Renaming Autism and ADHD

The creative world offers something of a haven to those of us who are neurodivergent. It’s a place where difference is celebrated, rather than denigrated. But that’s not always the case elsewhere in society. So I was fascinated to discover recently that the Maori language had no words for autism or ADHD until a 2017 project called The Language of Enrichment created terms for them, along with a range of other conditions.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) became Aroreretini – 'attention goes to many things'.

Autism became Takiwatanga – 'in one’s own time and space'.

I think this is great. These new terms acknowledge the truth of both conditions, without diminishing the person who has them. And while they are relatively new, there’s a much older phrase in te reo Maori - ‘He mana to te kupu’ or ‘words have great power’.