The Neurodivergent community was first described in the mid 1990's although  'Neurodiversity' was not coined until 2000. Even 25 years later there is continued argument over terms, we are all neurodiverse (i.e we are all different from each other) but we are not all neurodivergent (i.e 'away' from the norm).  Despite this  the group described, was co-created by autistic internet users who, through this new technology, found each other, and an identity was born. This identity uniquely criticised the clinical definitions used to describe them, and ultimately became the field we now know today as 'neurodivergence'. 

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Despite this, identity-first language is still absent in a section of our community, for those with ADHD, the term 'I am ADHD' doesn't quite sound right, and 'I am hyperactive' has negative connotations harking back to schoolroom bullying and segregation. For those online the term 'neurospicy' has been adopted for those that are neurodivergent as a moniker of identity (although I would aruge that 'neurodivergent' is an identity-first moniker itself).

 

For me, I find the humour in the 'neurospicy' movement, it's easy to put on a shirt, but there is more than a hint of ableism there, perhaps not recognising the difficulties faced. A bit of spice makes a good meal, being hit in the face with a ghost pepper is simply assault - neither make a good description for a brain.

We are all different from each other, but when I talk about my duel diagnosis of Autism and ADHD, I find saying 'I am neurodivergent' is not specific enough and doesn't emphasise the significant difficulties associated with being neurodivergent.

Saying 'I have Autism and ADHD' is more specific, but as it is not identity first, this phrase implies there is a Greg that is 'under' the Autism and ADHD, but there is not. Without Autism and ADHD there would be no 'Greg', I am the sum of my parts, not a subset. 

 

So what encapsulates this intersection?

I humbly propose the term 'AuDHistic', a combination of 'Au' as in Autism, 'DH' from ADHD, and the suffix '-istic' meaning 'referring to the person'. Pronounced 'Awh-dis-tick' [emphasis on the 'd']. 

You could replace the 'istic' with 'ism' to create AuDHism if you refer to the phenomena of ADHD and Autism together (and indeed I have a hunch they are closely related or perhaps even the same condition). However that is not classified as identity-first language. 

NB: Why have I included the H?

Well, Audism is already a term, although niche, to refer to those that are discriminatory against the deaf and hard of hearing. If I coined the term 'Audistic' I may erase the work of such greats as Tom Humphries, Harlan Lane, and Rikki Poynter in drawing attention to the unique deaf culture, and inaccessibility for those with hearing impairments in our hearing cultures. 

I urge therefore that we do not forget the 'H'!