This page is a collection of resources and/or glossary terms of important topics in the Neurodivergent narrative. The page’s aim is to collate the vast knowledge and resources in the Neurodiversity community for easy access. Thus, this page will be a forever work-in-progress, so be sure to check back regularly for updates.

As you are on Aucademy’s website, ‘Autistic Experience’ and ‘Neurodiversity’ are essential topics to research and will help with any other topic you are interested in.

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Content warning: contains definitions/descriptions and links to resources discussing ableism, trauma, abuse, behaviourism, eugenics, and more

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W

A

ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis)

Applied behaviour analysis is an intervention used to ‘treat’ Autistic people, based on behaviourism. It seeks to analyse and alter Autistic behaviour deemed subjectively in need of changing, through rewards and/or punishment. The Autistic community is highly against its use, as seen in these resources, as it is inaccurate and harmful. See also PBS (positive behaviour support).

Articles/blogs

videos

Ableism

Ableism is the discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities such as Autistic people. This can include using derogatory language, refusing to provide accommodations, ignoring the voices of disabled people, and much more. See also prejudice, and stigma.

Articles/blogs

books

Abbreviations & Acronyms

There are many abbreviations and acronyms within the Neurodiversity community and paradigm which can make the literature and discourse daunting at first. Luckily our own Northern Autie has compiled a list for easy access.

Tools

Academia

Academia is the “environment or community concerned with the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship” (Oxford languages, 2022). As the experience of Autistic and other Neurodivergent people has been historically defined by Neurotypical research, there is growing criticism and revision of Neurodivergent studies. Neurodivergent people are also increasingly entering academia, contributing to this discourse and encountering academic ableism. See also ableism, research, universities, and education.

Articles/Blogs

books

Tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

training/courses

Videos

AAC (Augmentative & Non-Typical Communication)

Augmentative & Non-typical (also known as alternative, but it is only alternative to Neurotypicals) Communication is a range of tools used to communicate without mouth words (using your mouth to speak). For example, letter or picture boards, chat boxes, Makaton, and Vocas. See also situational mutism.

Tools

  • Makaton (content warning: uses person first language, deficit model, and includes misinformation of Autistic experience)
  • Talking Mats
  • Widget (content warning: some mentions of functioning language etc)
  • BoardMaker 7

videos

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to the “quality or characteristic of something that makes it possible to approach, enter, or use it” (Cambridge dictionary, 2022). This is important for disabled people as many areas of life are not accessible, from education to employment and leisure activities to healthcare. See also reasonable adjustments, education, and employment.

articles/blogs

organisations/charities

  • Enna – Our mission is to help neurodivergent job-seekers find meaningful employment with inclusive employers. We want to support these employers to attract, recruit and integrate neurodivergent talent
  • All Brains Belong VT – NEUROINCLUSIVE HEALTHCARE & COMMUNITY

Tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

Training/courses

Videos

Acquired Neurodivergence

Acquired neurodivergence’s typically refer to those that result from traumatic events, multiple traumatic instances, and/or living in a disordered society, e.g., psychosis; post traumatic stress; depression; etc. See also Neurodiversity and neurodivergent.

Books

Addiction

“There is a significant overlap between Autistic people and substance users, albeit largely unacknowledged. This has a distinct relationship with the extensive trauma we have already mentioned; when the environment is incompatible with our wellbeing, we look for ways to numb the discomfort. Substances can make it easier to mask in environments where we feel unsafe, and give a sense of community by allowing us to feel like we finally fit in somewhere in society.” – David Gray-Hammond (Emergent Divergent) and Katie Munday. See also trauma, ,masking, and shielding.

Articles/blogs

Videos

ADHD (Attention Differences)

ADHD is known as ‘attention deficit hyperactive disorder’ by the medical community, however those who experience ADHD prefer the abbreviated term or ‘attention differences’ to avoid the harmful pathologizing of the words ‘deficit’ and ‘disorder’. It is a type of Neurodivergence categorised by cognitive/physical hyperactivity, intrusive thoughts, and impulsivity, which is the root of the ‘attention differences’ observed by others.

Videos

Advocacy

Advocating for yourself or others is at the centre of our lives as Neurodivergent people. It can be exciting and validating but also tiring and triggering. Here are some resources on the importance of advocacy and useful tools.

articles/blogs

Books

Tools

Training/courses

Videos

Alexithymia

Alexithymia is the difficulty experienced by some in identifying, describing, and expressing emotions. It is a common experience in the Autistic and Neurodivergent community, likely due to its link to childhood trauma often experienced by Neurodivergent people. See also Autistic experience, emotions, empathy, trauma, victimisation, and gaslighting.

Articles/blogs

Tools

Allistic

An allistic person is a non-Autistic person that are otherwise Neurodivergent (for example, ADHD) or Neurotypical. See also Neurodiversity, acquired neurodivergence, and Neurotypical.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a common experience within the Autistic and Neurodivergent community due to living in a largely inaccessible world. Many are even diagnosis with various anxiety ‘disorders’ before discovering they are Neurodivergent, or struggle to find the correct help due to a lack of understanding of the anxiety experienced specifically by Neurodivergent people. See also therapy, wellbeing, mental health, trauma, exposure anxiety, and stimming.

Articles/blogs

Tools

videos

Aphantasia

Aphantasia is the inability to think in pictures which contributes to how a person experiences the world. A person who experiences this is known as an aphant. See also hyperphantasia and profile building.

Articles/blogs

videos

April: Autistic Acceptance Month

Also known as ‘Autistic awareness month’, the Autistic community prefer ‘acceptance’ as it better represents that being Autistic should be positively accepted and celebrated as part of human Neurodiversity. The month can be difficult and triggering for many Autistics as uninformed people and organisations spread harmful narratives. Thus there is the growing trend by the community, claiming August as Autistic acceptance/pride month instead. See also Infinity symbol, functioning language, identity-first language, pop culture, and Autistic experience.

articles/blogs

Videos

Art/Artists

Destroying the stereotype of a ‘lack in imagination’, the Autistic and Neurodivergent community are full of extraordinary artists that depict the vibrant Neurodivergent experience as well as all realms of art.

