The NeuroDiversAtSea Dictionary.

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A
ADA
See “The Americans with Disabilities Act”.
ADD
An initialism of “Attention Deficit Disorder”.
ADHD
An initialism of “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”.
ASC
An initialism of “Autism Spectrum Condition”.
ASD
An initialism of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
ASQ
An initialism of “Autism Spectrum Quotient”.
ASRS
An initialism of “Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale”.
Ableism
Discrimination against people with disabilities or differences.
(Noun)
Ableist
Something which discriminates against those who are disabled or have differences.
(Noun)
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale
A screening tool for ADHD. (Noun)
Allist
Someone who isn’t Autistic.
(Noun)
Asperger’s
See “Asperger’s syndrome”.
(Noun)
Aspergers syndrome
Once considered to be a milder form of Autism, the diagnosis has now been merged into the wider Autism spectrum.
(Noun)
Aspie
A colloquial nickname for someone who has Asperger’s Syndrome, sometimes considered to be derogatory.
Attention Deficit Disorder
Now superseeded by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the term was in common use until 1987. It was superseeded due to a change in medical thinking. [Retired] (Noun)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A lifelong condition that causes hyperactivity, difficulty focusing, or both, depending on the condition. (Noun)
Autism Spectrum Condition
An alternative to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Often used by the community to help move away from the negative stigma associated with the word disorder. See “Autism Spectrum Disorder”.
(Noun)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A life long condition which effects how people interact and communicate with others and the wider world.
(Noun)
Autism Spectrum Quotient
One of the three main screening tools used to identify Autistic individuals. (Noun)
Autist
An Autistic person. Sometimes used as an insult or derogatory context.
(Noun)
B
C
CAT-Q
An initialism of “Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire”.
Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire
A screening tool which focuses on how an autistic individual uses camoflaging or “masking” techniques. (Noun)
Co-morbidity
When someone has more than one condition. (Noun)
Cognition
The process of learning or acquring knowledge. (Noun)
D
DCD
An initalism of “Developmental co-ordination disorder”.
DEI
An initialism of “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”.
DSM-5
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Published by the American Psychiatric Association, used as a diagnostic tool.
(Noun)
Developmental co-ordination disorder
See “Dyspraxia”. (Noun)
Diversity
A group of people who because of their differences, e.g culture, sexual orientation, Neurodivergent condition etc, have a wide variety of lived experiences. (Noun)
Dyscalculia
A lifelong specific learning difference that effects the ability to process numbers. (Noun)
Dysgraphia
A lifelong specific learning difference that effects fine motor control – the ability to make small, precise movements – that often impacts handwriting.
(Noun)
Dyslexia
A lifelong specific learning difference that effects how letters and words are processed. (Noun)
Dyspraxia
A lifelong specific learning difference that effects both fine and gross motor skills – the ability to make accurate large and small movements. (Noun)
E
Echolalia
Repeating words spoken by somoene else, without any meaning. Sometimes used a stim. (Noun)
Equality
To give everyone the same tools, resources and support, regardless of actual need.
(Noun)
Equality Act, 2010
In the UK, the Equality Act, 2010, is the law which aims to ensure everyone has equal opportunities to flourish. (Noun)
Equity
To tailor resources, support and tools for individuals, recognising that we’re all different and therefore have different needs. (Noun)
Executive function
Mental proccesses that allow us to function in day-to-day life. Includes planning, ability to multitask, prioritise, and remember instructions. (Noun)
F
Fidget toy
See “Stim toy”. (Noun)
G
H
Hyperlexia
Someone is Hyperlexic when they’re able to read or write at a level that is far higher than their peers, particularly in childhood.
(Noun)
Hypersensitivity
A higher than average sensitivity to sensory input, which may make sounds, touch, tastes etc. feel stronger or more pronounced.
(Noun)
Hyposensitivity
A lower than average sensitivity to sensory input, which may make sounds, touch, tastes etc. feel weak or less pronounced.
(Noun)
I
ICD-11
International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision, published by the world health organisation (WHO). Used as a diagnostic tool. (Noun)
Identity first language
Languages that recognises someones disability or difference as a key part of their identity. It is often preferred by the community. Exmaples include “an autistic person”, “a deaf person” or “a blind person”. (Noun)
Implicit Bias
See “unconscious bias”.
