Category: Glossary

  • 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. Most of these are genetic but sometimes you can be the only person in your family who has them.

    Acquired differences can develop over time or appear suddenly after something traumatic, and they can be conditions like tourettes, mental health conditions like OCD or bipolar disorder, and traumatic brain injuries. Some of these you can recover from, and others can be life-long.

    Neurodivergence is an umbrella term, but it’s also a label and an identity for people with all different types of atypical brains, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis or self-identify as neurodivergent.

    A brief history

    Kassiane Asasumasu is an autistic activist who fights for autism awareness and acceptance. She coined several terms around neurodiversity, including the word neurodivergence.

    She wanted the term neurodivergence to be inclusive of all atypical brains; it’s not just people with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, ADHD and dyslexia. This meant that more neurodivergent people could advocate for themselves and find communities of people like them.

    Neurodivergent communities are all unique and culturally-rich. We have a long history of oppression, but we also have a long history of excellence in activism, academics, art and much more.

    Example in a sentence

    “I’ve been reading a bit about neurodivergence. My friend is autistic and I think I might be too.”

  • 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. 

    Low-functioning autism is often used for autistic people who also have a co-occurring intellectual disability, and/or who need a greater level of support throughout their life.

    We do not use functioning labels at Autistic Youth Hub. We believe they are an overly-simplistic way to categorise autistic people, and perpetuate the harmful idea that it is wrong to look, act and be autistic.

    We use the term support needs instead.

    A brief history

    Functioning labels were created by researchers in the 80s, but they are not officially recognised medical terms, despite widespread usage.

    The concept of “high-functioning autism” has links to the term Asperger’s Syndrome, named after Hans Asperger, who was a nazi accomplice and eugenicist. This history has tainted the terms for many people.

    Many researchers, doctors and autistic activists have described functioning labels as outdated, inaccurate in describing autistic people and offensive to the autistic community. Support needs or access needs is generally a preferred term by autistic people.

    Example in a sentence

    “I used to describe myself as high-functioning, but now I say I have low support needs.”

  • 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 play at all ages into adulthood. For adults, it might look like two friends on a sofa, one watching a video and the other reading a book, each doing their own thing while sharing the same space.

  • 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 they are doing, others like talking about unrelated topics whilst they work, and some people don’t need to talk and prefer to body-double in silence – just knowing someone else is there helps anchor them to the task at hand.

    We’ve got both silent and talking voice chat channels in our Discord server.

  • 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 — experiencing the world with both autistic depth and ADHD intensity.

    AuDHD is not a diagnosis in itself and many AuDHD’ers will only have one diagnosis (autism or ADHD) or none at all. In the UK, you could not get a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD before 2018 so most people won’t be diagnosed with both. Clinicians were often taught that autism and ADHD couldn’t co-occur, so if you were diagnosed with one, the other was ruled out.

    In 2018, the NICE guidelines were updated to support dual-diagnosis and professional training was updated to reflect this and by 2020/21 it was supposed to be routine, common practice that both conditions can occur in one person and it is possible to get a dual-diagnosis.

  • 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 — language that recognises difference, not disorder.

    It’s not a disease to be cured or a puzzle to be solved. It’s a patterned difference in attention, perception, and regulation that shapes how a person experiences the world — sometimes wonderfully, sometimes with challenges, often both at once.

    What it’s like (themes, not tick boxes)

    • Attention & interest: deep-focus, interest-led minds (often described through monotropism). Rich detail, pattern-spotting, sustained flow; harder task-switching when pulled away.
    • Sensing & regulating: sensory input (light, sound, texture, smell, movement, interoception) can be intense or muted. Regulation takes energy; overwhelm is about nervous systems, not “behaviour.”
    • Communication & reciprocity: differences in pace, tone of voice, body language, literal or precise language, and preferred communication channels (speech, text, AAC). The double empathy problem reminds us that misunderstandings are two-way — about mismatched norms, not a lack of empathy.
    • Movement & timing: stims (repetitive movement/sound) support regulation and joy. Planning/starting/shifting (executive function) can vary day-to-day.
    • Predictability & change: clarity, rhythm, and negotiated change support safety and thriving.

    Autistic people span every culture, class, gender, and life stage. Support needs vary across contexts and time; they don’t map to intelligence, worth, or potential.

    Myths we’re done with

    • “Autism = lack of empathy.” No. Empathy shows up differently; context and overload matter.
    • “High/low-functioning.” Harmful shorthand. Talk about support needs and access instead.
    • “Everyone’s a little autistic.” Minimising. Many share traits; autism is a distinct neurotype.

    Language notes

    Many of us prefer identity-first language (“autistic person”) and talk about support needs rather than functioning labels. Masking is common; unmasking (voluntary or forced by burnout) can be freeing and also bring grief — identity work takes time, safety, and community.

    Co-occurrence (common, not compulsory)

    ADHD/AuDHD, dyspraxia (DCD), dyslexia/dyscalculia, tic conditions, anxiety, OCD traits, chronic pain/fatigue, GI differences, and more. These shape daily life and support planning.

    What helps (principles for practice)

    • Assume competence. Offer information in clear, concrete ways; don’t gatekeep.
    • Design for access from the start. Sensory-aware spaces, flexible formats, alternative communication, written + visual instructions, quiet rooms, pacing.
    • Choice, agency, predictability. Advance info, negotiated change, collaborative problem-solving.
    • Regulation is real. Honour stimming, movement breaks, noise reduction, body-doubling.
    • Relational safety. Co-regulation, low-pressure socialising, parallel play, consent around touch/time.
    • Strengths + scaffolds. Interest-based pathways, clear roles, chunked tasks, external memory (lists/timers), gentle transitions.

    Culture, identity, and rights

    Autism is also culture: shared language, humour, art, stims, special interests, online and offline community. The disability rights and neurodiversity movements centre “Nothing About Us Without Us,” pushing beyond “awareness” to access, acceptance, and structural change — education, work, healthcare, housing, and public life built for many minds, not one norm.

    A brief history (very brief)

    Early clinical framings pathologised difference. Autistic people and allies reframed it: the social model of disabilitypointed to barriers in society; the neurodiversity movement (coined in the late 1990s) named natural brain diversity and argued for rights, dignity, and redesign. Today’s best practice is co-produced: autistic-led research, policy, and services.

    Bottom line

    Autism isn’t a deficit list. It’s a way of being that can deliver fierce focus, honesty, creativity, pattern-sense, and care — when environments stop demanding a mask and start offering access, respect, and room to breathe.