Social Groups

Social Media

videos

Assistant/support Animals

Animals are often vital in the well-being of Neurodivergent lives, but many of us also have specifically trained animal friends to help support throughout the day. This can include reducing anxiety by having a companion and relaxation techniques, alerting us of heart rate changes and stress, and intervening self-harm.

Auditory Processing Differences

Auditory processing is our ability to process audible information. Some experience differences in their auditory processing, such as it taking longer for the information to process. This creates challenges in a Neurotypical society that does not always take into account auditory processing differences, such as phone calls, following instructions, and ‘paying attention’. See also profile building.

Autistic Experience (autism)

Autistic experience is simply the experiences of Autistic people; identifiable from our shared experiences of the sensory world, communication, thinking, socialising, and movement that differs from non-Autistic people. Encouraging understanding of Autistic experience is one of the main goals of Aucademy. See also Allistic, Neurotypical, sensory experience, Autistic language hypothesis, Monotropism, and pretty much everything else.

books

Training/courses

Videos

Autistic Language Hypothesis

To further explain the double empathy problem, Rachel Cullen has devised a theory that Autistic people speak a different language to non-Autistic people. This further disproves that Autistic communication and socialisation is ‘deficit’ or a ‘disorder’, it is simply different, as well as explaining Autistic need for literal language. See also Double empathy problem.

Training/courses

Videos

Autistic-led (#nothing about us without us)

Autistic-led is the idea that communities, research, representation, and training aimed to or about Autistic people should be led by Autistic people. This employs Autistic people and benefits the community as a whole. This is also true for other minority groups that face misconceptions and prejudice/stigma, including other Neurotypes. See also Double Empathy problem, research, pop culture, and community.

articles/blogs

Social Groups

videos

Autistic Pride

Autistic pride is to celebrate our Autistic identity and Autistic people in general. There is a specific day in June, but we believe Autistic pride should be celebrated all year round.

Support Group

Videos

Autonomy

Autonomy should be the true aim of disabled people and those that wish to aid us, not independence. “The concept of independence is a myth. No-one is independent – we all rely on another human being or beings in some capacity, some of us more so than others. It is not independence that we should be striving for (unless the goal is to live in the woods, making our own clothes and foraging for our own food). What we as Autistic people need is autonomy” (Dr Chloe Farahar). Autonomy includes reasonable adjustments and support by others so that we can live our lives how we want like Neurotypicals do, not be made or encouraged to live like Neurotypicals. See also, reasonable adjustments and boundaries.

B

Bipolar

Many Autistic people, particularly those assigned female at birth, have been misidentified as bipolar, due to the Autistic cyclical pattern of spending energy and then burnout. This is not to say an Autistic person cannot be both Autistic and bipolar, but it has been documented that people have been misidentified.

Blind

Blind Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people have different experiences and obstacles by being part of two disability groups.

Blogs

There are hundreds of Neurodivergent blogs by Neurodivergent people. As a place to express yourself freely, blogs are a fantastic space to learn about Neurodivergent experience and explore discussions in the community, whether you wonder if you are Neurodivergent or are interested in the topic. However, as the community grows so does the list of blogs, but here are some Aucademy particularly recommends:

Books

These include books by Autistic and/or otherwise Neurodivergent people in all genres and topics, including their experiences. Some are expensive, so make sure to check/ask your local library as well. Also check out the ‘That Au-some Book Club‘ for a no pressure book club about the Autistic experience.

Academic

Autistic Experience

Crucial reads

For Adults

For caregivers/Educators/Employers

For Children

For Parents

For teens

History

Intersectionality

LGBTQIA+

Mental health & wellbeing

Neurodiversity paradigm/narrative

Boundaries

Boundary building is important for everyone, but can be especially crucial yet difficult for Neurodivergent people. Boundaries are also part of a model of self-advocacy, which includes: 1) learning your (your neurodivergent person’s) profile; 2) communicating that profile (not necessarily with mouth words); 3) asserting boundaries and needs.

For example: 1) You learn you are tactile averse, and not everyone experiences touch the same way as you; 2) you communicate this profile, “Hello I am tactile averse”; 3) and assert your boundaries, “I do not shake hands, have a wave instead”. See also advocacy and profile building.

articles/blogs

tools

Videos

Borderline personality ‘disorder’

“BPD” or “emotionally unstable personality” is better understood as someone who has experienced trauma. Many Neurodivergent people experience trauma thus causing BPD to be a common diagnosis in the community, however Neurodivergent people are often misdiagnosed due to lack of understanding of our experiences and/or the treatment does not take Neurodiversity into account which can make it ineffective or even harmful. See also trauma, therapy, wellbeing, and mental health.

Boycott Spectrum 10k

Spectrum 10k is a UK study aiming to collect the genetic information of 10,000 Autistic people for a study into co-occurring conditions. This has raised many red flags for the Autistic community; from the people involved, to issues over consent, and to fears of eugenics. See also eugenics, academia, advocacy, and research.

Articles/blogs

Social Media

Videos

Burnout

Burnout is the mental and/or physical shutdown experienced by a person due to extreme overwhelm, making it hard to do daily tasks let alone anything else. Neurodivergent people experience burnout often due to sensory overwhelm, anxiety, and masking, to name a few. See also masking, anxiety, shutdown, and sensory experience.

Articles/blogs

Videos

Articles/Blogs

Tools

C

Caregivers

Caregivers are those that help care for Neurodivergent people. This can include Neurodivergent people and Neurotypical people in the forms of parents, family, friends, and professionals. When caring for someone it is important to understand their needs, in this instance Neurodiversity and their specific profile. See also Neurodiversity, sensory experience, Autistic language hypothesis, double empathy problem, people with a learning disability/learning disabled, profile building, checklists, education, teaching, parenting, and reasonable adjustments.

articles/blogs

Books

Social Groups

supporrt groups

tools

Training/courses

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

CBT is a common therapy that aims to help your well-being by changing the way you think and behave. However, many Neurodivergent people can find the therapy useless or even harmful as it does not take into account the person’s Neurotype and thus different experiences of mental health and wellbeing. “There tends to be the finding that anxiety is not significantly reduced, likely since our anxiety is based on reality (e.g. the sensory environment is anxiety inducing; people may in reality treat us badly for being different), not faulty thinking (e.g. “irrational fear of noises”; “people we do not know probably do like us really” (Chloe Farahar). See also, mental health, wellbeing, and Autistic experience.

articles/blogs

training/courses

Checklists

Due to the negativity and pathologizing in the official checklists used by the medical model, many Neurodivergent people have created their own checklists to help others identify their Neurotype and build their profile in line with the communities ethos and experiences.

