Glossary

Search results

ADHD(also: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that affect executive function, including working memory, task initiation, sustained attention, and self-regulation. ADHD affects an estimated 3-6% of adults…

ADHD Subtype(also: ADHD Presentation, ADHD Type)

A classification of ADHD based on the predominant symptom pattern experienced by an individual. The three recognized subtypes are: predominantly inattentive (difficulty sustaining attention, following through on tasks, and organizing activities), predominantly…

ADHD Tax(also: Disability Tax, Crip Tax)

The additional financial, emotional, and intellectual costs that people with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions must pay to navigate systems designed for neurotypical functioning. Examples include purchasing productivity apps, planners, and wearable devices to compensate…

Affective Lability(also: Mood Lability, Emotional Lability)

A pattern of rapid, unpredictable shifts in emotional state, often involving intense fluctuations between positive and negative moods with minimal external provocation. Affective lability is commonly associated with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder,…

Allistic(also: Non-Autistic)

A term used to describe people who are not autistic, regardless of whether they are neurotypical in other respects. The term was created within autistic communities to provide a specific counterpart to "autistic" that does not frame autism as deviation from a norm. Using…

Aphantasia(also: Mind Blindness)

Aphantasia is a neurological condition in which a person is unable to voluntarily create mental images or visualize objects, people, or scenes in their mind. It affects an estimated 2-5% of the population and exists on a spectrum from reduced imagery to complete absence. In…

AuDHD(also: Autism and ADHD co-occurrence)

A term used by the neurodivergent community to describe the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the same individual. Research suggests significant overlap between the two conditions, with estimates indicating that 50-70% of…

Audio-Visual Entrainment(also: AVE, Brainwave Entrainment)

Audio-visual entrainment (AVE) is a therapeutic technique that uses rhythmic light and sound stimuli to influence brainwave activity, guiding the brain toward specific frequency states associated with relaxation, focus, or reduced anxiety. The technique has been demonstrated to…

Auditory processing disorder(also: APD, Central auditory processing disorder, CAPD)

A neurological condition in which the brain has difficulty interpreting and organizing sounds despite normal hearing ability. Unlike hearing loss, auditory processing disorder affects how the central auditory nervous system processes what is heard, making it difficult to…

Autism(also: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, Autism Spectrum Condition)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior and interests. Autism exists on a spectrum with wide variation in how it presents and the level of support individuals may need. Accessibility for…

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(also: ADOS, ADOS-2)

A standardized diagnostic protocol for autism that uses structured and semi-structured social interaction tasks between an examiner and the person being assessed. First published in 1989 and designed based on a sample of children aged 6-18, it was followed by a second edition…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior and interests. Autism exists on a broad spectrum with highly variable presentations. In reading accessibility contexts, research has found that…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior or interests. Autism exists on a spectrum, meaning it presents differently across individuals — some may have significant support needs while others…

Autism spectrum disorder(also: ASD, Autism, Autism spectrum)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, interaction patterns, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, with wide variation in how it manifests across individuals. The spectrum nature of ASD means that people have highly diverse support…

Autistic Burnout(also: Autistic Fatigue, Neurodivergent Burnout)

A state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people, often resulting from the cumulative effect of masking (suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical), sensory overload, and the ongoing effort of navigating environments not designed for…

Autistic Joy

A concept articulated by Elliot Wassell and widely discussed in autistic communities describing the intense, absorbing pleasure autistic people can experience in special interests, sensory engagement, deep focus, and preferred modes of working. Autistic joy is typically framed…

Autistic Meltdown(also: Meltdown, Sensory Meltdown)

An autistic meltdown is an intense, involuntary response to overwhelming sensory, emotional, or cognitive overload, during which an autistic person may temporarily lose the ability to regulate their behavior, emotions, or communication. Meltdowns can manifest as crying, shutting…

Autistic Sociality(also: Autistic Social Interaction, Atypical Sociality)

The distinct ways in which autistic people form social connections, build community, and engage in relationships — which differ from neurotypical social norms but are not deficient. Autistic sociality may emphasize shared interests over personal relationships, prefer text-based…

