ADHD as entrepreneurial neurodivergence: re-evaluating ‘ADHD superpowers’, revealing its connections with capitalism

In this article, I critique media narratives about ‘ADHD superpowers’ that have become particularly prominent in recent times as awareness-raising activities have gained traction in social as well as new media platforms surrounding ADHD, in particular, and neurodivergence, in general. Narratives centring ‘ADHD superpowers’ widely circulating on the internet overlook ADHDers’ need for quotidian and consistent supports—as they place disproportionate emphasis on ‘strengths’ that are uniquely attributed to ADHD—while turning ADHD into a veritable brand that represents, what I call, ‘entrepreneurial neurodivergence’. These narratives do not take into account the fact that ADHDers are not a homogenous group and cannot exercise supposed ‘superpowers’ evenly or at all. Therefore, claims about ‘ADHD superpowers’ could further lead to the exploitation and marginalization of historically oppressed ADHDers—especially those who cannot conform to superhuman expectations placed on them by hyperbolic and irresponsible ‘superpower’ narratives that encourage maldistribution, inequity, and injustice.