Word choice and "ADD/ADHD" as a social construct

Subject: Word choice and "ADD/ADHD" as a social construct
From: Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:08:06 -0400


Starting in the 1920s (that I know about, but maybe earlier, and yes, I know that my excessive use of long parenthetical asides is symptomatic) schools started tracking kids into "gifted and talented" programs. It was more fun being special then than it must be now for the same kids to be "identified" as having a "disorder" or "syndrome." I think it probably led to better outcomes, too. I'm glad I was born when I was.

I don't want to get into a long rant about political correctness. My only point is that the words we use really do shape the way we classify phenomena in the world, and that this is something to bear in mind when we make word and syntax choices in technical communication, as well.


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Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: ADD/ADHD Problems and Tech Writing/Editing Careers: From: rrinehart
RE: ADD/ADHD Problems and Tech Writing/Editing Careers: From: Kat Nagel

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