Youth Hub Team
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Podcast: Special Interests – part 2
In this episode, Lucifer, Zak, India, Robin and Spencer continue to explore special interests, aka spints! In part 2, India explains how needle felting works, Spencer discusses his love of stories and delves into different styles of reading, and Robin explores language, Shakespeare and different types of special interests. We also touch on collections, the
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Podcast: Special Interests – part 1
In this episode, Lucifer, Zak, India, Robin and Spencer explore special interests, aka spints! We each delve into a topic that’s meaningful to us: in part 1, Lucifer discusses crochet, starting projects and the ADHD tendency to pick up new hobbies, while Zak tells us about their love of fungi and explains why butter is
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Support Needs (Low and High)
Support needs describe the level of help someone requires in daily life. “Low support needs” means needing occasional or situational help. “High support needs” means needing consistent or intensive support. These terms are preferred over labels like “high‑functioning” or “low‑functioning,” which can be harmful. They recognise that support can fluctuate depending on environment, health, stress,
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Unmasking
Unmasking is the process of reducing or stopping masking behaviours — the learned strategies autistic people use to hide or minimise traits in order to fit into neurotypical expectations. Unmasking means allowing one’s natural communication style, movement, interests, and ways of thinking to show more fully. It can feel liberating, authentic, and healing, but also
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Access Needs / Accessibility
Access needs are the supports, adjustments, or conditions someone requires to participate fully and equally. They can be physical — like ramps, seating, lighting, or quiet spaces — or social and communication-based, such as clear instructions, flexible timing, sensory considerations, or the option to use AAC or written communication. Everyone has access needs, though they
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Dysregulation (Emotional and Sensory)
Dysregulation means difficulty managing or recovering from emotional, sensory, or physiological stress. It describes moments when the brain and body’s regulation systems become overwhelmed — making it harder to stay calm, process information, or respond in a way that feels in control. Emotional dysregulation can look like sudden mood changes, intense feelings, crying, anger, shutdown, or
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Executive Function
Executive function is the set of mental skills that help us plan, organise, start and finish tasks, shift between activities, and manage time and attention. These skills also include working memory, emotional regulation, and the ability to prioritise or make decisions. Autistic and ADHD people often experience executive function differences, meaning that everyday tasks —
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Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus refers to an intense state of concentration on a single activity, task, or subject, often to the exclusion of everything else. During hyperfocus, a person may lose track of time, overlook basic needs like eating or resting, and find it hard to switch attention. It can feel joyful and productive, bringing a sense of
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Savant
Savant is a clinical term historically used to describe people with developmental differences who show exceptional ability in a particular area, such as memory, music, art, or mathematics. While some individuals do have remarkable specialised skills, the term is controversial because it has often been used to stereotype autistic people — implying that they are
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Neurotype
Neurotype refers to the kind of brain someone has – their way of processing, learning, and experiencing the world. Autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, and neurotypical are all examples of different neurotypes. The word is often used to avoid medicalised labels and instead describe identity neutrally. A brief history The term “neurotype” became popular in autistic and