Children/Young people

These are resources specifically aimed at children and/or young people to understand Neurodiversity, whether their own Neurotype or others. See also parenting, teachers, and caregivers.

Books

social groups

Support groups

Training/courses

videos

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is experienced by many Neurodivergent people for a multitude of reasons. See also EDS, IBS, and pain.

Co-occurring

Autistic people are often Neurodivergent in other ways or experience certain health conditions. Here is a list of possible co-occurring Neurodiversity and health conditions that you can find further resources for on this page or elsewhere. You may see some people call these ‘co-morbidities’ but this is pathologising, thus we use co-occurring. See also profile building.

Videos

Comedy

Believe it or not Autistic people are actually funny, who knew! (Yes, that was sarcasm). Many Neurodivergent people enjoy or perform comedy, and even discuss the idea that we have our own humour. See also art/artists.

videos

Community

Neurodivergent communities, like the Autistic community, are growing every day. The benefits of these communities for individual mental health and wellbeing as well as for society are being increasingly recognised, as well as research into how to create Autistic and/or Neurodivergent spaces. If there’s not a local community near you, have a look online or think about creating your own. See also Autistic-led.

articles/blogs

videos

Crime

Sadly Neurodivergent people are more likely to be victims of crime or be categorised as a criminal just for being Neurodivergent. See also victimisation, justice system, and trauma.

Articles/blogs

Books

videos

Cultural relativity

A massive issue with the medical model of disability is that it ignores cultural relativity. Something only becomes a disability when a society values something that ignores how others brains and/or bodies work, putting them at a disadvantage. The experiences of Autistic people and otherwise Neurodivergent people thus differ according to their culture. See also difference or disability (not disorder).

videos

D

Deaf

Deaf Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people have different experiences and obstacles by being part of two disability groups.

Social Media

Depression

Depression is not only highly experienced by Neurodivergent people from feelings of loneliness and self-hate, but it is difficult to get the right help as our Neurotype and experiences are not considered. Autistic burnout is often misdiagnosed as depression, so be sure to check out our resources on burnout to understand the differences and thus what might help. See also community, mental health, therapy, relationships, and wellbeing.

Articles/Blogs

Diagnosis/Discovery

Whether diagnosed as an adult or child, or self-identify after years of searching, realising you are Autistic or otherwise Neurodivergent is a journey for everyone. Aucademy members speacalise in post discovery/diagnosis support and believe it should be offered to all. See also Autistic-led, profile building, and community.

Articles/Blogs

videos

Difference & Disability (Not Disorder)

The term ‘disorder’ is an incorrect social construct that pathologises experiences that differ from the Neuromajority into ‘deficits’ and ‘illnesses’. In reality, these experiences such as being Autistic are simply differences, part of the diversity in the human race. However, due to society valuing certain Neurotypes over others, we become disadvantage as our differences are not accommodated or accepted. Therefore, we are not ‘disordered’ but need support and adjustments due to societies structure. See also Neurodiversity, Neurotypicals/Neuromajority, reasonable adjustments, and Autistic experience.

Articles/blogs

training/courses

Dissociate

To dissociate is to feel disconnected from yourself and/or the world around you. It is a response to overwhelm, stress, and/or trauma as a protective mechanism, hence many Autistic and/or otherwise Neurodivergent people experience dissociation.

Double Empathy Problem

Damian Milton developed the Double empathy problem which has revolutionised our understanding of Autistic empathy and communication. It highlights that the perceived ‘lack of empathy’ is actually between Neurotypes, such as between Neurotypicals and Autistics and vice versa; it is not an inherent flaw of any Neurotype but a clash of cultures and experiences. See also Autistic experience and the Autistic language hypothesis.

articles/blogs

books

training/courses

videos

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a type of Neurodivergence where the person experiences differences in learning and comprehending numbers, creating challenges in todays culture and Neurotypical society. See also, differences & disability (not disorder), and Neurodiversity.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a type of Neurodivergence where the person experiences differences in the physical practice of writing and/or translating thoughts into writing, creating challenges in todays culture and Neurotypical society. See also, differences & disability (not disorder), and Neurodiversity.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a type of Neurodiversity where the person experiences differences in reading and spelling, creating challenges in todays culture and Neurotypical society. See also, differences & disability (not disorder), and Neurodiversity.

Articles/blogs

Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a type of Neurodivergence where the person experiences differences in coordination, creating challenges in todays culture and Neurotypical society. See also, differences & disability (not disorder), and Neurodiversity.

E

Eating ‘disorders’

An Eating ‘disorder’ is a type of acquired Neurodivergence as well as often experienced by Neurodivergent people. Recent research has found a correlation with Autistic people which has been linked with our need for routines to cope in a overwhelming world and differences in interoception. Thus, like any other therapy or support, any treatment should be informed by the persons Neurotype as the basis of the eating ‘disorder’ and what will help is likely different compared to people where the eating ‘disorder’ is the only Neurodivergence. See also therapy, wellbeing, mental health, and interoception.

articles/blogs

videos

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

EDS is a group of conditions affecting the connecting tissue often experienced by Neurodivergent people. This includes hypermobile/unstable/painful joints, loose/stretchy skin, fatigue, bruising, gut issues, dizziness, and more. See also co-occurring, pain, and IBS.

videos

Education

These are resources for and about Neurodivergent people in education, including recommended adjustments, how to make a Neurodivergent friendly space for learning, and why/how to educate others on Neurodiversity. See also university, teachers, professionals and SEND.

articles/blogs

support groups

tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

Training/Courses

videos

Emotions

Emotions are psychological states in response to stimuli/events, that include subjective, physiological, and behavioral elements. Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people often experience emotions differently due to our different bodyminds and experiences in society and culture. See also alexithymia.

