I have created a downloadable pack of over 120 flashcards as a result of discovering an abundance of unique vocabulary within the neurodivergent dimension. If you're new to exploring neurodivergence, then it can be a steep learning curve, so I hope this might come in handy as a different way to learn about the vocabulary, phrases, concepts and acronyms in this topic area. All images in the PDF are clickable. The resource contains 128 of the most common words that I can think of!
Download your free alphabetical Glossary of neurodivergent terms:
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FLASHCARD EXAMPLES GALLERY:
Art inspired
This project was partly inspired by a love of art. The images have been sourced from a variety of amazing websites that host copyright-free art. A huge thank you goes out, especially to the following websites for their incredible library of images and the research and archiving that has gone into their work: The Public Domain Review WikiArt Museo App
AI-free content
Non AI images have been chosen intentionally for a number of reasons:
Some people don’t support AI art, and I want to be inclusive of all people who might want to use these cards
Neurodivergence has always been around. I wanted to communicate this through the art itself, which goes way back hundreds and hundreds of years!
I want to support artists & creatives past and present by intentionally not using AI.
Maybe some of these artists were neurodivergent themselves!
Guidance on how to use the cards
Individuals: Empower yourself with knowledge about neurodivergence and educate others. Use the images to reflect on your own relationship with these terms.
Educators: Cards can be used as teaching aids to foster an inclusive learningenvironment and encourage debate.
Professionals: Cards can be used during therapy sessions, workshops or training to provide concise information, psychoeducation & neuroaffirmative support.
About the project
This has been a labour of love, and has been months of monotropic hyperfocus in the making! All the images are AI-free and are sourced from copyright free artists, scientists and creatives from the past. In this sourcing is a message about how neurodivergence is not a new thing - it has always been here, and you can see it in the detail and beauty of the images themselves and the stories behind them. All the images are clickable in the PDF so you can find the origins of the image. Thank you to Helen at Autistic Realms for her support in the polishing of this project.
Glossary of neurodivergent terms in alphabetical order:
ABA: Applied behavioural therapy may be offered to autistic people. It is widely rejected by the autistic community for promoting masking, and being rooted in the harmful idea of "fixing" autism.
Accommodations: Adjustments or supports that create inclusive environments by addressing individual needs to reduce barriers and enhance accessibility.
ADHD: Attention hyperactive deficit disorder. Misleading label as ADHD is a complex neurotype with dynamic variances in attention, processing & neuroceptive needs.
ADHD tax: Extra costs, time, or effort resulting from ADHD-related challenges e.g. forgetting to pay a bill and receiving a fine.
Adulting: Taking on responsibilities and tasks associated with being an adult, such as managing finances, work, and daily life chores. A role that ND people approach in different and unique ways.
Alexithymia: A person who may have difficulty identifying, experiencing or expressing their own or others emotions and feelings and body sensations.
ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Eating pattern that avoids certain foods or food groups and/or is restricted in quantity. Common co-occurence for some autistic people.
Aspergers: Form of autism named after paediatrician Hans Asperger. It was removed from DSM-5 in 1994, though some people still use this label or the term 'aspie'.
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder. Historically complex label referring to people who are medically diagnosed as autistic.
Assistive technology: Devices, software, or equipment designed to help people with disabilities perform tasks and activities more independently.
Autistic: To be autistic is to have natural variations of processing, motivations and ways of being in the world. The phrase 'auti' or 'autist' may also be used as a descriptor.
Autistic joy: Deep sense of happiness that comes from embracing one's authentic self, engaging in special interests, and experiencing the world in ways that are uniquely meaningful to autistic people.
Black & white thinking: Black and white thinking has negative connotations, but.... autistic minds tend to love detail and do not like vagueness. This can be useful in spotting things that others overlook.
Body-doubling: The phenomenon of using another person's presence to boost focus and motivation while completing tasks.
Burnout: State of chronic physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion resulting from chronic life stress due to unmet needs, overstimulation and non-accommodating environments.
Change: ND people may respond differently to unexpected changes. Some may instead prefer predictable routines and clear transitions that align with their natural processing styles.
Childlike: Autistic people may respond to the world in ways that don't align with societal expectations of adulthood. This may sometimes be referred to as 'child like'.
Co-occuring: Having two or more conditions, disabilities, or diagnoses present at the same time in one person eg. autistic & ADHD.
Code switching: Term to describe a person actively or subconsciously altering how they present in the world in order to 'fit in'.
Coke bottle effect: Term used to describe release of suppressed distress experienced by person transitioning from unsafe environment to a safe environment. (e.g. school to home)
Concentration: ND people experience concentration differently, often shifting focus more easily or struggling to sustain attention due to varying sensory sensitivities and executive functioning styles.
