Lauren’s Blog – Autism, ADHD and Being Your Authentic Self
Autism and ADHD have become hot topics of discussion online and in the media over the last few years. This seemed like a great opportunity for progress to be made in society’s understanding of neurodivergence. After all, when society has open and honest conversations, it tends to lessen stigma and prejudice. However recently, some of the conversations around autism and ADHD have led to the idea that the two are being ‘over diagnosed’. News articles and TV programmes have questioned the validity of these diagnoses, particularly of those who found out about their neurodivergence as an adult, like me.
The recent wave of autism and ADHD fearmongering in the media could lead someone to believe that getting clinically assessed for autism and ADHD is now a ‘trendy’ thing to do. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Government recently released a report from an independent review into autism, ADHD and mental health conditions. It found that: “Recognition of ADHD and autism has risen dramatically, leading to hundreds of thousands of people awaiting diagnostic assessment and many others struggling to access support. Many people also continue to face barriers to timely treatment, increasing the risk that difficulties escalate and become more severe.”
The report states that the rise in diagnosis could be “a marked growth in public awareness of neurodevelopmental differences or traits […] accompanied by a far richer, more accepting public language for mental health and diversity”. There has been a rise in autistic people and people with ADHD across online communities sharing their experiences and dispelling myths. The report suggests this could have led to more people reflecting on their own lives and concluding that their own experience seems to be explained by autism or ADHD.
Whilst there is an increase in diagnosis, I wonder why some commentators insist that autism and ADHD are both being ‘over’ diagnosed. The media narrative seems to be: ‘But everyone has ADHD/is autistic these days.’
Let’s think of it this way. For centuries, it was a cultural practice in lots of western countries for left-handed people to be made to write with their right hand. Since the practice is now outdated and illegal, there are now more left-handed people in the world. Does that mean that the 10% of people in the world who are left-handed are pretending to be for attention? To get better opportunities than right-handed people? Of course not, they are left-handed because they are left-handed. No one would ever question why there are so many left-handed people in the world.
That’s why it irks me when I hear people say that ‘labelling’ someone as autistic or with ADHD will hold them back in life. When people say this, it implies there is something disagreeable with being autistic or having ADHD, but there isn’t. I am autistic and have ADHD (what people online refer to as ‘AuDHD’), and I also have blue eyes and brown hair. Nothing wrong or right with any of that, it just is what it is. No human being is ever ‘wrong’.
It’s therefore not surprising we are seeing an increase in diagnosis of two types of neurodivergence that have been so poorly understood by society for so long. This isn’t over diagnosis. This is a correction of historic under diagnosis.
The National Autistic Society recently stated that they believe autism is genetic. I remember my mum sat in on my autism assessment to provide the clinician with details of my childhood. She nodded along the whole time and I asked her afterwards ‘Why?’, thinking it was because she enthusiastically agreed with the clinician’s assessment of me. Instead, she said ‘It was like he was describing me.’ If we had known about autism 100 years ago, I think plenty of us would have had grandparents and parents who would have been diagnosed.
Even though the medical community’s understanding of autism and ADHD has developed, many people have still ‘masked’ their autism and/or ADHD into adulthood, predominantly women and non-binary people. Having a diagnosis, at any age, can help someone understand what they need in their work or personal lives, to make life better in terms of communication, routines, and the sensory environment. For ADHD, it can help with access to treatment options, including medication.
A diagnosis can provide a person with a set of words and concepts that can help them to understand why life has been this way. When I found out about my autism and ADHD, it confirmed to me that I was not broken, or wrong, or weird. I was neurodivergent, and had been all my life without knowing it.
However, seeking a clinical assessment is a difficult process. Waiting lists to be assessed have worsened. In 2021, I was told I’d have to wait four years on the NHS which was already a long time. Nowadays, some clinics in the UK have had to pause assessments due to being overwhelmed with demand. Going private is an option, but it’s extremely expensive and inaccessible to many.
Socially, we need to make it so that people feel able to be their authentic selves and are able to learn more about themselves. I know like any person, I have lots of different identities that make me who I am. Being AuDHD is just one part of me, but it’s a key part. Without knowing about my neurodivergence I would still feel at sea. The way I process and understand the world around me, the way I communicate with others, the way I prefer my life to be, all of it is influenced by me being an AuDHD person, and I’m very proud of it.