Empathy

Empathy is the process of understanding and sharing another persons feelings, often by putting yourself in the other persons situation. This has long been misunderstood when discussing the Autistic experience with professionals claiming Autistic people ‘lack empathy’. This is entirely untrue, which the community has long known but it is now also being supported by recent studies. See also the Double Empathy Problem, alexithymia, and Hyper-empathy.

articles/blogs

videos

Employment

Employment is tricky for many Neurodivergent people due to the lack of accessibility. This contributes to poor mental health as well as troubles with income. Here are resources to help Neurodivergent people find employment and advocate for themselfs in the workplace, as well as for employers on how to make their workplace Neurodivergent friendly. See also reasonable adjustments and accessibility.

Articles/blogs

books

organisations/charities

  • Enna – Our mission is to help neurodivergent job-seekers find meaningful employment with inclusive employers. We want to support these employers to attract, recruit and integrate neurodivergent talent

Support Groups

tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

Training/courses

Videos

Eugenics

You may think eugenics is a thing of the past but sadly it is a reality Neurodivergent people still face. Eugenics is the study of how to arrange a populations reproduction to increase the rate of desirable traits and thus decrease others. The narrative that Autistic people are ‘disordered’ contributes to this philosophy, especially any person/organisation that seeks for ‘cures’ and ‘treatments’. Due to the very real fear of eugenics many Neurodivergent people are against any form of genetic research to identify what makes us Neurodivergent in fear that it could be used by the wrong people to screen pregnancies and reduce Neurodiversity in the population. See also, Boycott Spectrum 10K, history, ABA, PBS, genetics, difference or disability (not disorder) and Neurodiversity.

Executive Functioning

Executive functioning is a group of mental capacities that monitor and control our behaviour, such as our working memory, multitasking, and time management. Neurodivergent people experience differences in executive functioning, creating obstacles in day-to-day life in a society that expects us to work a certain way such as meeting deadlines and perform tasks in a certain way.

videos

Exposure Anxiety

Exposure anxiety is the anxiety caused by feeling exposed to others. For example, this can include the belief that everyone can hear your thoughts, that everyone is looking at you and talking about you – waiting for you to make a mistake and laugh at you. It has been closely linked to social anxiety and situational mutism, and commonly experienced by Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people.

Aucademy

F

Fatigue

Fatigue is a feeling of constant tiredness or weakness that can be physical, mental, or a combination of both. It is often experienced by Neurodivergent people with links to burnout, EDS, POTS, and other co-occurring conditions. See also burnout, EDS, POTS, fibromyalgia, and co-occurring.

Fibromyalgia (FMS)

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes chronic pain and tiredness, often experience by neurodivergent people. See also co-occurring.

Food/diet

Food is a common topic around Neurodiversity as we often have different dietary needs and food experiences. For example, our sensory profile might make some foods painful and energy consuming so we (rightfully) avoid them, and other foods are ‘safe’ (not painfull or energy consuming) so we eat them repetitively. Additionally, common conditions like IBS need a specific diet, lower interoception could mean we do not feel hunger so forget to eat, monotropic Autistic minds and/or hyper ADHD minds may also forget to eat, and cooking can be too energy consuming and/or demanding. See also sensory experience, interoception, ADHD, monotropism, spoon theory, PDA, Neurodiversity, co-occurring, IBS, and difference & disability (not disorder).

Functioning Language (sub-typing)

Functioning language, such as high-functioning and low-functioning, have been traditionally used to describe Autistic people with its roots in eugenics and pathology, causing widespread harm and misunderstanding. Instead, the community uses ‘level of support’ needed to indicate the individual needs of Autistic people. See also, language, the spectrum/spikey profile, Neurodiversity, difference and disability (not disorder), and history.

Articles/blogs

G

Gaming

From video games to tabletops and cards, gaming is a dedicated interest for many Autistic people and a useful tool for Neurodivergent wellbeing.

articles/blogs

Social Groups

videos

Gaslighting

Gaslighting is when someone makes you question your reality, which is unfortunately a common experience for Neurodivergent people where Neurotypicals deny or condemn our reality, including our sensory, emotional, communication, movement, and social experiences. See also Neurodiversity, Autistic experience, difference and disability (not disorder), and profile building.

Gender Identity

Autistic people have a high correlation with the LGBTQIA+ community, including transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer. See also intersectionality, LGBTQIA+, and sexuality.

articles/blogs

Books

training/courses

Social Groups

Videos

Genetics

Current studies show that being Autistic and other Neurodivergence’s have a genetic element and thus are hereditary – if you know someone in your family is Neurodivergent then it is likely others are as well, whether they know it or not. However, there is a danger with genetic research with the very real fear of eugenics being a consequence. Thus, the community is generally against investigation into the genetic ’causes’ of Neurodiversity, as this adds nothing to our wellbeing except the dread, despair, and anxiety that it could be used against us. See also eugenics, and Boycott Spectrum 10K.

H

Healthcare

Healthcare concerns the organised provision of medical care to a community such as hospitals, mental health services, and general practitioners. Just like anyone else, Neurodivergent people need treatment and care from injuries to illnesses and mental health, yet the difference in our neurology and even physiology is often ignored or not understood. Healthcare can thus be difficult to navigate.

Importantly, Autistic medical practitioners, like Mel Houser at All Brains Belong VT, are recognising that Autistic people are more likely to have “all the things”, meaning we have multiple health issues under-recognised by neurotypical professionals. For example, medical professionals are taught that Ehlers Danlos syndrome/s are very rare, and that they will rarely come across anyone with the connective tissue issue, but in the Autistic community it is not rare at all – it’s more rare if we don’t have EDS.

