• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Weirdly Successful

Weirdly Successful

Dedicated to helping you understand, navigate and enjoy your weird & wonderful neurodivergent life.

  • The team
    • The mission
  • The Blog
  • Neurodivergent Glossary
  • Reach out!
    • Book a Curiosity Call

Ableism

Written by Livia Farkas || First published: 28 June, 2023 | Last edited: 13 July, 2023 || 📚🕒 Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities.

In an ableist society, it’s assumed that the “normal” way to live is as a non-disabled person and that every disabled person needs to or wants to “get rid of” their condition.

Ableism includes discrimination against neurodivergent individuals as well.

Barriers neurodivergent individuals face in an ableist society

Missing or incorrect diagnosis

Underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis are still common. Dated stereotypes mean many people fall through the cracks and are refused support because they don’t “look autistic” or do not present their ADHD in a stereotypical way. Even when someone insists on getting diagnosed, their adaptations and masking are not always taken into consideration, and neurodivergent adults are often dismissed or even denied assessments.

Not having access to the support they need means individuals are left to struggle on their own, often believing their difficulties are their own fault. They will have difficulty breaking out of a vicious circle of trying and failing and thus will be unable to achieve their goals and meet their needs of belonging, acceptance, and living a full human experience.

Mental Health Issues

Lack of support, harmful stereotypes, stigma and neglect can lead to or exacerbate depression and anxiety.

Often when people ask for help, a professional not well-versed in neurodivergence or learning difficulties can mistake their struggles as a classic case of generalised anxiety or major depressive disorder when in reality, the mental health issues on the surface mask the underlying cause of neurodivergence and unmet needs relating to that.

Professionals missing the signs of underlying conditions can, in the worst-case scenario, trap people in endless maintenance of surface-level non-solutions, and prevent long-term progress from happening. 

Discrimination and oppression

Harmful views, prejudice and ignorance can hold back individuals from accessing the support they need and living a fulfilling life. It also affects social mobility: discrimination can lead to worse educational outcomes and restricted access to work opportunities and promotions, and this, in turn, hinders individuals from improving their quality of life and stabilising their financial situation.

This term is also known as:
able-bodism
Blogpost mentioning this term:
  • How to talk about neurodivergence in a kind way: terms & phrases to know
  • How to spot if a product for ADHD is a rip-off: look out for these 10 red flags
« Back to the Glossary
Previous Post:Titration
Next Post:Neurodivergence

About the Author

  • Livia Farkas

    Livia Farkas

    Livia is a Neurodivergent Adaptation Educator with a sharp sense for simplifying complex ideas. Since 2008, she's developed 294 distinct techniques catered to the needs of clients. A total of 5058 alumni have enrolled in one or more of the 8 online courses she co-developed with Adam, offering neurodivergence-inclusive frameworks for time management, goal setting, self-care for mental health, and small-business management. Her life goal is to be a walking permission slip for neurodivergent adults. In her free time, she enjoys stickers & planners, crochet & roller skates, and running around with her pet bunny Rumi.

    View all posts

Enter The Vault!

Get our research-backed, experience-validated
strategies & guides for a neurodivergent work & life
that you can adapt to what success looks like to you.

Free Resources for Neurodivergent Adults

Create a free account to get your goodies!

By signing up you allow us to send you Weirdly Successful’s newsletter with practical tips, strategies, and optional training material.
You can unsubscribe any time. Our Privacy Policy makes for a great summer reading!

Weirdly Successful is a 100% neurodivergent-run, socially conscious enterprise developing strategies & frameworks for neurodivergent adults.

  • E-mail
  • Instagram
  • Mastodon
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest

DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is for informational purposes only, and does not substitute for medical advice. For medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, consult a medical professional or healthcare provider.

While we strive to represent up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, our authors are not medical professionals unless where specifically noted. All opinions are the authors’ own.

Weirdly Successful’s authors and collaborators are not liable for risks or issues
associated with using or acting upon the information on our site.

All original content Copyright © 2023 · Weirdly Successful · All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy