In this blog, I will use Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to aid me in explaining the social model of disability and the likely embodied experience of an individual with ADHD. I will also explain the typical consequences that the social model may inflict on a person who has ADHD, to illustrate that embodiment in the case of ADHD can be related to ‘misfitting’, a concept introduced by Garland-Thomson (2011).

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by problems around impulsivity, hyperactivity, and attention (Kistler, 2022). It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts during adulthood, though the symptoms in adulthood are generally more subtle (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

The medical model frames disability as a malfunction of a bodily part or system and as a ‘personal tragedy’, fuelling treatment to ‘fix them’ with the implied goal of them being able to function in society (Disabled World, 2010 cited in Kristler, 2022; Retief & Letšosa, 2018). In contrast, the social model holds the perspective that an individual is disabled due to barriers that their environment has constructed by considering an individual’s interpersonal context, socioeconomic environment, and physical environment (Ibid). As Kristler highlights, the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lacks understanding of the lived experiences of individuals with ADHD, meaning many do not get diagnosed (2022). There is also a lack of understanding of the symptoms by society which causes harmful stereotypes. Undiagnosed ADHD can lead to the onset of other mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, which can mask ADHD, causing a cycle of repercussions for the individual (Kristler, 2022). An example of this is marginalisation and the constant internal narrative of inferiority. These processes are instigated by ‘misfitting’ whereby a disabled body is an outcast of society due to societal barriers that are not inherent to the individual but are the result of social and cultural norms (Garland-Thomson, 2011).

ADHD must be recognised with more importance by the authorities in the efforts to teach society to accept and understand the challenges of a body living with ADHD. This would drive for a more inclusive society, as recommended by Garland-Thomson, which facilitates all bodies (2011).

References

Garland-Thomson, R., 2011. Misfits: A feminist materialist disability concept. Hypatia, 26(3), pp.591-609.

Kistler, R., 2022. Trouble Sitting Still Disorder: ADHD Through the Social Model of Disability.

Retief, M. and Letšosa, R., 2018. Models of disability: A brief overview. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 74(1).

Week 7- Troubling normality / Monica Oliver-Diaz / Health, bodies and embodiment (2023-2024)[SEM2] by is licensed under a