To learn about “all the things” we may experience as health concerns see Mel Houser’s resources:

Aucademy-All-the-Things-Mel-Houser-10.5.2227392Download

See also, reasonable adjustments, pain, profile building, co-occurring, wellbeing, and mental health, and zebras.

Articles/blogs

Organisations/Charities

Support Groups

training/courses

Videos

History

Like most research areas, the history of Neurodiversity is relatively new and full of misconceptions and outdated, harmful narratives, or overshadowed by the important but depressing links to eugenics, the study of ‘disorders’, and white male savants. However, like any minority group, our history is an important part of our culture and identity, especially as more positive and inclusive narratives appear as the movement grows.

books

Hyper-focus/Monotropic flow

Hyper-focus is often experienced by Autistic and ADHD people, where we become highly focused on one task or topic. It can also be very distressing for our ‘flow’ to be interrupted or stopped, hence the observed behaviour of needing to complete things as well as inertia. See also monotropism, infodumping, inertia, and ADHD.

Hyper-empathy

Hyper-empathy is experienced by many Neurodivergent people, including Autistic people, where we feel others emotions so deeply that they become our own. See also empathy and emotions.

articles/blogs

Videos

Hyperphant/Hyperphantasia

A hyperphant is someone who thinks in pictures vividly, which contributes to their experience of the world such as in learning and mental health. See also aphant/aphantasia.

articles/blogs

videos

Hypo/Hyper

Hypo and hyper are common terms used in the Neurodivergent community. Hypo in this context means ‘less than’ the Neuromajority. For example, some Autistic people may be Hypo-sensitive to pain, which means they are less sensitive than what is typically expected of a person. Hyper means ‘more than’ the Neuromajority. For example, another Autistic might be Hyper-sensitive to pain, which means they are more sensitive than what would be typically expected of a person. Being Hypo or Hyper does not mean something is wrong with how you process things, it is just different to Neurotypical societies conception. Unfortunately, this does cause issues as our experiences are gaslighted, ignored, or treated as a disorder – making us disabled in society. See also, sensory experience, Neurodiversity, Neurotypical/Neuromajority, and difference and disability (not disorder).

I

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

IBS is commonly experienced by Neurodivergent people, with links to genetics and stress, where the person experiences periods of stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and/or constipation. See also co-occurring.

Identity-First Language

Identity-first language is the preferred language of the Autistic community and increasingly other Neurodivergent communities as well. We put our identity first instead of person first, i.e. I am an Autistic person, not a person with autism. This is because ‘autism’ is integral to who we are, it cannot be separated. ‘With autism’ is also associated with pathology as it seeks to distance the person from something seen as negative, which is incorrect. See also language.

Articles/blogs

Surveys

Inertia

Inertia is staying in the same state. Autistic people often experience inertia where it takes a long time to change form one state to another, such as transitioning place and/or task.

Infantalisation

Infantalisation means to treat someone like a child or in a way that denies their maturity and experience/expertise. This is unfortunately a common experience for Neurodivergent people as many interpret our differences as lack of competence and/or credibility. See also ableism.

Infinity Symbol (Not Puzzle Piece)

The infinity symbol (specifically gold for Autistics and rainbow for Neurodiversity) is the chosen symbol by the community. Historically, the puzzle piece has been used but many in the community find this symbol harmful due to its history and implications.

articles/blogs

Infodumping/monologuing

Autistic people are known to infodump or monologue, which is where the person provides a stream-of-consciousness of explanation or exposition. This is often about a special/dedicated interest but can also be about anything, such as answering the question “how was your day?” to make sure the question is fully answered. Autistic communication often involves taking turns monologuing rather than to and fro sentences/thoughts. See also, special/dedicated interests, monotropism, Autistic experience, and Autistic language hypothesis.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality describes the interconnected nature of social categories such as race, class, and gender that applies to an individual group. The Neurodivergent community is incredibly interconnected to other social and cultural categories that need to be understood and applied in the wider narrative. See also people of colour, LGBTQIA+, Women, cultural relativity, and co-occurring.

articles/blogs

books

training/courses

videos

Interoception

Interoception is how our brains represent and understand the sensations from our body, such as hunger, thirst, or needing the toilet. Neurodivergent people can have a different experience of interoception to others, including being hyper or hypo to certain bodily sensations.

articles/blogs

J

Justice System

Neurodivergent people are often victims of crime and/or encounter obstacles navigating the justice system due to misconceptions and inaccessibility.

articles/blogs

videos

L

Language

Language is highly important to the Neurodivergent community, from functioning labels to identity-first language. Here are some sources to help understand why language is so important. See also identity-first language, functioning labels, and the Autistic language hypothesis.

Tools

Training/courses

videos

Learning disabilities/ People with learning disabilities

Learning disabilities is a broad term that covers an array of experiences and Neurodivergence. It is a common myth that being Autistic is a learning disability and/or you must have a learning disability to be Autistic. This is not true as many people with learning disabilities are Autistic and many are not, as well as there being many Autistic people that do not have a learning disability. Those with a learning disability and are Autistic face further obstacles due to incorrect information around the Autistic experience and Neurodiversity. Person-first language is used here as it is the preferred language of the community, unlike the Autistic community. See also Autistic experience, caregivers, and functioning language.

Late Discovery/Diagnosis

More and more people are discovering they are Autistic or otherwise Neurodivergent later in life with the rise in Autistic voices and information.

Articles/blogs

Videos

Legal Documents

Here are a list of important legal documents to understand the rights of Neurodivergent people and our current situation in legal society. Many of these documents use language we do not endorse and could be triggering. These are mainly UK based as Aucademy is UK based.

LGBTQIA+

There is a high intersectionality in the Neurodivergent community with the LGBTQIA+ community. Thus Neurodivergent LGBTQIA+ experience is an important topic. See also gender identity, sexuality, and intersectionality.

Articles/blogs

Books

Social Groups

training/courses

Videos

M

Masking

Masking is commonly used to refer to when Autistic people consciously or subconsciously hide their Autistic self by acting Neurotypical. A harmful misconception is that Autistic people are trying to trick others, but masking is a safety strategy in a society that harms or ridicules us for being Autistic. However, masking can lead to Autistic burnout, meltdown, shutdown, and other mental health issues. ‘Camouflaging’ is a term you may have heard used as well, but this is seen as outdated by the community for its negative connotations.

