's made of or what dyes it has been treated with To get the best out of our clothes, we follow the labels instructions and care guide. If we ignored them and put them all in the SAME wash on the SAME heat... then clothes may shrink.

What we all need to adopt is the thought process that we ALL have a label. Neurodiversity includes every individual, just some of us have specific instructions. We all have preferred ways of learning, processing information, thinking and doing. Addressing unconscious bias and challenging stigma is part of our neuroinclusive training, and it doesn't happen after one training session. It starts with understanding differences and learning how to support them.

I hope this article has framed your view on labelling to be more accepting and understanding that having a diagnosis - should not be a bad thing!