(Noun)
Inclusion
The act of providing indscriminate access to oppurtunities within a particular setting, such as a workplace or group. (Noun)
J
K
L
Learning difficulties
An outdated term, see “Specific learning differences”. (Noun)
M
Masking
The act of projecting a persona to appear more normal or “Neurotypical”, often due to social or workplace pressure. Similar to how an actor plays a part on stage. Often draining and difficult to maintain for extended periods. Commonly performed by autistic people. (Adjective)
Meltdown
A meltdown is can be caused by the situation being too overwhelming, or too much sensory input. It’s often misinterpreted as a tantrum or being very short and blunt.
(Noun)
N
N@S
NeurodiversAtSea.org – Us!
(Noun)
ND
An initialism of “Neurodivergent”.
NT
An initialism of “Neurotypical”.
Neuroatypical
Someone who has a neurodivergent condition. (Noun)
Neurodivergent
People who learn, behave, or process things differently from what society considers to be “typical”. (Noun)
Neurodiverse
Typically used to describe neurodivergent people (E.g “The neurodiverse community”), describes how everyone has different brains, that work differently. (Adjective)
Neurodiversity
The natural differences in cognitive function from one person to the next, which means that no two people have the same strengths and weaknesses. (Noun)
Neuronormative
To privilege, or focus on, the neurotypical at the expense of the neurodivergent. For example, ignoring a neurodivergent individuals communication preferences as it’s “just easier to call”. (Adjective)
Neurotype
The type of brain someone has, either “Neurotypical” or “Neurodivergent”/”Neuroatypical”. (Noun)
Neurotypical
Someone who doesn’t have a neurodivergent condition. (Noun)
O
OCD
An initialism of “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Repetitive thoughts or behaviours that can’t be consciously controlled. Someone can be born with it, or develop it later in life as a result of anxiety.
(Noun)
P
Palilalia
The delayed, involuntary repetition of a word or phrase. (Noun)
Person-first language
Language that seeks to put the person before their diagnosis. Common in medical communities, but it is often strongly disliked by the community as it doesn’t recongise how their condition has shaped their identity or their worth. Examples include “Someone who has autism” or “Someone who has diabetes”. (Noun)
Psychometric test
A common sifting tool used in recruitment to assess someones IQ or other traits. They have been shown to unfairly disadvantage the neurodivergent community and frequently exclude neurodivergent talent. (Noun)
Q
R
RAADS–R
An initialism of “The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R)”.
Reasonable adjustment
In UK law, a reasonable adjustment is a change or modification to policy, proceedure or environment which allows someone with a disability perform at their best. (Noun)
S
Savant
Someone who is extremely talented in a particular skill, like maths or art. (Noun)
Sensory input
Any input that the body’s sensory system receives. Inputs may include sights, sounds, textures, tastes, vibrations and temperatures. (Noun)
Sensory overload
When the body’s sensory system receives too much or too many input(s) and becomes overwhelmed with the amount of data it’s trying to process. (Noun)
Sensory system
The organs and nerves the body uses to sense what’s going on in the world around it. This includes the eyes, skin, ears, nose, tongue and tastebuds. (Noun)
Shutdown
Appearing silent, removed or distant, or in some cases unable to communicate, because the situation or sensory input is too overwhelming.
Occasionally effects Autistic individuals.
(Noun).
SpLD
An initialism of “Specific learning differences”.
Special interest
A passion. (Noun)
Specific Learning differences
Sometimes called “Specific Learning difficulties”, a group of conditions which mean people learn differently. Includes Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia. (Noun)
Splinter skill
A skill which may not be useful in life, but is extremely useful in specific contexts. Being extremely good at mental mathematics, language, memory recall are all examples of splinter skills.
(Noun).
Stim
A repetitive action or movement. They’re often relaxing or enjoyable, but can sometimes be used to help provide a constant, predictable, sensory input. (Noun)
Stim toy
An object used to stim, usually where it’s not acceptable to stim otherwise. They can be anything from a fidget cube to a pen to a piece to clothing that has a particular texture. (Noun)
Stimming
The act of performing a stim. (Adjective)
T
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Also referred to as “ADA”, a US act of congress which outlaws discrimination based on disability. (Noun)
The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R)
A screening tool used to identify Autistic individuals. (Noun)
Triad of impairments
The three main areas that Autism commonly effects;
-Social communication,
-Social interaction,
-Social imagination.
(Noun)
U
Unconscious Bias
A bias towards/against something – An object, colour, group of people, etc, that we make automatically without any thought.
(Noun)
V
W
Weighted blanket
A blanket which is specially weighted, usually with glass beads, which helps provide a constant, predictable sensory input. (Noun)
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Y
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