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.

And the OP has not told us the context in which it was asked and that still does not negate me answering your question as it stood, on face value.

Thanks for everyone’s contributions and that has helped.

Having held some interviews to investigate this issue, what I believe happened was that a person said “it might appear to someone who isn’t aware of how ADHD can manifest that the person is scatterbrained or disorganised and forgets information”. It was not describing a particular person.

As it stands, I have pointed out that the word might have connotations or associations for some people that make it offensive. It would be better to say something like “a person might appear to need support with prioritising” and then talk about the adjustments that are straightforward to put in place.

Thanks again, where I work there isn’t really anyone who I can talk to about this.

Each to their own and all that, but personally I'd be far more miffed at being thought to need support, rather than it being said that I seem disorganised and scatterbrained. It sounds so patronising to me. I don't need treating with kid gloves just because I have ADHD and people are free to regard me however they please.

@Rainbowshine I’d suggest reframing it as ‘coaching’ instead of ‘needs support’ as ‘needs support’ has more negative connotations.

If the person is actually ND, there’s a great consultancy called Lexxic who specialise in workplace coaching for neuro-diversity. It was actually one of the Lexxic psychologists who picked up that I might have ADHD (I had no clue!!) when I was having coaching to help me with cognitive issues I was experiencing due to long Covid. Lexxic were right and I now have a formal ADHD diagnosis. Their coaching was life changing for me but also reassuring in that most of the coping mechanisms I’ve developed over the years to manage my (unknown!) ADHD were valid / good but they also gave me some new ideas.