Camouflaging(also: Masking, Social Camouflage, Autistic Masking)

Camouflaging, also known as masking, is the conscious or unconscious suppression of autistic traits and adoption of neurotypical behaviors in order to fit into social situations. This can include forcing eye contact, suppressing stimming, rehearsing social scripts, and imitating…

Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire(also: CAT-Q)

A 25-item self-report questionnaire developed by Hull, Mandy, Lai, Baron-Cohen and colleagues (2019) for adults to self-assess autistic masking (camouflaging) behaviours. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (e.g., "In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be…

Celebratory technology

Technology designed to highlight, affirm, and celebrate neurodivergent and disabled ways of being, rather than seeking to correct, normalize, or remediate them. Coined by LouAnne Boyd (2023), celebratory technology contrasts with deficit-oriented assistive technology by…

Complementary Cognition

A theory proposed by Taylor, Fernandes, and Wraight suggesting that the human species has adapted and evolved cognitively to complement each other through cognitive specializations and effective collaboration. Under this framework, different neurological profiles (including…

Crip Time

A concept from disability studies and culture that recognizes disabled people often operate on different timescales than those imposed by ableist societal norms. Crip time encompasses the need for more time to complete tasks, the recognition that productivity fluctuates based on…

Crip time(also: Crip temporality)

A disability studies concept, developed by scholar Alison Kafer, that recognizes how disabled and chronically ill people experience and navigate time differently due to bodily, cognitive, or systemic factors. Rather than forcing conformity to linear, clock-based productivity…

Cross-neurotype communication(also: Cross-neurological communication, Neurotype-crossing communication)

Communication between individuals with different neurological profiles, most commonly between autistic and neurotypical people. Cross-neurotype communication is characterized by differences in conversational style — autistic individuals often prefer direct, literal language with…

DSM-5(also: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV, DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the standard classification system used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. The current edition (DSM-5-TR,…

Decreased Sound Tolerance(also: DST, Sound Intolerance)

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is an umbrella term for conditions in which everyday sounds are perceived as uncomfortably loud, threatening, or emotionally distressing. It encompasses hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to sound volume), misophonia (strong emotional reactions to…

Deficit Narrative(also: Deficit-Based Framing, Deficit Model)

A framing approach that characterizes disability or neurodivergence primarily in terms of what individuals lack, cannot do, or do poorly compared to a non-disabled norm. Deficit narratives are embedded in many clinical assessment tools through language that pathologizes natural…

Demand Avoidance(also: Pathological Demand Avoidance, PDA, Persistent Drive for Autonomy)

An inner resistance to perceived demands — even self-imposed ones — that can lead to inability to start, change, or complete tasks. Demand avoidance is associated with an autism profile sometimes called Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the UK, and more recently reframed by…

Developmental Learning Disorder(also: DLD, Specific Learning Disorder, Learning Disability)

A group of neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the acquisition and use of specific academic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics. Developmental Learning Disorders include dyslexia (affecting reading), dysgraphia (affecting writing), and dyscalculia (affecting…

Dopamine Hunger(also: Dopamine Seeking, Dopamine Starvation)

A colloquial ADHD-community term describing the drive to seek stimulating activities to compensate for differences in dopamine regulation characteristic of ADHD brains. It manifests as impulsivity, novelty seeking, and patterns such as repeated social-media checking, doom…

Double empathy problem(also: Double empathy theory)

A theory proposed by Damian Milton (2012) that reframes communication difficulties between autistic and neurotypical individuals as arising from a mutual lack of understanding rather than a deficit in autistic people alone. The double empathy problem challenges the dominant…

Dyscalculia(also: Math Learning Disability, Number Blindness, Mathematics Disorder)

A specific learning disorder that affects the ability to acquire, understand, and manipulate numerical and mathematical concepts. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with number sense, memorizing arithmetic facts, performing calculations, and understanding mathematical…

Dysgraphia(also: Disorder of written expression, Specific learning disorder in written expression)

A neurological learning disability that affects written expression, including handwriting legibility, spelling accuracy, and the ability to organize thoughts in writing. Dysgraphia can make text entry and written composition cognitively exhausting, creating significant barriers…

