Critique of ADHD Narratives

There are two dominant narratives surrounding ADHD: the deficit narrative, which attributes ADHD solely to biological factors, and the social construct narrative, which critiques the medical labeling of diverse cognitive styles. Both narratives tend to oversimplify the complexities of ADHD and often overlook the socio-political context of disability. The speaker argues that these views can lead to a problematic understanding of ADHD that either roots the experience in personal deficiency or dismisses genuine experiences as mere social constructs. Acknowledging the limitations of these narratives, a need for a new story emerges—one that honors both the lived experiences of individuals and the political dimensions of their struggles.