Context switching: ND people may experience differences in their ability to manage shifting between tasks, often due to executive functioning differences, focus, or sensory overload.
Creativity: ND processing often involves thinking outside conventional patterns and approaching problems from unique angles.
Cross neurotype theory of mind: Theory which acknowledges natural differences between ND & NT communication, thereby eradicating the idea that ND communication is impaired.
Daydreaming: A word often written on the school report cards of undiagnosed ND people during the 70s and 80s. Still used as a derogatory term for people who process differently.
Decision paralysis: Feeling overwhelmed or stuck when faced with choices, often due to heightened sensory input, executive functioning differences, or a need for clarity.
Decompressing: Verb used to express taking time to recover from sensory, emotional, or social overwhelm and regain balance.
Demand-fatigue: Exhaustion and stress that occurs when person is overwhelmed by constant seemingly innocuous demands, leading to difficulty coping with everyday life.
Detail-oriented: Some autistic people may have a propensity for being detail-oriented, noticing patterns, structures, and information that others might overlook. Links with monotropic processing.
Directness: Some autistic people may have a natural propensity for directness which stems from valuing clarity and authenticity in communication.
Dopamine chasing: Phrase used by ADHDers which refers to seeking out activities or stimuli that provide quick, rewarding sensations to boost dopamine levels.
Double empathy problem: Refers to the mutual difficulty in understanding and connecting between people due to any differences in life experience. One example of this is the NT/ND as explained by Milton. Milton, 2012
Dynamic disability: Impact of disability fluctuates over time, depending on factors such as environment, energy levels, or stress.
Dyscalculia: Neurodivergent learning difference that affects how the mind processes numbers.
Dysgraphia: Neurodivergent learning difference that affects writing ability and word comprehension.
Dyslexic: Neurodivergent learning difference that affects reading, spelling, and writing abilities.
Dyspraxia: Neurodivergent learning difference that affects how the mind processes actions. Usually affects coordination, movement, balance, organisation abilities
Dysregulation: Difficulties in managing emotional, sensory, or cognitive responses. May be source of judgement from others whose dysregulation aligns more with typical societal expectations.
Echolalia: Automatic repetitive vocalisations or heard words or sounds. Differs from Palilalia which is the automatic repetitive vocalisation of one's own words
EDS: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - a group of connective tissue disorders that cause hyperflexibility, skin elasticity, and fragility. Often co-occurs with neurodivergent profiles.
Emotional regulation: Ability to recognise, understand, and manage one's emotional responses to different situations, including reducing, maintaining, or enhancing emotions to adapt to circumstances.
Eye contact: Amount of eye contact expected of people is shaped by cultural norms and societal expectations, which can vary significantly between different cultures and social contexts.
FAP: Female autism phenotype: Plays into idea of a 'male' brain and 'female' brain. Research shows that autistic lived experience stands in stark contrast to binary understanding of gender.
Frustration tolerance: Person's ability to manage and cope with feelings of frustration without becoming overwhelmed or distressed.
Gaslighting: Occurs when people invalidate ND experiencing, often leading ND people to question their own judgement, perceptions or reality.
High/low support needs: Term used to describe whether a an autistic person has high or low support needs. A more inclusive term than "high or low functioning".
Holotropic focus: Intense, immersive concentration on a specific task, interest, or experience, often leading to deep engagement and sometimes a sense of "flow."
Honesty: ND people often value honesty because it provides clear, predictable interactions, reduces misunderstandings, and aligns with their preference for authenticity and directness.
Hyper-empathy: Heightened ability to perceive and feel others' emotions, which can lead to emotional overload. May be referred to as 'emotional sponge'.
Hyperfocus: Flow state of intense, concentrated attention where a person becomes deeply absorbed in an activity or interest, possibly losing track of time and external surroundings.
Hyperlexia: A learning difference which may show itself in childhood as advanced reading beyond chronical age. Other markers include auditory processing differences.
Hyper-sensitivity: Heightened or intensified response to sensory stimuli - person may withdraw from stimuli to feel more engaged.
Hypo-sensitivity: Reduced or diminished response to sensory stimuli - person may seek stronger stimuli to feel engaged.
Impulsitivty: ND trait often associated with ADHD but is not in all ADHD profiles. Occurs due to differences in self-regulation and the need for instant stimulation or gratification.
Inclusive practices: Creating environments, systems, and interactions that respect, accommodate, and celebrate diverse ways of thinking, learning, and processing the world.
