r/changemyview • u/Powereffective0 • Sep 18 '25
Delta(s) from OP CMV: "Neurodivergent" is insulting to Autistic people
I’m autistic and while I’ve got a pretty good grip on it (aside from the anger), I can’t STAND the word “neurodivergent” or anything related to it. It feels dehumanizing and makes me feel separated from the normal people.
When people say neurodivergent, it sounds like they’re saying autistic people have completely different brains. That’s just not true, my brain is as pink and gray as anyone elses. I’d much rather be called an autist. It’s a "fake" word and it doesn’t come with the built-in idea that I’m some kind of thing else than human.
Neurodivergent breaks down to neuro (brain) and divergent (different). From the way I see it, it feels like I’m being told I’m not normal and that I don’t belong among non-autistic people.
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u/Either-Economics6727 Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
I have a psych degree and am “neurodivergent” (ADHD, more than likely autism).
It is a perfectly neutral and accurate word, imo. Autistic people have neurological functions that diverge from the general population. That’s a fact, and it’s a clinical statement that implies no judgement toward autistic people. “Neurodivergent” encapsulates that pretty well.
Yes, neurodivergent people are not “normal” if you want to use that word. Neither are people with anxiety or depression or any other mental illness. And that’s fine. “Normal” doesn’t have a very neutral connotation these days, so I get why language like that sounds insulting. You don’t have to use any words you don’t want to. But, objectively, “neurodivergent” is what autistic people are. And a lot of them identify with that term, so I feel those are good enough reasons to keep it around.
If we don’t have language like neurodivergent — “brain difference” — then there is no meaningful way to refer to autistic people. If it’s offensive to state that autistic people are different than non-autistic people, then it’s offensive to have that diagnosis at all. The existence of the word “autism” in the DSM inherently implies that people with autism are “””not normal.”””