Neurodivergent Glossary

Please note that your experience with each word might be different- and many of these definitions are clinically based. This glossary is in it’s infancy and will be added to over time. My hope is also to link to resources and visuals for each word for accessibility.
I am FULLY open to feedback to any of these words- please email me!

Ableism:
Discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior, and that disabled people require “fixing”.

Adaptive morphing:
A potential alternative, and more respectful, term for “masking” or “camouflaging”; a social survival strategy that involves adjusting behavior to reflect what is expected by society; comes at a heavy cost to mental health.

Alexithymia:
A neurological difference which results in atypical methods or challenges in identifying and/or communicating emotion.

Aphantasia:
A neurological difference which results in atypical methods or challenges in visualizing or imagining.

AuDHD:
An individual who is both Autistic and with ADHD (or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Autism and ADHD commonly co-occur. 

Autistic Person (Identity First)
As Autism isn’t acquired, a human doesn’t “have it,” as you can’t “lose it.” The Autistic community at large discusses the importance of recognizing this by using this as an identity. Autistics have noted that Autism is the filter that they see the world through, thus preferring using Autistic person, autistic child, etc, rather than a person with autism, a child afflicted with autism, etc. This is not a hard and fast rule, as the specific person’s desire for their own identifiers should always be honored.

Burnout (Autistic):
A state of intense physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion that comes from an extended period of an Autistic person being overburdened by the demands of a non-autistic world.

Double Empathy Problem:
A theory developed by Dr Damian Milton that explains the breakdown in reciprocity or mutual understanding (see “bidirectionality” above) that both Autistic and non-autistic people experience as a disconnect in understanding and empathizing with the other group; emphasizes that misunderstandings are not the responsibility of the Autistic person alone; replaces the widely held view that Autistics lack empathy.

Dyscalculia:
A neurological difference which results in atypical methods or challenges in understanding number-based concepts.

Dyslexia:
A neurological differences that involves difficulty decoding written text (and often difficulty with composing written texts).

Dyspraxia:
The brain’s inability to plan muscle movements and carry them out.

Echolalia:
The repetition of sounds, words, or phrases, the meaning of which may or may not be instantly understood by the listener; a valid form of communication. (Therapist note: I would also add repeating shows/music/etc.)

Executive Function:
The ability to plan, organize and follow through, as well as the ability to inhibit actions, delay responses, regulate emotions and reactions, make appropriate choices and shift attention. Autistic individuals, as well as those with learning disabilities and other neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, often have significant differences in executive functioning, e.g., in the ability to transition between tasks and states.

Hyperconnectivity:
An increase in the quantity of connections within and between brain regions; accounts for certain differences in Autistic experiences.

Hyperfocus:
The ability to enter into state of intense single-minded concentration fixated on one thought pattern at a time, to the exclusion of everything else.

Hypoconnectivity:
Fewer connections that we would expect to see within and between certain brain regions; accounts for certain differences in Autistic experiences.

Info-Dumping:
Refers to the autistic tendency to excitedly share a large amount of information about a highly-focused subject or passion at one time, usually in great detail and length.

Meltdown:
An involuntary loss of control over one’s feelings and behavior due to overload or overwhelm; may look like a tantrum but should be responded to with empathetic calm connection, not punishment.

Monotropism:
Focusing attention on only one stimulus at a time; more common in the Autistic population.

Mutism, Situational:
When a person is able to use verbally articulated words but becomes involuntarily non-speaking in particular situations; this is the more respectful and preferred version of the outdated “selective mutism”.

Neuro-Affirming/Neurodiversity/Neurodivergent-Affirming:
A manner of conducting oneself in which one prioritizes valuing and respecting the dignity and worth of all individuals, regardless of their cognitive differences. (I personally do not find this enough- I think Neurodivergent Embracing is where we need to be. Certainly “awareness” is minimal. Again- my opinion.)

Neurodivergent (ND):
The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brains are significantly different to what is expected in the “typical” population. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don’t have those differences. The possible differences might be innate (e.g., Autism) or acquired (e.g., brain injury), and include medical conditions (e.g., epilepsy), mental health conditions (e.g., trauma), learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) and other neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ADHD). NOTE: There is a movement to call “neurotypical” folks “Allistics” to avoid the stigma of typical v. divergent.

Parallel Play:
Parallel play is play that occurs next to others but does not include them directly. It is not uncommon for Autistic individuals to prefer parallel play (e.g., one person playing a video game and the other person drawing, being in the same room but not necessarily interacting with one another) to direct play (e.g., both individuals playing the same game together).

PDA:
Acronym for “pathological demand avoidance”. PDA could more aptly stand for “pervasive drive for autonomy” (Tomlin Wilding); an informal Autistic profile, although not included in the major diagnostic manuals or accepted by the whole Autistic community.

PERMA:
A positive psychology construct; acronym for “Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishments/Achievements”. PERMA are the five elements of positive psychology which account for a good life.

Proprioception:
Our body’s ability to sense the position of our body parts in relation to one another, the world around us, and the amount of strength it takes to create movement. This sense lets us know exactly where specific body parts are, their position, and their capability of movement.

Regression:
The loss of skills that have already been learned. (Often occurs in the time soon after a diagnosis as the person realizes how many areas they are affected by their neurodivergent identity.)

Scripting:
The repetition of words, phrases, intonation, or sounds of the speech of others, sometimes taken from movies, but also sometimes taken from other sources such as favorite books or something someone else has said; the pre-preparation of what one will say in a particular context or situation.

Self-Determination:
The process by which a person can participate actively in the decisions that affect their lives, and by which they can enact or achieve their choices; the process of choice and control (see “autonomy” above).

Sensory-Avoiding:
Sensory-avoiding behavior describes when an individual has an unusual aversion to certain sensory experiences. For example, a person may avoid environments with fluorescent lighting because the light makes their head hurt.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD):
A neurological condition that exists when sensory signals are not processed in an expected way, leading to unusual reactions to sensory stimuli. For example, many people with differences in their sensory processing are highly sensitive to fabrics and certain food textures.

Sensory-Seeking:
Sensory-seeking behavior describes when an individual has an unusual craving for, or preoccupation with, certain sensory experiences. For example, a person may repeatedly sniff their fingers or put non-food items in their mouth.

Shutdowns: An internalized response to overload or overwhelm; may be thought of like an internal meltdown.

SIBs:
Acronym for “self-injurious behaviors”. SIBs are a response to distress whereby someone injures themselves either through an effort to regulate or as a result of the loss of physical control that comes with the distress.

Social Model of Disability:
A perspective that argues that people are disabled by barriers in society; locates the “disability” externally to the disabled person, in systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion.

Special Interests (SPINs):
Special interests (also known as “passions”) are frequently developed by Autistic people, expressed as an intense focus on specific topics.

Splinter Skill:
A skill that is stronger than the other skills a person has. An Autistic person might be able to do one or more things really well but have far less ability in other areas.

Stimming:
Shortened term for self-stimulatory behavior; might include repetitive movements and sounds, rocking, fidgeting, flapping, hair twirling, bouncing a leg up and down, repeating a sound, word or phrase over and over, etc.; all people stim, but stims are more likely to be pathologized in Autistic people; a valid form of communication and regulation.

Tactile Defensiveness:
Extreme physical sensitivity to certain textures and sensations.

Theory of Mind:
The cognitive ability to recognize that one’s feelings, perceptions, beliefs and desires differ from those of others. Theory of Mind enables us to “perspective-take” and assign “state of mind” to others and react and respond to feelings.