Neurodivergent Glossary – Big Book of Terms

The word neurodiversity is used to describe a diverse group of individuals with different neurotypes. It includes all humans, though colloquially it is often used for a group of neurodivergent people.

A neurotypical person is someone without neurodivergent conditions. A neurotypical solution is one made for neurotypical people.

The term allistic refers to people who are not autistic. Neurodivergent and neurotypical people can both be allistic if they are not autistic.

An informal and tongue-in-cheek term for neurodivergence, often used in a funny way.

Adaptations or coping mechanisms are adjustments you make for yourself or made for you to create a safe and comfortable environment for you to exist in.

Alexithymia is the inability to assign names to feelings, describe them to others or talk about them. It is considered a separate neuropsychological condition but has significant overlaps with autism.

AuDHD is an unofficial term for co-occurring Autism and ADHD – it is used when someone has both conditions.

Autistic speech patterns refer to unique ways autistic folks communicate or use language, but these patterns can also be present throughout the neurodivergent spectrum.

Autistic speech patterns include
– echolalia (echoing what you or others say),
– palilalia (repeating your own words or phrases),
– scripting (planning what you’ll say),
– verbal stims (using words to stim)
– and vocal stims (using sounds to stim).

Demand avoidance means you’re opposed to doing something when it’s perceived as a demand, especially coming from an authority figure, even if you want to do the thing. .

PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy.

Autonomy is the core value for people with PDA and any demand that threatens this autonomy triggers a danger-response (fight, flight, freeze).

Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty where a person has difficulty with numbers and mathematics in general.

Dysgraphia is a learning difficulty characterized by difficulties in writing, handwriting, and spelling. It is a condition that affects the ability to accurately and efficiently express thoughts or ideas through writing. Individuals with dysgraphia may struggle with letter formation, organizing thoughts coherently on paper, maintaining consistent spacing and alignment, and spelling.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. A dyslexic person with has difficulty with literacy skills and retaining information.

Developmental Coordination Disorder is a neurological condition that affects motor skills and coordination. People with DCD can have trouble with balancing, or tasks that require fine motor skills like tying shoelaces, holding pens or cutlery.

Misophonia is a neurodivergent condition characterized by an intense emotional and physiological response to specific sounds. People with misophonia experience strong negative reactions, such as anger, anxiety, or disgust, when exposed to certain sounds. These sounds can vary from person to person but commonly include chewing, slurping, tapping, or repetitive noises.

PMDD is Premenstrual Disphoric Disorder, and refers to a severe, disabling form of PMS.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that affects the way an individual’s brain processes and responds to sensory information from their environment.

Having a learning difficulty means a person has a harder time learning and acquiring skills. Learning difficulties are not related to levels of intelligence, the related conditions are neurological.

Stimming (also known as self-stimulating) is a common sensory-seeking neurodivergent behaviour. It means stimulating yourself in a repetitive manner to self-soothe, regulate, or express excitement. Stimming is common both in ADHD and autism.
Stimming movements, however, are common in all human beings. Everybody stims, whether it’s chewing the end of a pencil while you think, swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music while you’re standing in line, or swinging your legs when they can’t touch the ground.

A brain network where dopamine travels, affecting motivation and reward.

Interoception is the ability to notice and identify feelings inside one’s body, like thirst or hunger. It also includes the ability to notice and regulate temperature changes or notice pain.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help brain cells “talk” to each other, controlling thoughts and feelings. Dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine are all neurotransmitters.

Also known as noradrenaline – a neurotransmitter involved in alertness, attention, and response to stress.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, and appetite, keeping us balanced.

Diagnostic criteria are prerequisites for a diagnosis: in the case of neurodivergence, they are the presentations and traits an assessor is looking for when diagnosing a person with a neurodivergent condition.

High-masking refers to a person who is able to mask so efficiently that they ‘pass’ as neurotypical. High-masking is often one of the reasons women go undiagnosed – unfortunately, many assessors completely ignore masking and dismiss the experience of the individual.

SSRIs are a type of antidepressant, the name stands for Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. They are often successfully used to treat OCD, PMDD, anxiety, PTSD and depression.

Titration is when together with your medical professional you trial different types of medications and the doctor then adjusts the dose based on your experience.

The curb-cut effect refers to the phenomenon that policies initially created to serve a marginalized group end up serving a much more significant portion of society, benefiting even more people than it was originally designed for.

Penguin pebbling is a term derived from the behaviour of Adélie penguins who meticulously collect and arrange pebbles to build their nests.

In a neurodivergent context, the expression is used to describe a common neurodivergent behaviour of people collecting and giving loved items to others – “this made me think of you, I think you’ll like this, I thought this was pretty and I want you to have it”.

Spiritual bypassing is a dismissive behaviour, meaning the use of spiritual explanations to dismiss, diminish or avoid dealing with complicated emotions, uncomfortable experiences or facing the complex and often harsh realities of life. It’s part magical thinking and part toxic positivity.