“The refusal to fit into boxes”: Interview findings on ADHD and neurodiversity

Abstract

What do people with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) think about neurodiversity? How does it affect what they do? While a burgeoning body of scholarship has examined the concept of neurodiversity, this work has often restricted its focus to autism, or addressed more general ideas about neurodivergence. Little existing research explores what neurodiversity means to people with ADHD. This paper presents a subset of findings from a multimethod project on how people use the language and concept of neurodiversity. We examined 11 interviews with diverse participants living in Southern Ontario who all identified as having ADHD, which we analyzed using an institutional ethnographic approach. Participants shared a diverse range of ideas, feelings, relationships, and experiences with neurodiversity. For some, neurodiversity was an integral aspect of their identity or provided useful language to advocate and educate, while others expressed uncertainty or discomfort with adopting this identity. Diagnosis was highlighted as a particularly complex issue without clear agreement. We found that people understood neurodiversity through their experiences of community, especially within online and activist circles. Those who did feel connected with neurodiversity described it as an empowering lens with which to organize their lives. People with ADHD have important insights to share about neurodiversity that can inform needed changes across social domains such as education, employment, identity, and activism. We consider the implications of these findings for future research and practice.