Neurodivergent Glossary

· Support

A change to how something is done so it works for your brain, like written instructions or a quieter desk. It's access, not a favor.

· Experience

Difficulty noticing or naming your own emotions. Many ND people say feelings show up in the body before the words do.

· Identity

A community word for being both autistic and ADHD, which can mean craving routine and novelty at once.

· Experience

Deep exhaustion, often with skills harder to reach, that many autistic people describe after long masking or overload. Rest and fewer demands help.

· Experience

A strong, often anxious resistance to demands, even ones you want to meet. A debated profile; many prefer "persistent drive for autonomy."

· Concept

Damian Milton's idea that misunderstandings between autistic and non-autistic people run both ways, rather than being one side's deficit.

· Language

Saying "autistic person" rather than "person with autism." Many autistic adults prefer it. Always follow each person's own choice.

· Experience

Difficulty starting, stopping, or switching, like a heavy object that keeps doing what it's doing. It isn't laziness.

· Connection

Sharing lots of detail about something you love. For many ND people it's a way to connect and show care.

· Body

Sensing what's happening inside your body: hunger, thirst, needing the bathroom, heartbeat, emotions. It can be louder, quieter, or harder to read.

· Experience

Hiding ND traits to fit in or stay safe. It can protect you, and it often costs a lot of energy.

· Experience

An involuntary, outward response to overwhelm. Not a tantrum or a choice; safety, space, and less input help.

· Concept

A theory from Dinah Murray and colleagues: autistic attention tends to gather deeply into a few things at once, rather than spreading wide.

· Identity

Having a brain that works differently from what society treats as typical.

· Concept

The natural variety of all human brains. It describes a group; one person is neurodivergent.

· Identity

Having a brain that works the way society usually expects and builds for.

· Experience

Intense pain in response to real or perceived rejection or criticism. Often discussed with ADHD; not a diagnosis.

· Tool

A predictable pattern for a day or task. It can lower the load of constant deciding.

· Experience

When sights, sounds, smells, or crowds add up to more than your nervous system can process.

· Body

Going toward some input (pressure, movement) and away from other input. Most people do both.

· Experience

An inward response to overwhelm: going quiet, still, or hard to reach. Low demands and time help.

· Joy

A deep, passionate interest that brings joy, calm, and expertise. Often central to who you are.

· Tool

Christine Miserandino's picture of daily energy as a handful of spoons: each task costs some, and they run out.

· Body

Repeated movements or sounds, like rocking or humming, that help you regulate, focus, or express feeling.