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Neurodivergence Glossary & Definitions
Use this glossary as a clear starting point for understanding neurodivergence-related language. Definitions cover autism, ADHD, AuDHD, sensory processing, executive function, communication, learning, accessibility, identity, wellbeing and everyday neurodivergent experiences.
Gentle notice
Some terms touch on burnout, masking, meltdowns, shutdowns, anxiety, rejection sensitivity or other experiences that can feel personal. You can hide sensitive terms while browsing. Use only what is useful to you.
Language, identity & evolving terms
Neurodivergence language changes over time, and people may prefer different wording. Some prefer identity-first language, some prefer person-first language, and others use community-specific terms. Respectful language begins with listening to individual preference and context.
Clinical, educational and legal meanings can differ
Some words have specific meanings in diagnostic criteria, disability law, education systems or healthcare. Those meanings may vary between New Zealand and other countries. This glossary provides educational summaries rather than personalised medical, legal or diagnostic advice.
Clear definitions
Short, readable explanations designed as a starting point rather than a rulebook.
Search & filters
Search by term, filter by category or jump to a letter.
Context & connections
Understand how related language, identity, support and accessibility concepts fit together.
Profiles & Identity
Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, neurodivergence, neurodiversity, masking, unmasking and identity language.
Communication
AAC, processing time, echolalia, communication preferences and social communication.
Sensory
Interoception, proprioception, sensory processing, sensory seeking and sensory avoidance.
Executive Function
Task initiation, working memory, hyperfocus, routines, task switching and time blindness.
Learning & Accessibility
Learning differences, adjustments, visual supports, advocacy and accessible participation.
Wellbeing & Context
Burnout, overload, shutdowns, emotional regulation and language that may have contested or changing meanings.
AAC
Augmentative and Alternative Communication: ways of communicating that supplement or replace speech, including devices, communication boards, typing, symbols or gestures.
Accommodation
A change or support that reduces a barrier and helps someone participate more equally in education, work, healthcare or everyday life.
ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a neurodevelopmental condition involving differences in attention, activity, impulse control, motivation and executive function.
Advocacy
Speaking up for needs, rights, access, safety or support, either for yourself or alongside another person.
Alexithymia
Difficulty identifying, describing or making sense of emotions or internal states.
Anxiety
A state of worry, fear or unease that can interact with uncertainty, sensory load, masking, social pressure and everyday demands.
AuDHD
A community term used by many people who are both autistic and ADHD.
Autism
A neurodevelopmental difference involving patterns in communication, sensory processing, interests, routines, social experience and ways of processing the world.
Autistic Burnout
A state of profound exhaustion and reduced capacity often linked to prolonged overload, masking, demands and insufficient recovery.
Body Doubling
Working alongside another person, in person or remotely, to make starting or staying with a task easier.
Burnout
Physical, emotional or cognitive exhaustion linked to prolonged stress, demands or insufficient recovery.
Camouflaging
Another term for masking: consciously or unconsciously hiding or changing natural behaviours to fit expected norms.
Co-occurring Condition
A condition, disability or health issue that exists alongside another condition or neurodevelopmental profile.
Co-regulation
Supportive regulation with another person, such as using calm presence, shared pacing, reassurance or environmental changes to reduce distress.
Communication Difference
A difference in how someone understands, processes or expresses language, emotion, social information or intent.
Communication Preference
An individual preference for how information is given or received, such as written instructions, direct language, extra processing time or AAC.
Demand Avoidance
Strong resistance, distress or loss of capacity when demands feel overwhelming, threatening or autonomy-reducing.
Dyscalculia
A learning difference that can affect number sense, calculation, quantity, time and mathematical processing.
Dysgraphia
A learning difference that can affect handwriting, spelling, written expression or the physical process of writing.
Dyslexia
A learning difference commonly affecting reading, spelling, decoding and aspects of language processing.
Dyspraxia / DCD
Developmental Coordination Disorder: a developmental difference affecting movement, coordination, motor planning and some everyday tasks.
Echolalia
The repetition of words, sounds or phrases, immediately or later, which may support communication, processing, regulation or enjoyment.
Emotional Regulation
The process of noticing, managing and recovering from emotional responses in ways that work for the individual.
Executive Dysfunction
Difficulty using executive-function skills even when someone understands what needs to be done.
Executive Function
Mental processes involved in starting, planning, remembering, prioritising, switching, organising and completing tasks.
Hyperfocus
Intense concentration on an activity or interest that can make it hard to notice time, switch tasks or attend to other needs.
Hyperlexia
Advanced or early reading ability that may occur alongside differences in language comprehension or social communication.