Inertia: Difficulty in starting, stopping, or switching tasks due to challenges with motivation, focus, and executive functioning.
Info-dumping: The act of sharing a large amount of detailed information with enthusiasm, often driven by a strong interest or passion.
Interest-based nervous system: ND people have an interest-based nervous system. This system is motivated by tasks based on interest, passion, fascination, wonder, and play.
Internalised Ableism: The experience of absorbing the opinions and viewpoints of an ableist society and then potentially gaslighting one's authentic experiencing.
Interoception: The sense that lets a person know what their internal bodily feelings and emotions are. eg needing toilet/hunger/pain/thirst
Justice: ND people often have a strong sense of justice due to attunement to fairness, focus on principles over social conventions, and desire for equity in a world that can feel inconsistent or exclusionary.
Literal thinking: Trait that appears in some autistic profiles. Can be dynamic in that it may increase with stress. Contrasts with non-stereoptypical autistic thinking such as deeply existential and metaphorical.
Masking: Suppression of natural traits and behaviours, often unconsciously, to fit with social expectations and norms. May have been internalised over a long period of time
Medical model of disability: A focus on disability that looks at disability as a 'problem' that needs to be fixed.
Meltdown: Intense response to overwhelming stress or sensory input, serving as a natural way for the brain to process and release accumulated tension.
Memory differences: ND people may experience memory differences, such as enhanced recall of specific details or challenges with working memory.
Minority stress: Excess stress experienced by marginalised people as a result of the mismatch between the world which exists and their experiences within it.
Misophonia: Strong emotional reaction (e.g. anger, anxiety, distress) triggered by specific sounds, often repetitive or everyday noises like chewing, breathing, or tapping
Monotropism: Monotropic minds tend to have their attention pulled more strongly towards a smaller number of interests at any given time, leaving fewer resources for other processes.
Neuroaffirmative: Approach that respects, validates, and supports neurodivergent identities and experiences, reducing stigma, and challenging neuronormative biases.
Neurocosmopolitan: The idea of embracing and valuing diverse neurological perspectives and experiences, recognising the richness and complexity that all people bring to society. Savarese, Walker et al. 2014, 2021
Neurodivergent: A person whose neurocognitive functioning diverges from dominant societal norms, either in one way or in multiple ways e.g. autistic, dyslexic & epileptic.
Neurodiversity: The diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.
Neurodiversity paradigm: A view on neurodiversity which focuses on the principle that human brain wiring includes natural variations and not deficits needing a cure. Also the fact that "normal" is a cultural construct.
Neurokindred: Group of individuals whose neurological makeup differs from the dominant or majority population.
Neurominority: Group of individuals whose neurological makeup differs from the dominant or majority population.
Neuronormative: Refers to societal norms that define certain cognitive and neurological processes as "normal," "desirable," and "preferable," marginalising nonconforming individuals.
Neurospicy: Phrase used by people who want to express that their neurological makeup differs from the dominant or majority population.
Neurotype: How a person's neurotype interacts with their other identities (like race, gender, or class) to create unique lived experiences and challenges.
Neurotypical: A neurotype that falls within the dominant societal standards of 'normal'. Neurotypical is the opposite of neurodivergent.
Neuroqueer: Refers to subverting neuronormative expectations by embracing and expressing one's neurodivergence authentically. Walker 2021
Novelty: ADHD brains may seek novelty because it naturally stimulates dopamine release, which enhances motivation, focus, and engagement.
Object permanence: Phrase informally used by ADHDers to explain the phenomenon of 'out of sight out of mind' that happens with objects and people. Piaget 1957
On the spectrum: Conversational phrase to describe an autistic person. The phrase is used as a euphemism and can be used in a a derogatory way which makes it a problematic label.
Othered: Process of perceiving or treating someone as different, inferior, or outside the norm, often leading to marginalisation or exclusion.
Pain differences: ND people may experience pain differently due to variations in sensory processing, interoception and neurological pathways. i.e. being hyper or hypo sensitive to pain.
PDA: Pathological Demand Avoidance. Intense drive for autonomy and heightened sensitivity to demands that threaten that autonomy. Also known as Pervasive Drive for Autonomy
Peer-reviewed: Self-recognition as neurodivergent validated by insights and experiences shared with neurodivergent peers.
Penguin pebbling: The act of giving small, meaningful gifts as a way of expressing care and affection. May be a form of love language of neurodivergent people.
Perfectionism: ND perfectionism may be driven by a heightened attention to detail, a need for predictability or the feeling of shame resulting from 'getting it wrong' compared to neurotypical standards.
People-pleasing: A trait often seen in ND people, born out of being shamed for not living up to neuronormative expectations.
