Livia Farkas, Author at Weirdly Successful

In her free time, she enjoys stickers & planners, crochet & roller skates, and running around with her pet bunny Rumi.

Building Weirdly Successful’s Knowledge Systems

Livia is the architect behind Weirdly Successful’s knowledge infrastructure — creating the systems that help late-identified neurodivergent adults make sense of their experiences and find language for what they’ve always felt.

She created The Neurodivergent Glossary, an ever-growing encyclopaedia of neurodivergence-related terms designed to help people find answers using everyday words for their experiences—not medical jargon they haven’t yet learned. She also designed the content architecture that powers the entire website: a system that organises content by what someone is experiencing (focus, hearing, time), where they are in their journey (exploring, seeking diagnosis, recently diagnosed), and what they need to know (definitions, validation, practical strategies).

Currently, Livia is building the Weirdly Successful Learning Community: a custom-built peer support platform designed from the ground up for neurodivergent brains. Every element, from the onboarding process to the reaction buttons, has been designed to balance ADHD and Autistic accessibility needs.

Specialist Subjects

Neurodivergent adaptations for life and work · Dismantling harmful self-beliefs
Promoting self-compassion
Creating a life without the hustle

Background: 15 Years in Adult Education

Livia’s neurodivergent-focused work builds on 15 years as a productivity and lifestyle educator in Hungary, where she developed the frameworks, techniques, and teaching approach she now adapts for English-speaking neurodivergent audiences.

Book

That Traffic Light’s Not Getting Any Greener! (XXI. Század Kiadó, 2013; ISBN: 9786155373022) — National bestseller in Hungary, shortlisted for the Libri Golden Book Awards.

Publications

Éva Magazin (2014–2020), HVG Psychology (2019), Glamour (2019), Forbes Hungary (2017), Marie Claire Hungary (2013), Elle Hungary (2013), Cosmopolitan Hungary (2013)

TV & Radio

Livia has appeared as a productivity and lifestyle expert on Hungarian national television, including recurring segments on RTL Klub’s morning programme and appearances on TV2 and Duna World. She has been interviewed on Kossuth Rádió (Hungarian public radio), Klubrádió, and Jazzy.

Talks & Appearances

Livia has spoken at universities including the University of Debrecen, ELTE, Corvinus University, and the Balassi Institute; at professional conferences including the Mfor Marketing Conference, Digital Divas Conference, and Evolution Social Media Conference; and at a Google Ground roundtable on women in business. Her 2013 book tour included venues across Hungary and a reader meetup in London.

Awards

HVG GoldenBlog, Audience Award for urban:eve blog (2011, won)
Cosmopolitan Digital Divas, “Best Blog Design” (2012, won)
Glamour Women of The Year Hungary, “Blogger of the Year” (2014, nominated)

Latest from Livia

Glossary Entry

vestibular system

The vestibular system is a sensory system located in the inner ear that detects head position and movement, working together with vision and proprioception (body position sense) to maintain balance and spatial orientation.

Glossary Entry

Sensory processing difficulties

Sensory processing difficulties are a group of traits associated with neurodivergence. They're part of the wider group of sensory processing differences, meaning all the ways neurodivergent brains handle sensory information differently from neurotypical peers. Any of the brain's 8 sensory processing systems can be affected by processing difficulties.

Glossary Entry

verbal shutdown

Verbal shutdown is a temporary inability to produce speech despite having intact language and thoughts - an involuntary neurological response to overwhelm. It's when words exist in one's mind but cannot be physically spoken due to sensory, emotional, or cognitive overload.
Casually and incorrectly it is sometimes also referred to as 'going non-verbal', but this term is not preferred by the …

Glossary Entry

palilalia

Palilalia is a form of verbal expression where someone involuntarily repeats their own words or phrases, often with decreasing volume. This natural pattern can help with language processing and self-regulation, particularly during times of stress or when processing complex information.

Glossary Entry

auditory stimming

Auditory stimming is a form of self-stimulatory behaviour that involves making sounds with your voice, whether through non-word vocalisations (vocal stimming) or speech-based expressions (verbal stimming). This natural and beneficial form of self-expression helps with emotional regulation, sensory processing, and achieving a sense of comfort and focus.

Glossary Entry

scripting

Scripting is a communication pattern where individuals use memorized or prepared phrases in their interactions. Common in autism, it serves as a valuable tool for managing social situations, expressing needs, and conserving energy while communicating. Scripting can be prepared ahead of time or drawn from previously heard phrases, and helps many autistic people communicate more effectively and …

Glossary Entry

echolalia

Echolalia is a speech pattern where individuals repeat words, phrases, or sounds they have heard. Common in autism, it serves various purposes, including communication, language processing, and emotional expression. Echolalia can be immediate (repeating something just heard) or delayed (using stored phrases from past experiences), and is a valid form of communication that helps many autistic …

Glossary Entry

inertia

Inertia is the experience of being unable to start (or stop) an activity despite wanting to. It's a common neurodivergent experience related to executive function, and not caused by laziness, procrastination or lack of motivation. Like a car without fuel, no amount of pressing the gas pedal will help when the resources needed for action aren't available.

Glossary Entry

restriction

Restriction means being prevented from moving freely or being confined against your will. It can include being held down, trapped, or having your movement controlled by others. This is particularly important for neurodivergent people, who have historically faced harmful practices where restriction was used to stop stimming, force compliance, or 'manage' sensory overload.

Glossary Entry

cognitive load

Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used at any given time.

For neurodivergent people, activities that others might find automatic (like maintaining expected facial expressions or processing background noise) can significantly increase cognitive load.

Glossary Entry

flat affect

Flat affect is an autistic speech pattern that can include fewer facial expressions, reduced eye contact and speech that others might describe as 'monotone'. While these might be be interpreted as diminished emotional response, they actually reflect a different way of processing and expressing emotions. The intensity can vary with stress or cognitive load, and it often indicates deep focus rather …

Glossary Entry

object constancy

Object constancy is the notion that you remain connected and aware of items or people even when they are not visible or physically around. Difficulties in object constancy lead to the "out of sight, out of mind" experience, which is very common with ADHD folk. Not to be confused with object permanence, which is a developmental stage in babies, and relates to them believing things genuinely stop …