Lens Not Label
See things differently.
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Happy Friday, Reader. So many updates to share this time, so let's dive in!
For this week's lens on neurodiversity, we're going back to basics and asking: What is a lens? What is a label? And why do we need both?
Here's a quick bit on each + some practical usage tips (adapted from Lens Not Label):
Labels name an experience; lenses help us see it
A label is a short description of a person’s experience or identity, whether that's a diagnosis (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia), a trait (Highly Sensitive), an experience (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria) or a stereotype (lazy, weird).
A lens is a flexible way of seeing: an idea, perspective or framework that shifts and sharpens as our understanding grows. Labels can feel fixed, but looked at through the right lens they become more useful and less limiting.
Labels are identity, not just semantics
We all rename ourselves depending on the room we’re in, much like choosing a job title. Sometimes a label is aspirational, and sometimes it describes who we’ve always been. A label can also unlock support, money or understanding, and sometimes one label (ADHD) can replace a less welcome one (lazy).
Notice the lenses you’re wearing
Lenses choose what stays in scope and what gets left out. A lens that isn’t fit for purpose distorts what we see, and sends our attention to the wrong things. But neither labels nor lenses are the reality itself. What’s real is lived experience, such as getting the support you need at the end of a process built on acronyms and policies, or the follow-up to a conversation rather than the idea of one.
Use a lens as a way to help you notice, not something to wear all the time.
Three usage tips!
The conversation about how to refer to ND people is ongoing and ever-changing. Here are some good rules of thumb:
- Prioritize the person, not the clinical label. In writing, this may look like capitalizing the label when it refers to an identity (even if it is also a clinical term). In conversation, this sounds like using identity- first language (an Autistic person) over person- first language (a person with Autism).
- Avoid othering. Don’t refer to us as “other people”, “them” or “they” where a more inclusive phrasing would work instead.
- Most importantly, go with the language that the person you are talking to prefers. When in doubt, ask them.
What would you add about lenses and labels? Or your helpful usage tips?
Now onto this week's book updates…
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