Is this an offensive word to use when describing how ADHD might look like to others?

[Rainbowshine]

I’m having to handle a work complaint, where a colleague described that to others ADHD might look like being disorganised or scatterbrained. They didn’t attach that description to an individual person.

I could do with understanding how offensive that is. I don’t have anyone I can ask at work as they don’t really have much clue about diversity.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts that could help me navigate this issue.

I have ADHD and wouldn't find either term offensive at all. Both are perfectly ordinary words. That said, I'm in my late 50s so am of a generation that doesn't take offence at anything and everything.
Sorry if that sounds snippy but, honestly, someone with ADHD could easily appear to be both those things and many others besides. I'm sure I do at times. I don't think "diversity" comes into it, it's just normal human perceptions of other people's behaviour.

Thank you @TreesAtSea, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts

I realise that my reply sounded like it assumed the complainant must be younger etc, which of course I don't know as you made no mention of age. That wasn't my intention, I just gave my feelings on the question.
But this morning I spent about an hour dashing around my flat trying to get a load of washing in the machine, a task I've done 1000s of times before and that any "normal" person would manage in ten minutes at the most. If anyone else had been present they'd definitely have assumed I was disorganised and scatterbrained. That's exactly how it often feels: as if my brain is randomly latching on to all kinds of things, often at the most inconvenient of times. I'm perfectly aware that it's happening, it's just very difficult to overcome it and actually accomplish things.

I meant to say that it really is like my brain is scattering its attention thinly all over the place, like confetti.

Thanks again @TreesAtSea that’s really helpful for me to understand.

I have ADHD and would definitely describe myself as scatterbrained. I wouldn't be offended by it.

Tell the snowflake who complained to go melt somewhere else. I use these terms to describe myself all the time.

I don't have ADHD but I've worked and live with people who have and I live with a related thinking difference.

There is a language of misunderstanding and negative feedback used around people with ADHD. People living with this are so used to being called things like scatterbrained, disorganised and other negative descriptors they become indifferent to it or even use it for themselves. Scatterbrained to me is incorrect in this because ADHD can present unfocussed or very focussed depending on the individual and task or tasks. The ability to control focus depends a lot on what is going on around them, they are not scatterbrained or disorganised all the time or over everything, they just have variable control over focus.

I don't take offence at scatterbrained and disorganised personally, I'm not of that age, but am wary of this kind of lazy shorthand because it does contribute to negativity around people with different ways of thinking. This contributes to anxiety, guilt, and shame that many feel that they are in some way lesser to others in a team even around ordinary tasks. They aren't, they bring value to the team because they are ADHD, not in spite of it.

I have ADHD and wouldn't take offence to being described as either of those things.

Thanks @ffsgloria @MyGhastIsFlabbered @selffellatingouroborosofhate and @MarkingBad thanks for providing your explanation as to why it may have connotations that could lead to offending someone. That’s all been really helpful.

This is a great explanation from @MarkingBad.

I have (formally diagnosed) ADHD and I’d be pissed off if I was referred to as ‘disorganised’ or ‘scatterbrained’. Because I’m neither. In fact I’m probably more organised than most NT people and at work (or home) I juggle a million things at 100 miles an hour (the clue’s in my user name - which I chose before I had any inkling that I had ADHD) and I do it very well. But my ADHD means I burn out so can’t be like that 100% of the time. I need to take a breather before I’m back ‘on’ again.

Calling people with ADHD ‘scatterbrained’ is the equivalent to calling NT people ‘plodders’. Would they like being called a plodder? I suspect not. Although some people would accept it as it wore down their self-esteem and probably start voluntarily using plodder to describe themselves.

I have ADHD and I think @MarkingBad and @HundredMilesAnHour have explained it very well.

I wouldn't necessarily find it offensive but those words do have negative connotations and it would depend on the context and the intention of the speaker, and also whether they have ADHD themselves. If they did and were describing their lived experience, I wouldn't be offended, as long as they acknowledged that no one person has the exact same experience of ADHD as any other.

I've realised I'm most likely to appear scatterbrained or disorganised when I'm overwhelmed and at the edge of /in burnout. I'm actually highly organised and have many coping mechanisms to stay on track and you wouldn't have a clue most of the time, until I'm juggling too much and my brain calls time. My working memory is poor though, so I struggle to remember things that happened or were said, which maybe contributes to seeming scatterbrained. It's frustrating for me, too, though ADHD also brings many positives.

Thank you for taking the time to try and understand it better.

I agree @MarkingBad & @HundredMilesAnHour have explained it very well.
I have ADHD & am middle aged so not the generation that takes offence at too much.

But ND and all disabled people face barriers and prejudice every day, often those things are systemic failings rather than directly from individual.

Yes someone choosing to view my behaviour may use the words 'scatter-brain' 'disorganised' and they might be correct.
They could call me a 'middle class woman of a certain age' a la Greg Wallace. This is also accurate.

Is it the kind of language we want to encourage in the workplace? Judgements rather than support? Honesty over politeness?

There are more sophisticated, understanding ways to describe ND people and how their disabilities affect them.
It's a new world for ND & NT alike, many of us a generation ago had absolutely no idea about ND and how it manifests.

Most NT would have no idea how challenging a NT world is for ND people, I think especially if ND people are working and appearing NT in many ways and particularly if they have to mask.
As pp have mentioned, there is so much negativity around disability and it's a hostile environment/culture throughout life, school, uni, work etc if you don't quite fit in, struggle with some aspects, or you are seen as 'less'.

I think the least NT people could do is be considered in their choice of words/language. I don't think it's the biggest crime, but I do think it's easily avoidable and therefore should be corrected.

