A slur can be a slur even without a history.
In the chat section of one of my TikTok videos, I saw someone point out that slurs are likely overused.
Except, that case and the situation I was addressing definitely had a slur in it. It got me thinking about how much slips through the cracks when it comes to slurs, especially when directed at a specific group of people: neurodivergent or neurodiverse people.
This piece explores the everyday realities faced by neurodiverse people in society and schools. Sometimes, these realities involve insulting words directed at neurodiverse people by their peers and older people.
Who is a Neuro-diverse person?
In the late 90s, a sociologist who has autism started using the word neuro-diversity. Judy Singer believed that the idea of developmental disorders of the brain were simply variations of the brain that can be normal.
More people have pushed for using neuro-diverse instead of disabled to describe people whose brain functions are atypical or not standard.
A neuro-diverse or a neuro-divergent person simply responds differently because their brain functions slightly differently than usual. This difference does not make them abnormal, and it has often been described as an unofficial or non-pathological condition.
More importantly, neuro-diverse people are not flawed people. Slurs of any kind should never be directed toward them (or any other person for that matter).
However, there will be moments where people just don’t care and go ahead to use slurs, sometimes daily.
Common Realities Faced by Neuro-diverse people.
Before there was even an inclusive, non-derogatory word to describe them, these groups of people were subject to mean words such as the most popularR-word used in the early 60s to describe people living with intellectual disabilities.
Although the concept of neuro-divergence is spreading, some grey areas still exist that affect these people’s ability to interact freely and be accepted as normal human beings.
Demands to Conform in School, At Home, Everywhere!
Already, neuro-divergent people think outside the box and are capable of high levels of creativity that may not come quickly to people who aren’t neurodivergent.
Now, the way our societies and educational systems are ,structured demands that these people must follow “the rules.” Where’s the fun in following these heavy, unproductive rules anyway?
Other people diminishing their productivity, study habits, and work habits
We live in a capitalist society, and, as a result, productivity is a powerful indicator for valuable people in society. Many neurodivergent people struggle to meet up with these draconian workflows, and when it becomes clear that they just can’t keep up, it becomes a chance to look down on them or ridicule them.
Getting Yelled At
Some neurodivergent people exhibit interesting behavior where they feel sudden energy and restlessness to do something. Most of the time, these bursts of energy are entirely outside their control, but an onlooker can easily consider such a person a nuisance. This reality is true for younger children who will get yelled at often for this.
Normalized Slurs
Remember that TikTok video I talked about…here’s what happened. This kid had a kind of food sensitivity where he’s a bit picky with food or the way he eats food. According to the kid, his friends made Mayo Monkey jokes when he talked about it.
He’d have to laugh and wave it off; these are his friends, right?
That’s precisely how slurs and insults are normalized. By the way, Mayo Monkey is a slur directed at white people, and it is targeted at damaging that person’s reputation.
Seen as Broken, or Needing to be Fixed
It’s become normalized that people need to fit into categories. I mean, a lot of people do not value people who just don’t fit into categories. So, with neuro-divergent people, it’s always that they need to get fixed so they can be “normal.”
Any kind of behavior exhibited by neuro-divergent people becomes an anomaly instead of “just different” from all the other categories that have been created.
…and the funny thing is, categories never existed at some point. We just kept observing and understanding new behaviors. Why stop now?
Final Thoughts
Neuro-divergent people are most likely going to have slurs directed at them. Unlike the N-word, which has a lot of history and is widely accepted as a slur, more slurs exist. As I said at the beginning of this article, a slur can be even without a history.
When you understand these common realities, you learn how to better interact with your friends, family, and even strangers who are neuro-divergent.
I hope this helps! 🙂