Youth Hub Team
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Neurodivergent
Neurodivergent is a word that describes all brains that think, learn and communicate differently to what is typical or make up the majority of people. See Neurodivergence for the noun counterpart. Neurodivergent is a descriptor, but it’s also an identity for people with all different types of atypical brains, regardless of whether they were born
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Neurodivergence
Neurodivergence is a broad term that includes all brains that think, learn and communicate differently to what is typical or make up the majority of people. You can be born with these differences or sometimes people acquire them later in life. Differences you are born with are things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and learning disabilities.
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Functioning (high and low)
High- and low-functioning are labels used to describe autistic people and their capability, based on their intelligence (estimated IQ), social skills and level of support needed to achieve independence. High-functioning autism is often characterised by average or above-average intelligence, the ability to mask in social or professional situations, and little support needed for everyday activities.
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Parallel Play
Parallel play describes when young children play side by side – for example, one with playdough and the other with building blocks – separately but together. Each child plays independently while being aware of, and sometimes acknowledging, the other. It’s often described as a stage children eventually grow out of. Many autistic people enjoy parallel
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Body Doubling
Body doubling means having another person with you – in person or online – while you work on a task. They don’t have to be doing anything, their presence alone can help you start, focus, and finish. It’s commonly helpful for people with ADHD. Some people find it works better if they talk about what
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AuDHD
AuDHD is a shorthand term for people who are both autistic and have ADHD/ADD. The two conditions can overlap and interact in complex ways — for example, combining deep focus and hyperfixation with distractibility or impulsivity. Many AuDHD people describe feeling pulled between opposing traits: craving structure yet resisting routine, needing stimulation yet tiring easily
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Autism (ASD/ASC)
Autism is a neurotype — a valid, lifelong way a brain senses, processes, moves, learns, relates, and makes meaning. Clinically, it’s often diagnosed under the label Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a term used in medical and diagnostic settings that frames autism through a deficit-based lens. Within the autistic community, Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or simply autism is generally preferred —