Dyslexia(also: Reading Disability, Developmental Dyslexia)

A neurologically-based learning disability that primarily affects the acquisition and processing of written language, manifesting as difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, and phonological processing. Dyslexia varies in severity and is estimated to affect 10-17% of the…

Dyspraxia(also: Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD)

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor planning, coordination, and the sequencing of movements. People with dyspraxia have difficulty translating intended actions into coordinated physical movements, despite having adequate muscle strength and understanding of what they…

Emotional Dysregulation(also: Emotion Dysregulation, Emotional Impulsivity, Affective Dysregulation)

Difficulty managing emotional responses, characterized by rapid, intense, and often disproportionate reactions to stimuli with limited reflection or regulation. Emotional dysregulation is a core yet frequently overlooked feature of adult ADHD, not included in DSM-5 diagnostic…

Emotional regulation(also: Emotion regulation, Affect regulation, Self-regulation)

The ability to monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional responses to meet situational demands and personal goals. Emotional regulation is often challenging for people with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other neurodivergent or mental health conditions. Assistive strategies and…

Episodic Productivity(also: Nonlinear Productivity, Burst Productivity)

A work pattern characterized by fluctuating cycles of high and low engagement rather than consistent, steady output. Common among people with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions, episodic productivity involves periods of intense focus and high output alternating with…

Fidgeting(also: Stimming, Self-stimulatory behaviour)

Repetitive body movements or object manipulation — such as tapping, spinning, clicking, or squeezing — that serve self-regulatory functions including maintaining focus, managing stress, regulating energy levels, and processing sensory input. For people with ADHD, autism, and…

Flat Affect(also: Blunted Affect, Reduced Expressiveness)

Flat affect refers to a significant reduction in the outward expression of emotions, where a person shows little or no visible emotional response through facial expressions, voice tone, or body language. In the context of accessibility and neurodiversity, flat affect is commonly…

GAIA(also: Guidelines for Accessible Interfaces for people with Autism, Guidelines for Accessible Interfaces for Autism)

A set of design guidelines specifically developed to make digital interfaces more accessible for autistic users. GAIA addresses common barriers that autistic people face when using technology, including sensory overload from animations and complex layouts, difficulty with…

Gricean maxims(also: Conversational maxims, Cooperative principle)

A set of principles proposed by philosopher Paul Grice that describe the implicit rules governing cooperative conversation: quantity (be informative but not over-informative), quality (be truthful), relation (be relevant), and manner (be clear and orderly). Gricean maxims are…

Hyperfocus(also: Hyper-Focus, Flow State)

A state of intense, sustained concentration on a task or activity, commonly experienced by people with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions. During hyperfocus, individuals may become deeply absorbed in work for extended periods, achieving exceptional productivity and depth…

Imposter syndrome(also: Impostor phenomenon)

A psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of competence. Imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent among neurodivergent individuals in professional settings, where internalized stigma about…

Indirect speech act(also: Indirect request)

A linguistic utterance whose intended meaning differs from its literal meaning, commonly used in neurotypical communication for politeness or social convention. For example, "Can you pass the salt?" is literally a question about ability but is conventionally understood as a…

Intellectual and Developmental Disability(also: IDD, Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disability)

A group of conditions characterised by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem-solving) and adaptive behaviour (everyday social and practical skills), with onset during the developmental period. IDD encompasses a wide range of…

Internalized stigma(also: Self-stigma, Internalized ableism)

The process by which individuals with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions absorb and internalize negative societal attitudes about their condition, leading to shame, reduced self-worth, and reluctance to seek support. Internalized stigma can manifest as viewing one's…

Literal language processing(also: Literal interpretation)

The tendency to interpret language at face value, understanding words and phrases according to their explicit, dictionary meaning rather than inferring implied, figurative, or contextual meanings. Literal language processing is common among many autistic individuals and can lead…

Lost Generation

In ADHD and autism discourse, the term refers to adults — particularly women, minority genders, and people of colour — who went undiagnosed as children due to gendered diagnostic criteria, systemic medical bias, and the historical exclusion of non-white, non-male bodies from…