When Diagnosis Becomes an Excuse: The Wrong Rhetoric on Neurodivergence

You might have noticed it too. The media loves a narrative that drags neurodivergence back into the dark ages.

Lately, there’s been a flurry of stories about high-profile individuals. I won’t name them. They don’t deserve that sort of oxygen here. But the headlines are all too eager to lap it up: the idea that a diagnosis is a free pass, that being autistic or ADHD excuses questionable, even outright unacceptable, behaviour.

It’s a narrative that stinks. It does damage, and it’s outdated.

Explaining isn’t excusing

Anyone who’s read NeuroEdge will know about my personal model: CHAOS. It’s the way I try to map how my brain responds to overwhelm and overstimulation.

It’s a tool to help me explain my wiring to others. To open up conversations. To say, this might be why I react differently to you.

It’s not a way of ducking responsibility. If I’m being an arsehole, tell me. I’ll reflect. I’ll do the uncomfortable work to adjust or at least talk it through.

My labels are not there to get me out of trouble. They’re there so I can understand myself better, and hopefully help others do the same.

The harm of using neurodivergence as a shield

So when I see public figures roll out their diagnosis as a get-out clause, I flinch.

Because here’s the reality: most of us in the neurodivergent community are fighting every day to be understood. To increase awareness. To show that yes, our brains work differently, and sometimes that means we need small accommodations or compassion. But we’re also fully accountable human beings.

When someone uses their diagnosis to excuse repeated harmful behaviour, it hands ammunition to every critic who still believes neurodivergence is just an excuse for laziness, rudeness or selfishness. It fuels the old stereotypes. It makes it that bit harder for the rest of us.

The bigger, scarier picture

It doesn’t help that, in the wider world, there are still powerful voices talking about curing neurodivergent conditions. Cure what exactly? A fundamental part of how our brains are wired? Like it needs to be eradicated.

It’s chilling to think that this is still the dominant language in so many places. When combined with media stories that suggest being autistic or ADHD means shirking responsibility, it’s a dangerous mix.

Labels help us understand, not define

I embrace my labels. They’re part of my self-awareness toolkit. But they’re not me.

Having the label doesn’t mean someone instantly knows who I am or why I do what I do. That takes conversations, openness and mutual effort.

It’s why I won’t give those public figures the airtime. I’m not interested in getting sucked into a political debate over people who misuse a diagnosis as a shield.

As an autistic adult, I find it’s the wrong message entirely. That’s my take. If it makes you uncomfortable, good. It probably should.

For anyone trying to understand

If you’re neurodivergent, or love someone who is, keep having those brave, sometimes messy conversations. Keep learning where explanation ends and excuses begin.

Because the more we do, the less power these damaging narratives will hold.