This was designed as a resource for teachers but it shows how complex ADHD can be and what an enormous impact it has on your life...

Then dealing with yet another clumsy, inconsiderate, shaming label in a supposed safe place like a work environment is just something we could do without

ninadavis.me/2019/03/07/the-adhd-iceberg-understanding-the-learner/

I will just start with saying I have never worked in HR and I don't really understand how this kind of complaint works in a workplace.

For example, I don't really understand how this could be seen as offensive even if they had used an offensive term e.g. "To others ADHD might look like being a total moron!"

Hmm. I suppose it could be argued that is a harmful stereotype. Because not everyone with ADHD does come across as disorganised or scattered.

Disorganised isn't an offensive term, either, IMO - it's just descriptive. It's not a particularly nice thing to be called, but I think it's neutral and could be factual.

Scatterbrained probably is slightly offensive, in that it's clearly derogatory. You wouldn't use it as a neutral term. Although it's very mild in intent and often used affectionately, it's definitely meant as a negative thing, isn't it.

But still - I am struggling to see this from an offensive point of view. Who is saying it's offensive? What was the context it was even said in? Is the member of staff saying that people with ADHD shouldn't be placed in whatever role because others might think they are disorganised? That would be discriminatory.

Or were they saying ADHD people get discriminated against because people assume disorganisation is the problem rather than a disability? Because that I would see as understanding and compassion, rather than something offensive. ADHD is often assumed to be some kind of failing of the person.

Yes, I can see what others are saying regarding someone with ADHD feeling particularly sensitive around those terms - my sensitive point is when people assume that poor timekeeping is rude or selfish.

There are more sophisticated, understanding ways to describe ND people and how their disabilities affect them.

Like what? When talking about someone who misses meetings, forgets to complete tasks, even forgets to eat meals, what is more appropriate than "disorganised"?

Honesty over politeness?

Most NT would have no idea how challenging a NT world is for ND people, I think especially if ND people are working and appearing NT in many ways and particularly if they have to mask.

"Politeness over honesty" is an aspect of masking that I routinely fail at and it's the single most problem-causing NT expectation for me. Calling for more of that is stabbing autistic people in the back. Or throwing us under the bus. I'm not sure which analogy is the right one to indicate a course of action that elevates one set of people by harming another set.

@HundredMilesAnHour

All true!

The most organised person at work I know is ADHD, home life can be a different kettle of fish but at work and they are a very well thought of and a shit hot focussed, professional. Life admin is fine as long as they are interested and not distracted.

@sitsandthinks

But ND and all disabled people face barriers and prejudice every day, often those things are systemic failings rather than directly from individual.

Very true and it starts when you are a toddler. Even if no one knows there is a neurodiversity, there is something about them that marks them out as other. I live with stealth dyslexia so not diagnosed until in my 30s yet I could plainly see the barriers that did not seem to be there for my peers.

@selffellatingouroborosofhate

Like what? When talking about someone who misses meetings, forgets to complete tasks, even forgets to eat meals, what is more appropriate than "disorganised"?

When the two words scatterbrained and disorganised come up in terms of a description of ADHD and nothing else, it's hardly a fair summary and is hardly describing everyones experience of ADHD including those of us who don't have it but know people who live with it.

How about this

People living with ADHD can be spontaneous, enthusiastic, sociable, creative, resilient, energetic, optimistic, and fun colleagues who make a valuable contribution to exciting projects using innovative ideas.

There are plenty of positive words to describe people with ADHD. That punctuality and variable focus can be a challenge is only part of ADHD, it's not the sum of it.

Living with ND doesn't mean we are broken or have to accept that society currently thinks we are broken. It's not something that needs fixing it is something that needs to be better understood and valued.

If people want call themselves all the negative feedback they've ever been given, I hope they realise they should not be defined by it because that's just a part of ADHD, it's certainly not all of it.

@BertieBotts Excellent post

People living with ADHD can be spontaneous, enthusiastic, sociable, creative, resilient, energetic, optimistic, and fun colleagues who make a valuable contribution to exciting projects using innovative ideas.

None of which explains to anyone's line manager why they need comprehensive meeting notes otherwise actions will not get done, and will pull their phone out whilst talking to you to add the meeting time you've just suggested to their Outlook.

Nor do any negative words do any of that either. Besides which I was answering your question, not discussing how to introduce suitable working practises.

But you seem to be assuming that this person’s behaviours are due to ADHD? Or it that the ‘reason’ excuse they give you? It’s possible they could be part of someone’s ADHD but I know plenty of NT people who are equally useless at remembering/doing actions/writing notes etc etc. As a project/programme manager, I spent so much of my time chasing people for this stuff and the majority of them are NT. And as someone with ADHD myself, they’d get very short shrift if they tried to use ADHD as an excuse for not remembering/completing an action.

In the context you described where no one was singled out, I would not have found it offensive enough to make a complaint over. It sounds like a poor attempt to use fluffy neutral language to describe a situation. If someone directly called me scatterbrained or disorganised because of ADHD I would find it highly offensive (and not true!) and would definitely make a complaint.

Neuro-affirming language is currently the correct way to describe such things. High energy, innovative thinking, flexibility, problem-solving, divergent thinking etc with a strengths-based approach of describing people.

In the context of the OP's question, it's likely that the subject of the complaint was trying to explain why someone with ADHD was forgetting tasks or similar.

In my case, I'm like that because I'm autistic.

Also, even for neurotypicals, trying to remember stuff is a stupid idea. Trying to get the sociopathic types in senior management who think that eye contact and firm handshakes are how you communicate with people to let you stop and write things down is really hard. I swear they think it's a form of weakness.