Autistic, Dyslexic, Hyperactive, Hold! Do Labels Matter? Redefine Neurodivergence Before Labelling
By: Hareesh P V (Research Scholar) & Dr Aswathy Gopi (Assistant Professor)
Department of Psychology, SRM University-AP( Amaravati)
Children with special needs are not new figures in society. Due to neurodevelopmental impairments, many innocent children express atypical behaviours that could be seen as ‘odd’ by societal standards. Labelling such children is a common method used to categorise them. However, the question arises: do we need to label them? From a clinical perspective, these diagnostic labels help in ensuring that the child receives proper treatment and supportive systems. But in a social setting, they can be a double-edged sword. While it provides information about the needs of the special-abled child, they could also evoke some stigma and prejudice (Werkhoven et al., 2022).
The labels used to describe something, or someone, influence our perception of reality (Veldmeijer et al., 2025). The looping effect phenomenon describes how diagnostic labels influence the labelled person’s behaviour and cognition. The moment one calls out a child to be autisticor dyslexic, there is a predefined evaluation about that child thatcomes into view(Gillespie & Wagoner, 2025; Parrillas-Manchón et al., 2024). The research community holds different opinions in this. The general debate is about addressing the individual with diagnostic labels, which wecould refer to as identity-first and person-first. Identity-first labels recognize that children hold the atypical condition as their identity (autistic, dyslexic, etc.); person-firstlabels consider the atypical condition to be something the children have (child with autism, child with dyslexia, etc.). The factors that influence the language preferences are yet to be uncovered by the research community (Grech et al., 2023).
Are diagnostic labels good or bad?
Typical young children (those without disabilities) do not immediately discriminate a specially abled child from them. They see a child with special needs as just another child (Parrillas-Manchón et al., 2024). So, who feeds in the categorization? Obviously, the more ‘experienced’ elders. The stigmatization of diagnostic labels has led to their use in a pejorative way (Werkhoven et al., 2022). This behaviour is observed by the younger generation and copied. Thus, children start referring totheir friends with labels that express contempt and inferiority.
When something has a negative impact in society, people tend to suggest removing it entirely. With this idea, why not abolish the concept of labelling? But is it an efficient solution? For children with special needs and their caretakers,a diagnosis helpsto understand their condition much better. This improves the clarity in communication between them. Here, the label leads to understanding, not limitation. Furthermore, with accurate diagnostic labels, educational institutions can provide the required care and facilities to ensure they develop their educational skills along with typical children (Kashikar et al., 2025).
Diagnosis as a description and not a definition
An important purpose of a clinical diagnosis is to understand the possible characteristics of a child’s atypical behaviours. This can help the professional determine what type of support to provide. Before stating, ‘That kid is abnormal!’, let’s recognize neurodivergence as ‘being different’. These differences are not reasons for discrimination or exclusion. Treatments are not intended to alterchildren’s neurodiversity or make them ‘normal’. They aim to understand how it affects their lives and provide support to use that divergence in their benefit. So, next time you see a specially abled child expressing atypical behaviour, try to identify the intention behind that behaviour and then offer an alternative, beneficial approach. Remember, they are children with ‘special needs’; recognize those needs and support them.
How to tackle this?
Guardians/parents are important stakeholders who face psychological difficulties due to the stigma faced by their children. They should be made aware that the diagnosis given to their beloved child does not signify their failure as a parent. A neurodivergent child will have strong skills in areas that are different from the difficulties we emphasize. Although these strengths do not subdue their difficulties, identifying those areas supports the child’s psychological development and helps them realize they ain’t born to struggle. Parents can ensure to not identify the child as the problem; rather, the problem is what they experience, which can be adapted to. They require a different solution for their different problems. Do not make the child feel that they are carrying shame due to their special needs. The change in conversation must start from the home (Snijder et al., 2021).
The role of teachers and educators in supporting the especially abled children is inevitable. They can view the diagnosis of a child as a means to recognize what the expected behaviours are for those children and thereby offer a supportive environment. Inclusive education has been promoted worldwide to eradicate discrimination against specially abled children and nurture a sense of belonging in young minds. Teachers are role models for the children. So, care must be taken in the choice of words and sentences used in an inclusive setting to avoid segregating children.Instead of always focusing on talking ‘about the child’, try talking ‘to the child’. They might express their feelings differently than typical children, but we could decode them with awareness and patience (Mahmood et al., 2024; Kashikar et al., 2025).
The ultimate aim is not to make neurodivergent minds look like other children, but rather to effectively support their growth and development, to learn, to participate, to be independent, and to live with dignity. The world belongs to everyone; let’s think inclusively.