CHECKLIST

  • Kieran Rose/the Autistic Advocate’s guide to masking with examples:
Kieran-Rose-Masking-indicatorsDownload

articles/blogs

videos

training

Meltdown

A meltdown is a response to overwhelm which differs from a shutdown as the distress is externally expressed, such as sobbing, shouting/screaming, and through movement like hitting, kicking, and erratic pacing. Although it may be distressing to witness, it is not ok to restrain someone. Instead focus on reducing/changing the cause of the meltdown and finding non-harmful outlets for meltdowns.

Mental Health

Mental health is the social and emotional well-being of an individual. Neurodivergent people often face obstacles in their mental health due to the stigma, misconceptions, and victimisation of our experiences in society, which can also put us at a disadvantage when seeking help. See also wellbeing, therapy, depression, anxiety, victimisation, and trauma.

Articles/blogs

Training/courses

Videos

Minority Group

If Neurodiversity is not a ‘disorder’ or ‘deficit’ then what is it? Why do we need reasonable adjustments etc? To answer that question, there is the growing consensus that Neurodivergent people should be reframed as a cultural minority group. See also difference & disability (not disorder), and cultural relativity.

Monotropism

Monotropism is the theory, developed by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson, that Autistic people have monotropic minds. “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. We argue that this can explain nearly all of the features commonly associated with autism, directly or indirectly” (Monotropism.org). See also sensory experience, special/dedicated interests, hyper-focus, infodumping, and Autistic experience.

Articles/blogs

training/courses

videos

Mouth Words

Mouth words is a term used to describe words spoken from the mouth. For example, a situationally mute person may not use mouth words but still use other words to communicate such as writing/typing or using sign/gestures. See also situational mutism, language and AAC.

N

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is the concept that humanity is made up of a diverse range of minds, none superior or inferior – just different. Neurodiversity should be accepted and celebrated as part of humanity.

articles/blogs

Books

videos

Neurodivergent

Neurodivergent people are those whose Neurotype diverges from what society believes and treats as ‘normal’, aka Neurotypicalism. We are thus a minority group that are disabled due to the lack of accessibility in society and culture. Being Neurodivergent includes being Autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc. There is also acquired Neurodiversity which is slightly different. See also acquired Neurodiversity, Neurodiversity, Neurotypical/Neuromajority, accessibility, and difference & disability (not disorder).

Neurotypical/Neuromajority

Neurotypicals (also known as NTs) are the Neuromajority, which means they are the Neurotype that are seen and treated as ‘the normal’ in society, hence the world is created on their accessibility. Thus, Neurodivergent people (also known as NDs) are the minority (this does not mean in quantity but in power/place in society). See also Neurodiversity, accessibility, minority group, and difference & disability (not disorder).

Neuroqueer

“Neuroqueer… is the idea that individuals who do not to conform to neurotypical standards are neurologically queer, further queering their bodyminds. Queerness begets more queerness. Not everyone who is Neurodivergent neuroqueers, but everyone who neuroqueers is Neurodivergent.” – David Gray-Hammond (Emergent Divergent)

Articles/blogs

books

  • Neuroqueer Heresis – Nick Walker

videos

O

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive ‘Disorder’)

OCD is a type of acquired Neurodivergence defined by the person experiencing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. Although Autistic people do experience OCD, our sensory profile is often misdiagnosed as OCD which can cause harm, especially when receiving therapy like CBT. See also acquired Neurodiversity, co-occurring, Autistic experience, and CBT.

articles/blogs

Organisations/charities

These are organisations and/or charities that are Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent affirming.

Overwhelm/Overload

Overwhelm/Overload is when we are so saturated by sensory information we can no longer process any more, often leading to either meltdown, shutdown, and/or burnout. See also sensory experience.

articles/blogs

P

Pain

Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people often experience pain differently than Neurotypicals, such as being hypo or hyper sensitive, creating obstacles when seeking healthcare that does not understand our experiences. See also healthcare.

Parenting

These resources are specifically for Autistic and non-Autistic parents of Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people. See also children/young people.

articles/blogs

books

Support groups

Training/courses

videos

Pathology/Pathologising

Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of diseases, and thus to pathologise something is to regard or treat something as a disease. The Autistic experience and Neurodiversity as a whole has been historically pathologised and sadly still is today, despite the consensus that it is simply part of Neurodiversity. See also, difference & disability (not disorder), eugenics, and history.

Training/courses

PBS (Positive Behaviour Support)

Positive Behaviour Support is the British version of ABA with the goal of altering Autistic behaviour through rewards. The Autistic community is against its use due to its basis in behaviourism, pathology, and misconceptions of Autistic experience.

videos

PDA (‘Pathological’ Demand Avoidance)

Demand avoidance is the anxiety-driven need for autonomy. The community rejects the ‘pathological’ part of the name because it is pathologising – no surprise there. See also co-occurring and profile building.

articles/blogs

Organisations/charities

Support Groups

Training/courses

videos

People of Colour

The Neurodivergent community includes people of all colours but those within minority communities face further stigma and prejudice in society, the medical model, and even in the Neurodivergent community. See also intersectionality.

Articles/blogs

videos

Personification

To personify is to give inanimate objects and/or animals human attributes such as feelings, emotions, and personalities. This is a common experience for Autistic people, whether in childhood or adulthood. It is a common experience/observation that Autistic people will bring home inanimate objects like sticks and stones because they feel the objects loneliness, for example.

Plurality (‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’)

Plurality (DID) is a type of Neurodivergence where the person has multiple, distinct personalities, sometimes referring to themselfes as a ‘system’ and in the plural sense i.e. ‘we’.

videos

Pop Culture

Pop culture is the popular activities, trends, beliefs, and media that dominate at a specific time. The Autistic experience has had its own developments in pop culture which continues to grow and change.

articles/blogs

videos

PoTS (Postural Tachycardia syndrome)

Postural tachycardia syndrome is an autonomic nervous system issue with similar indicators to and often co-occur with EDS. See also EDS.

