Browse Terms
Browse our comprehensive collection of neurodivergence terms.
A
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
Tools and methods that support or replace spoken language so people can communicate (e.g., symbol boards, text-to-speech, sign, eye-gaze).
Accommodations
Changes to the environment, tools, timing, or expectations that remove barriers so a person can participate on an equal basis.
Alexithymia
Difficulty identifying and describing one’s own emotions; common in autistic people and others.
Allistic
A neutral term for people who are not autistic.
Assistive Technology (AT)
Tools that reduce barriers and support access, communication, learning, and work (software, devices, environmental controls).
AuDHD
A community shorthand for people who are both autistic and have ADHD.
Auditory Hypersensitivity
Extreme sensitivity to sound where everyday noises feel painful or overwhelming.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Differences in how the brain processes sound, leading to difficulty understanding speech (especially in noise) despite typical hearing.
Autistic Burnout
A state of intense physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people.
Autistic Meltdown
An involuntary state of overwhelming distress in which an autistic person temporarily loses the ability to self-regulate, often resulting in crying, shouting, pacing, or other intense behaviors.
Autistic Shutdown
An involuntary response to overload where an autistic person becomes very quiet or unresponsive, withdrawing to protect themselves and reduce input.
B
C
Camouflaging
Another term for masking—hiding or altering autistic traits to meet expectations.
Chunking
Breaking information or tasks into smaller, meaningful units to make them easier to process and complete.
Co-regulation
Supporting someone’s nervous system to calm or activate through shared cues: steady presence, tone, breath, and environment.
Cognitive Load
The total mental effort used at a given time; high load can overwhelm working memory and regulation.
Context Switching
The performance and energy cost of rapidly changing tasks, tools, or mental sets.
D
Decision Fatigue
Reduced decision quality and increased avoidance after many choices or prolonged demands.
Demand Avoidance (contextualized)
Strong avoidance of demands, often increasing with perceived loss of autonomy, novelty, or uncertainty.
Double Empathy Problem
Autistic and non‑autistic people both struggle to understand each other—not just autistic people struggling.
Dyscalculia
A learning difference that affects the ability to understand numbers, perform calculations, and comprehend mathematical concepts, sometimes called "math dyslexia."
Dysgraphia
A learning difference affecting handwriting, spelling in writing, and organizing thoughts on paper.
Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD)
A motor coordination difference affecting planning and execution of movements (fine/gross), handwriting, sequencing, and self‑care tasks.
E
Emotional Contagion
Absorbing others’ emotions automatically; can be stronger for autistic and highly sensitive people.
Emotional Dysregulation
Difficulty adjusting the intensity and duration of emotions to match the situation, especially under stress.
Emotional Flashback
A sudden, intense emotional state (fear, shame, panic) triggered by past trauma rather than present reality, often without clear images.
Energy Budgeting
Planning activities around available energy using a structured, proactive plan.
Executive Dysfunction
Difficulties with a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.
H
I
M
Masking
Consciously or unconsciously hiding one's neurodivergent traits to fit in with neurotypical expectations.
Monotropism
A theory that autistic attention tends to focus deeply on a small number of interests at a time, shaping perception, learning, and overwhelm.
N
Neuroaffirming
Creating spaces, practices, and attitudes that accept and support neurodivergent people as they are, rather than trying to change, fix, or hide their differences.
Neurodivergence-In-Context
The idea that many difficulties arise from inaccessible environments, not deficits in the person.
Neurodivergent
Having a brain that functions differently from what is considered typical or 'normal' in society.
Neurodivergent Masking Fatigue
Exhaustion and stress that build up after prolonged masking of neurodivergent traits.
Neurodiversity
The natural variation in human brains; emphasizes difference as diversity rather than deficit.
Neurospicy
A playful, reclaimed slang term for being neurodivergent, often used with pride and humor.
Neurotypical
Having typical neurological development and functioning that aligns with societal norms and expectations.
O
P
Pacing
Balancing activity and rest to avoid overwhelm, burnout, or crashes.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
A contested profile of autism describing extreme avoidance of everyday demands, often linked to anxiety and a strong need for autonomy.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
A profile within the autism spectrum characterized by extreme avoidance of everyday demands, driven by anxiety and a strong need for autonomy/control.
Processing Speed
The pace at which the brain takes in, understands, and responds to information.
R
S
Sensory Avoidance
Reducing or avoiding certain inputs (noise, light, textures, smells) to prevent overload and stay regulated.
Sensory Diet
A planned set of activities and inputs designed to give the nervous system the right amount of stimulation across the day.
Sensory Gating
The brain’s ability to filter out unimportant sensory information; reduced gating can amplify overload.
Sensory Integration
How the brain combines input from different senses to guide movement, learning, and comfort.
Sensory Overload
When sensory input (sound, light, touch, smell, movement) exceeds the brain’s capacity to process it comfortably, leading to distress and reduced functioning.
Sensory Processing Disorder
A condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
Sensory Seeking
Preferring or seeking extra sensory input (movement, pressure, sound, texture) to feel regulated.
Special Interest
An intense, focused passion for a specific subject, often a hallmark of autism.
Spiky Profile
A very uneven pattern of abilities—strong strengths in some areas, significant challenges in others.
Spoon Theory (Energy Accounting)
A metaphor for limited daily energy (“spoons”) used to plan, pace, and communicate capacity.
Spoonie
Community slang for people with chronic illness or disability, tied to Spoon Theory.
Stim Toy / Fidget Tool
Objects used to self‑regulate through movement or touch (spinners, cubes, putty, rings).
Stimming
Repetitive body movements or sounds that help regulate sensory input and emotions.
T
Task Initiation
The ability to start a task without unnecessary delay.
Task Paralysis
Feeling unable to start a task despite wanting or needing to, often linked to ADHD and executive dysfunction.
Time Blindness
Time blindness is the difficulty sensing how much time has passed or accurately estimating how long tasks will take, making it hard to manage schedules and deadlines.
Transition Difficulty
Struggles moving from one activity, environment, or mindset to another.
Twice-Exceptional (2e)
A person who is both gifted (intellectually, creatively, or in specific domains) and has one or more learning differences, disabilities, or neurodivergent conditions.
U
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
A framework for designing learning goals, materials, and assessments that are accessible from the start via multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.
Unmasking
The process of reducing masking behaviors and living more authentically.