In my last post, I discussed why diagnostic labels were beneficial for helping us understand why someone might need accommodations and what kind of accommodations they may need. Today, I want to discuss why labels may be harmful, as there are two sides to every coin.
There are two reasons I believe that using labels may be harmful. One of those reasons is simply that it’s very easy to go overboard on labeling something. Recall that last time, I suggested that labels are a way of categorizing. Humans love to categorize. It comes very natural to us, and this can be beneficial in some ways, such as deciding whether something (or someone) is safe or dangerous. Categories help us understand the world we live in and give us clues as to how we should behave in it. Science has shown that our brains are actually wired to categorize things for this reason. But there comes a point when we go overboard on categorization, and that is when it starts to become harmful.
Many diagnoses have categories of severity, and this may work for some things. Diagnoses that are progressive, perhaps, with “severe” being the more advanced stages of those diagnoses. Other diagnoses may not benefit from being labeled in such a way. Severe ADHD or Autism, for example (I use these a lot, as they are the ones I have the most experience with) as the severity doesn’t always denote what kind of support or accommodations they may need as a result.
ADHD diagnoses have changed over time to include three different types the primarily impulsive or hyperactive type, the primarily inattentive type, and the combined type, which I suppose can at least tell you what kind of support they may need in a classroom or workplace setting, but the fact is that ADHD type can (and often does) change over time. Many boys receive the label “hyperactive” simply for doing things that are typical for their age group just because they have a diagnosis of ADHD. Girls are more likely to receive an “inattentive” diagnosis, but there are days in which they may show more signs of hyperactivity. And– for both male and female– as they get older and presumably learn coping skills, ADHD could appear to change in severity or type.
Likewise, Autism was once typed as “mild, moderate, or severe.” But that doesn’t really tell you much about the person with the diagnosis. These days, they call it “type 1, 2, or 3” which is supposed to tell you how high their support needs are but actually tells you next to nothing, as an autistic person’s support needs will likely change not only as they age but also from one day to the next just based on their own growth, coping skills they learn, and what other things they are going through at the time. Not only that, but the reason Autism can come across as more severe is it often includes other disorders or disabilities that are not actually Autism itself but are associated with Autism because they occur together frequently enough that they have become synonymous. It would be far better to just leave the diagnosis as “Autism” and then list additional accommodations they may need as an individual.
The other reason that labels can become harmful is simply the stigma many still associate with them. People with ADHD are all too often still seen as lazy, unmotivated, and undisciplined. There are words associated with other diagnostic labels that are probably far worse. People with developmental disabilities often unknowingly internalize these slurs and it takes a huge toll on self-esteem. But to be honest, that isn’t a problem with the labels themselves so much as it is with how they are perceived by people who either don’t have access to better information or don’t care.
Above all, the point is to be sparing with your labels, and only use what makes sense for the situation. And also, be kind. We all have to live in this world together.