Person-first language: Reflects the view that the humanity of an individual should be given precedence before their disability or condition i.e. "person with autism".
PMDD: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - severe form of PMS that causes extreme mood swings, irritability, and physical symptoms. Often co-occurs with neurodivergent profiles.
Polytropism: The concept that NT brains transition more easily between states of attention but are less able than autistic minds to focus at depth.
Prioritising: Process of prioritising may be challenging due to differences in executive functioning, motivation, and organising tasks.
Procrastination: A symptom that appears when an ND person is struggling to do a task that is not aligned with their interest-based nervous system.
Processing differences: Variations in how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to sensory, cognitive, social, or emotional information.
Proprioception: The sense that lets a person know where their body is in space and time in relation to objects.
Rabbit-holing: Verb used to describe the natural force of monotropic hyperfocus. Also used as a noun such as "I've been in a rabbit hole all morning".
Reciprocity: Back-and-forth exchange of words, gestures, emotional cues in conversation. Different neurotypes do reciprocity in different ways.
Relaxation differences: Differences in how ND individuals experience and achieve relaxation, especially compared to neuronormative expectations.
Romantification of the future: Propensity for predicting that a future event will be 'just fine' - often due to basing one's decision on one's current energy state and possibly also a sprinkle of time blindness.
RSD: Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria. Term to describe experience of intense emotional pain or distress in response to perceived rejection or criticism. Often linked to ADHD.
Rule following: Some ND profiles have a propensity for structure, consistency, and predictability, often providing a sense of security and clarity in navigating social or environmental expectations.
Rumination: Repeated and unproductive dwelling on a particular theme – for example, replaying a past event or thinking over and over about one's emotions.
Routine & structure: Routine and structure minimises the number of unexpected variables, freeing up mental energy for other activities for autistic body-minds.
Scripting: Creating scripts and rehearsing interactions in order to minimise perceptions of awkwardness or social misalignment.
Self-advocacy: Ability to understand and communicate one's own needs, rights, and accommodations.
Sensory overload: An intense experience where the brain is trying to process an overwhelming amount of sensory input.
Sensory tools: Objects or devices designed to help people regulate their sensory experiences and manage sensory input.
Shutdown: Temporary state of withdrawal or reduced functioning, triggered by overwhelming stress or sensory input, allowing the individual to conserve energy and recover.
Situational mutism: Temporary inability to speak in specific situations or environments due to anxiety or overwhelm, despite being able to speak in other contexts.
Small talk: ND people often dislike small talk because it can feel superficial, draining, and disconnected from meaningful, direct communication.
Social communication disorder: Diagnostic term describing persistent difficulties with verbal and non-verbal social communication that affects social interactions and relationships.
Social differences: Variations in how people perceive, interpret, and engage in social interactions, communication, and relationships, influenced by factors such as neurodivergence.
Social glue: Some ND people navigate social situations by having a sociable friend or partner who acts as social glue eg. being more talkative or helping with introductions to new people.
Social hangover: Phrase used by ND people to express the physical and mental exhaustion experienced after prolonged social interaction.
Solitary time: ND people may often find solitary time helpful for recharging, while neurotypical people may recharge more effectively through social interaction.
Special interest: Intense and passionate focus on a particular topic or activity, often bringing joy, fulfilment, and a deep sense of expertise.
Spoon theory: Metaphor used to explain limited amount of energy a person has to manage daily tasks, Each spoon is a life energy unit with fluctuating availability.
Strengths-based approach: Approach that nurtures a person's unique ways of operating in the world rather than trying to "fix" or eliminate differences from neurotypical norms.
Supercrip: Stereoptype of a disabled person who is able to 'overcome' their disability and accomplish an impressive task e.g. autism as a 'superpower'.
Thin Slice Judgements: Quick, often subconscious assessments made based on limited information or brief interactions, where people form impressions in just a few seconds. (Sasson, N., Faso, D., Nugent, J. et al. 2017)
Time blindness: Phrase used often in the context of ADHD to refer to the difficulty in perceiving, managing, or tracking the passage of time. Also occurs when a person is in a monotropic state of flow. Barkley. 1997
Visual demands: While some ND people can filter out visual demands completely, other ND profiles are deeply affected by visual demands, leading to energy drain and dysregulation.
Weird: Term often used to describe behaviour or traits that deviate from social norms. Implies a judgment or lack of acceptance of natural differences in people.
Expand your mind with an even bigger glossary!!
If you would like to expand your vocabulary more, Stimpunks has an even more comprehensive and detailed glossary of definitions. Their website is a mine of rich and inspiring information.
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