Prejudice

Prejudice is the unfair and unfounded favour or disfavour towards particular groups of people, such as based on gender, sexuality, or race. Neurodivergent people also experience prejudice due to misconceptions in society around Neurodiversity and the double empathy problem.

videos

Professionals

Here is a list of useful resources for professionals who work with Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people, such as Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Medical services, and education. See also education, healthcare, therapy, and teachers/teaching.

Articles/blogs

Support Groups

tools

training/courses

Profile Building

Aucademy believes profile building (developing an understanding of your Neuro-profile) is important for everyone, especially Neurodivergent people trying to understand themselves better or help others understand them. This can include a broad view of your Neurotype such as whether you are Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic etc, to your specific needs such as what sensory stimuli you are hyper or hypo sensitive to. Also see checklists, sensory experience, and co-occurring.

Tool

Training/courses

Proprioception

Proprioception is the perception of the movement and position of your body in space. Neurodivergent people may have a different experience of proprioception. See also, interoception and sensory experience (exteroception).

articles/blogs

Prosopasigna

Prosopasigna is a type of Neurodivergence where the person has difficulty recognising peoples faces, even if they are a friend or family member. Also sometimes known as ‘face-blindness’. See also co-occurring.

articles/blogs

Psychosis (‘Schizophrenia’)

Psychosis is a type of Neurodivergence that can be acquired (such as through trauma or anxiety) and some argue could also be innate. Any of the senses can be a hallucinatory basis, the most common being auditory (voice hearing) and physical hallucinations. Psychosis can also include delusional beliefs that others cannot share as a reality, often maintained despite contrary evidence. See also co-occurring.

Articles/blogs

videos

Puberty

Puberty can be a distressing and confusing time for everyone, but Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people experience their own difficulties when undergoing puberty, especially with the additional intersectionality with the LGBTQIA+ community. Also see children/young people, intersectionality, LGBTQIA+, gender identity, and sexuality.

books

Q

Queer

Queer is used by the LGBTQIA+ community and the Neurodivergent community to indicate our divergence from the perceived ‘normal’. See Neuroqueer.

R

Reasonable Adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are the changes you are entitled to as a disabled person for accessibility, which includes in education, employment, and other services. They are specific to your disability and circumstances, so it is good to know what reasonable adjustments might work for you. See also, profile building, accessibility, and legal documents.

Articles/blogs

organisations/charities

  • Enna – Our mission is to help neurodivergent job-seekers find meaningful employment with inclusive employers. We want to support these employers to attract, recruit and integrate neurodivergent talent

tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

videos

Relationships

Relationships, from family to friendships to romance, are often different for Neurodivergent people but are no less fulfilling or valuable.

articles/blogs

books

Videos

Research/studies

These are resources on how to properly conduct research into Neurodiversity, and research examples Aucademy supports. Also see eugenics, Neurodiversity, Autistic-led, Autistic experience, academia, and Boycott Spectrum 10k.

articles/blogs

Books

Organisations/charities

training/courses

RSD (Rejection Sensitivity ‘dysphoria’)

Rejection sensitivity is a common experience for Neurodivergent people, especially ADHDer’s. It is the experience of heightened emotions and reactions in response to rejection or perceived rejection. It is linked to past trauma around rejection. This can impact on the persons mental health, wellbeing, and relationships. See also ADHD.

articles/blogs

videos

S

SEND & EHCP

SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities) refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system. An EHCP (Education & Health Care Plan), in the UK is a document which sets out the education, health/social care needs of a child/young person that needs extra support in school (determined by law).

Support Group

videos

Sensory Experience (Exteroception)

The sensory experience is at the core of Autistic experience, which includes touch, taste, smell, hearing, sight, proprioception, and interoception. It can be useful to create your own sensory profile (or ask the Autistic person you are hoping to understand if they know theirs) to understand what stimuli can bring you joy and what stimuli causes distress, often leading to shutdown/meltdown/burnout. You are then better equipped to set boundaries with yourself and others over the environment. See also boundaries, Autistic experience, and hypo/hyper.

articles/blogs

Books

Organisations/charities

Tools

Training/courses

videos

Sexuality

The Neurodivergent community is highly correlated with the LGBTQIA+ community, including sexualities such as pansexual, gay, and asexual. However, Neurodivergent experiences of sex and sexuality can also be different to Neurotypicals.

Articles/blogs

books

Social Groups

training/courses

videos

Shielding

Autistic shielding is the conscious or unconscious choice to be authentically Autistic, creating a safe shield for your authentic self such as through boundaries and community. Shielding comes from a place of privilege so is not valid or accessible to all.

Videos

Situational Mutism (‘Selective’)

Situational mutism is when a person becomes involuntarily mute due to a specific situation, usually linked to the environment or social anxiety. A situationally mute person may still be talkative through the use of non-typical (alternative) communication, or through mouth words depending on the situation. It is a common experience in the Neurodivergent community due to the anxiety we experience from overwhelming environments and social ridicule. The community rejects the use of the word ‘selective’ as this implies choice which contributes to the harmful narrative that the person is doing it on purpose for control and/or attention.

articles/blogs

videos

Shutdown

A shutdown is when the body and mind shuts down in response to overwhelm. It differs from Burnout as it is typically shorter term due to the specific environment at the time, whereas burnout is a longer shutdown from a build-up of overwhelm, no matter the environment. During shutdown, you may lose the ability to move, speak with mouth words and/or non-typical (alternative) communication, or make decisions.

Sleep

Many Neurodivergent people have various differences and/or difficulties with sleep; from having a different Circadian rhythm, trouble falling asleep/staying asleep, vivid dreams, and nightmares and/or night terrors. Certain Neurotypes experience particular sleep differences and/or difficulties more commonly or if you are taking specific medication, so it is good to know your profile to understand your sleep experience. See also profile building and co-occurring.

Social Groups

These are Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent affirming groups with the aim of facilitating socialization – whether about our Neurodivergent experience or general life. Although you may find support in these groups they are not created or trained for this purpose, if you are looking for more support focused groups see ‘support groups’. These are predominantly online but people may arrange in-person meetings in the group.