Hyperresponsivity
A heightened response to sensory input, where sounds, lights, textures, smells or other sensations may feel unusually intense.
Hyporesponsivity
A reduced response to sensory input, sometimes leading someone to seek stronger or more noticeable sensory experiences.
Identity-First Language
Language that places identity before the person, such as “autistic person,” when that is the person’s preference.
Inclusion
Creating environments where people can participate, contribute and belong without unnecessary barriers or pressure to hide their needs.
Interoception
The sense that helps a person notice internal body signals such as hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, tiredness or the need for the toilet.
Learning Difference
A difference in how a person processes, understands, remembers, organises or expresses information.
Masking
Consciously or unconsciously hiding, suppressing or changing natural behaviours to meet social expectations or avoid negative reactions.
Meltdown
An involuntary response to overwhelm that can involve intense emotional, behavioural or physical expression.
Monotropism
A theory describing a tendency for attention to become strongly focused on a smaller number of interests, tasks or channels at one time.
Neurodivergence
A broad term for neurological development or functioning that differs from dominant or typical expectations.
Neurodivergent
A descriptor used by people whose neurological development or functioning differs from dominant norms.
Neurodiversity
The natural variation in human brains, minds and nervous systems across the whole population.
Neurodiversity-Affirming
An approach that respects neurological differences and focuses on support, access and wellbeing rather than treating difference itself as something to eliminate.
Neurotypical
A term commonly used for people whose neurological development and functioning are broadly aligned with dominant expectations.
Non-Speaking
A term used by some people who do not use spoken language as their primary communication method.
Overload
A state where sensory, cognitive, emotional or social demands exceed current processing capacity.
Pathological Demand Avoidance / PDA
A contested term used by some people and professionals to describe an intense need for autonomy and avoidance of everyday demands. Usage and clinical recognition vary by country and service.
Person-First Language
Language that places the person before a condition or disability, such as “person with ADHD,” when that is the person’s preference.
Processing Time
The time a person needs to understand information, organise a response or recover from cognitive load.
Proprioception
The sense of body position, movement and force, helping a person know where their body is in space.
Reasonable Adjustment
A change intended to reduce disadvantage and improve access in work, education, services or other settings.
Rejection Sensitivity
Strong emotional distress linked to perceived criticism, rejection, disappointment or disapproval.
Routine
A repeated pattern or sequence that can reduce decision-making demands and provide predictability.
Self-Advocacy
Understanding and communicating your own needs, preferences, rights, boundaries and support requirements.
Sensory Avoidance
Reducing or escaping sensory input that feels painful, exhausting, distracting or overwhelming.
Sensory Processing
How the nervous system notices, filters, interprets and responds to sensory information.
Sensory Seeking
Actively looking for sensory input such as movement, pressure, sound, texture, touch or visual stimulation.
Shutdown
An involuntary response to overwhelm that may involve reduced speech, movement, interaction or ability to act.
Social Battery
An informal term for the amount of energy a person feels they have available for social interaction.
Social Communication
The ways people understand and express social information, including context, tone, timing, expectations and non-verbal cues.
Special Interest
A deep, focused interest that may support joy, knowledge, identity, regulation, motivation or connection.
Spoon Theory
A metaphor for limited or fluctuating energy, often used by disabled and chronically ill people to describe the cost of daily activities.
Stimming
Repetitive movement, sound or other sensory activity used for regulation, expression, focus or enjoyment.
Task Initiation
The ability to begin a task, especially when motivation, uncertainty, overwhelm or executive-function load makes starting difficult.
Task Switching
Moving attention and action from one task, context or activity to another.
Time Blindness
Difficulty sensing the passage of time, estimating duration or recognising when to transition between activities.
Unmasking
Reducing pressure to hide natural traits and exploring more authentic and sustainable ways of being.
Vestibular Sense
The sensory system involved in balance, movement, spatial orientation and awareness of head position.
Visual Support
A visual tool such as a schedule, checklist, diagram, symbol or written cue that reduces memory, language or planning demands.
Working Memory
Holding and using information in mind for a short period while completing a task or following steps.
Language changes — context matters
Some terminology is widely used in community spaces but not formally recognised in every clinical or legal system. Other words have changed meaning over time or may be preferred by some people and rejected by others. Where a term is contested, changing or context-dependent, this glossary aims to say so rather than presenting one community’s wording as universal.
Can’t find the term you were looking for?
This glossary is designed to grow. Try the wider Neurodiversity Glossary, the whole-site Glossaries & Definitions Index, or Topics A–Z. If the wording is unfamiliar or very specialist, remember that meanings can differ by service, country and professional context.
