Neurodivergent terms used across this site, explained without jargon. See an i icon on a card or quiz? That's a quick definition you can tap.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication — symbols, text, or speech apps used when speaking is hard.
Used by non-speakers, part-time speakers, or anyone in shutdown. Examples: Proloquo, LetMeTalk, Niki Talk.
Being both autistic and ADHD — overlapping and sometimes contradictory traits.
AuDHDers often need tools that flex between novelty (ADHD) and routine (autism), with low sensory load.
Working alongside someone (in person or on video) to make starting and staying with a task easier.
The other person doesn't help with the task — their presence alone reduces friction. Apps like Focusmate match you with a partner for timed sessions.
An anxiety-driven need to avoid demands — even ones you want to do. Strongest in PDA profiles of autism.
Direct instructions trigger resistance. Tools that offer choice, indirect framing, or playful structure work better than rigid to-do lists.
A learning difference that affects number sense, math, and quantity processing.
A learning difference affecting reading, spelling, and decoding written text.
A motor coordination difference affecting movement, balance, and sometimes planning. Also called DCD.
The mental skills that help you plan, start, switch, and finish tasks — often inconsistent in ND brains.
Includes task initiation, working memory, organisation, emotional regulation, and impulse control. ND-friendly tools scaffold these instead of assuming them.
A locked-in state of deep concentration — productive, but hard to enter on demand and hard to exit.
Common in ADHD and autism. Helpful with the right task, painful with the wrong one. Timers and gentle interrupters help you surface.
Hiding ND traits to fit neurotypical expectations — exhausting and linked to burnout.
Sometimes called camouflaging. Reducing masking (with safe people, scripts, or AAC) protects energy and mental health.
An involuntary release after overload — not a tantrum, not a choice. Recovery needs space and quiet.
Made by neurodivergent founders or teams, designed from lived experience rather than translated from neurotypical defaults.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria — intense emotional pain from real or perceived rejection, criticism, or failure. Common with ADHD.
RSD is a sudden, overwhelming emotional response (often shame, anger, or hopelessness) triggered by perceived rejection, criticism, or letting someone down. Tools that help: regulation apps, journalling, CBT prompts, and quick grounding exercises.
When sound, light, touch, or smell input becomes too much to process — leading to shutdown or meltdown.
Tools include noise-cancelling headphones, sensory-friendly UI, low-stim modes, and apps that warn you of busy environments.
A protective response to overload — going quiet, still, or unable to respond. Different from a meltdown.
Self-stimulating behaviour (rocking, fidgeting, humming) that helps regulate emotions and sensory input.
Healthy and useful. Fidget tools, stim toys, and movement breaks support it.
Difficulty sensing how much time has passed or how long something will take. Common with ADHD and autism.
Time feels either 'now' or 'not now'. Visual timers, time-blocking apps, and analog clocks help by making time concrete and visible.
The mental scratchpad that holds info while you use it (e.g. a phone number long enough to dial).
Often weaker in ADHD/autism. Capture tools (voice memos, sticky widgets, second-brain notes) externalise it so you don't lose the thread.
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