Special/Dedicated Interests

Neurodivergent people, especially Autistic people, often have interests known as ‘special’ or ‘dedicated’ interests due to our intense knowledge and focus on them. These interests can be anything, and also form an important part of our communication style and wellbeing. Some prefer ‘dedicated interests’ due to the infantalising way ‘special’ is often used in reference to Neurodivergent people and their interests. See also Monotropism, wellbeing, and Infantalisation.

Podcasts

videos

Spikey Profile/The Spectrum

The Spectrum is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Autistic experience, which Aucademy as well as many others hopes to amend. The Spikey profile is the alternative description of the spectrum to avoid continued confusion, as it depicts someone’s spectrum changing throughout the day, week, month etc. Here are the resources to learn more, but spoiler alert; no, not everyone is ‘on the spectrum’ and the spectrum does not indicate whether you are ‘more or less Autistic’. See also Autistic experience, profile building, and functioning language.

training/courses

videos

Spoon Theory

You are likely to hear references to the spoon theory in Autistic and Neurodivergent spaces. It is a metaphor for the amount of energy (physical and mental) a person has to spend each day, where sometimes we start the day with more spoons than other days and vice versa. This helps society understand that Neurodivergent people often have less spoons (energy) to spend then Neurotypicals, or tasks can take more spoons. It also helps Neurodivergent people manage their spoons (energy) and be kinder to themselfes.

articles/blogs

Stigma

Stigma is the negative perception by society of a particular circumstance, quality, or person. Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people experience stigma frequently, such as being seen as ‘disordered’. This is further heightened by the intersectionality of the community with other stigmatised groups such as LGBTQIA+ and people of colour. See also intersectionality, LGBTQIA+, people of colour, and prejudice.

books

training/courses

Stims/Stimming

Stimming is self-regulation through stimulation which brings joy and helps regulate overwhelm. This can include repetitive movements like rocking, pacing, chewing, as well as certain sounds, images, textures etc. Although it is highly associated with Autsitic people, as we often need to regulate overwhelm due to the sensory world and constant inaccessible enviroments, it is a human experience. Everyone stims, yes even you sceptical Neurotypical as you click your pen, tap your foot, or wiggle your toes. If you don’t stim you’re not human, some are just more noticible than others, and some of us like to embrace stimming and buy a bunch of stim tools.

articles/blogs

Organisations/charities

tools

videos

Stop The Shock

Stop the shock is an ongoing campaign to stop the use of shock treatment to ‘treat’ Autistic people by punishing them for being/acting Autistic.

Suicide/Suicidal thoughts

Suicide and suicidal idealisation is a common experience amongst Autistic people due to the stigma and prejudice within society about Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent experiences that can leave us feeling lonely and with low self-worth. This is further exacerbated by the obstacles we face seeking help. See also mental health, wellbeing, victimisation, trauma, and therapy.

Articles/blogs

Support Groups

These are groups that aim to provide support for Neurodivergent people. They may also have a social aspect as part of their support, but support is their main aim. If your looking for a more social based group, then look under social groups. These are predominantly online but people may arrange in-person meetings in the group.

T

Teachers/Teaching

These are specific resources for use in teaching such as how to create a Neurodivergent friendly space and resources to offer your pupils to learn about Neurodiversity.

articles/blogs

books

tools

Training/courses

videos

Therapy

Therapy can be tricky for Neurodivergent people as even the most well-meaning therapist often has little understanding of our experiences and how this impacts our mental health and wellbeing. “Given the greater rates of mental health concerns in the Autistic community (linked statistically significantly with experiences of victimisation and trauma), when Autistic people need wellbeing support for (e.g.) depression and anxiety reduction, the therapeutic approach needs to be neurodivergent appropriate. This means the therapist and the approach must accept and embrace different modes of communication, thinking, and moving. Autistic informed therapy often needs to be trauma informed and person centred, with caveats that each Autistic person needs to communicate or supported to learn their personal profile so that the therapist knows how to adapt their practice” (Chloe Farahar). See also Autistic experience, mental health, wellbeing, professionals, and profile building.

articles/blogs

Training/courses

videos

Tourettes

Tourette’s is where the person experiences involuntary sounds and movements. See also co-occurring.

videos

Training/Courses

This is a list of recommended training and courses ranging from employment to profile building. You can also find the training/courses under their specific topic.

Trauma

Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent people often experience trauma. This trauma can be connected to our Neurodivergent experience such as prejudice, sensory trauma, and gaslighting. Trauma can also be unrelated to our Neurodivergent experience, such as sexual abuse and violence, though we are unfortunately more likely to be victims of these actions and process the event differently. Seeking help thus becomes more challenging as professionals misunderstand our experiences. See also therapy, crime, prejudice, justice system, and victimisation.

Books

videos

U

University

University’s are often separate from the education system and thus so are their attitudes to Neurodiversity and their practices. Here are resources for Universities and students to make it a Neurodiversity friendly space. See also education, accessibility, and reasonable adjustments

articles/blogs

tools

Common-environmental-challenges-potential-solutions-downloadable-tableDownload

Training/courses

V

Victimisation

Victimisation is the action of singling someone out for cruel or unjust treatment. These are resources on the victimisation of Neurodivergent people.

Articles/blogs

Books

Videos

Visual Processing Differences

Visual processing is our ability to process visual information. Some experience differences in their visual processing, such as it taking longer for the information to process. This creates challenges in a Neurotypical society that does not always take into account visual processing differences. See differences & disability (not disorder), co-occurring, profile building, and accessibility.

W

Wellbeing

Well-being is important for everyone, which includes our mental health & physical health, but what well-being is for Neurodivergent people is often different and overlooked. Here are resources on Neurodivergent wellbeing.

articles/blogs

Training/courses

videos

Women/Assigned female at birth

There is the myth that ‘autism’ (Autistic experience) is different in females when the reality is society treats women/people assigned female at birth differently. See also intersectionality.

articles/blogs

books

videos