Commonly Used terms & Definitions

A group of symptoms believed to be caused by slight abnormalities in the brain. These symptoms include a developmentally inappropriate lack of ability to attend (such as difficulty with listening to and following directions), impulsivity, distractibility, clumsiness and hyperactivity. ADHD occurs in as many as three percent of children, with onset prior to four years of age in about 50 percent of cases.

AuDHD is an unofficial but popular term used to describe individuals who are both autistic and ADHD. This means that an AuDHD has been self/formally diagnosed with autism and ADHD because they have characteristics of both conditions 

Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects functioning of the brain, autism and its associated behaviors occur in approximately one in every 68 children. Autistic people usually experience autism at its core as differences in thinking, perception, and movement.” Amanda Baggs, autistic adult

Burnout is distinct from typical occupational burnout. Paulina Treanor describes that it represents not just exhaustion, but “erasure of one’s needs, identity, and capacity to fully engage with life.” It can present as increased sensory sensitivity, social withdrawal, irritability, anxiety, and disconnection from self and environment. Rather than being caused by workplace stress, neurodivergent burnout arises from the ongoing internal labor of trying to fit into a system not designed for neurodivergent people. 

Neurodivergence means having a ‘neurocognitive’ experience (to do with how information is processed by the brain) that ‘diverges’ from (is different to) what is considered typical. Neurodivergent people experience and react to the world differently to 'neurotypical’ people. The neurodivergences most often talked about are autism and ADHD. Some descriptions of neurodivergence also include” learning disabilities, learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia), Tourette’s syndrome, epilepsy, mental health problems (anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorders), developmental conditions, and brain injury.

Neurodiversity is a way of saying that human brains are different to each other. This is a biological fact. No two brains (or nervous systems) are the same. Neurodiversity includes every single human being. Like biodiversity describes all like on Earth, neurodiversity describes the diversity of all human brains (and nervous systems). There is no single definition of neurodiversity.

To understand the word, it can be broken into two parts: Neuro: refers to the nervous system, i.e. the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Diversity: refers to variations or differences within a group.

A person who is ‘neurodivergent’ has a brain that ‘diverges’ from (is different to) the ‘typical’ brain. Someone who is not neurodivergent is often referred to as ‘neurotypical’.

Also known as camouflaging, refers to intentionally behaving in ways that present as neurotypical in places or relationships that do not feel safe to be authentically neurodivergent. Masking is not specific to autism or ADHD. Many people feel the need to cover aspects of neuro-developmental, medical, and mental/behavioral health diagnoses. Importantly, masking can be draining and exhausting. As social work professionals, it's important to acknowledge masking, ask about it and make space to talk about it, and provide spaces where masking isn't necessary.

RSD is extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short—failing to meet their own high standards or others’ expectations. 

Stimming refers to a behavior pattern of repetitive movements or sounds used for regulation. Stimming is often categorized as problematic but should be acknowledged for being an adaptive coping strategy. It can reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation, and provide needed sensory input. Importantly, many people stim in some way, even if they are not neurodivergent.