ADHD: ADHD is a neurotype that affects attention regulation, impulse control, and activity levels. It influences how individuals engage with their environment, process information, and focus. ADHD is lifelong and presents differently in each person, with both strengths and challenges.

ADHD Coach: A professional who supports individuals with ADHD in navigating challenges and achieving personal and professional goals, particularly in organisation, motivation, and executive function.

Anxiety: A neurodivergent experience involving heightened worry, fear, or unease. It often co-occurs with ADHD but is distinct. ADHD-related differences, such as sensory sensitivity or time perception, can contribute to feelings of anxiety in certain situations.

Autism: Autism is a neurotype that affects communication, sensory processing, and interaction. It influences how individuals experience and engage with the world. Autism is lifelong and presents uniquely in each person, with both strengths and challenges.

Bipolar: A neurotype characterised by fluctuations in mood, energy, and activity levels. It can co-occur with ADHD, but they are distinct neurotypes, each influencing emotional regulation and cognitive patterns in different ways.

Co-occurring Differences: When an individual experiences two or more neurodevelopmental or health-related differences at the same time. ADHD commonly coexists with anxiety, dyslexia, or other neurotypes.

Depression: A neurodivergent experience involving persistent low mood, energy shifts, and changes in motivation. It can co-occur with ADHD, and differences in emotional regulation or executive function may influence how it is experienced.

Dopamine: A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in motivation, attention, and reward processing. In ADHD, dopamine pathways function differently, influencing how the brain responds to stimulation and motivation.

DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual): A diagnostic manual used in clinical settings to classify neurotypes and mental health traits.

Dyscalculia: A neurotype that affects numerical processing, making traditional methods of learning and working with numbers less intuitive. Individuals with dyscalculia may develop alternative strategies for mathematical reasoning and problem-solving.

Dysgraphia: A neurotype that influences writing processes, including handwriting, spelling, and organising thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia may benefit from different approaches to written communication and expression.

Dyslexia: A neurotype that affects reading, spelling, and writing by influencing how the brain processes written language. Dyslexic individuals often develop strong problem-solving skills and alternative learning strategies.

Dyspraxia: A neurotype that affects motor coordination, influencing movement, balance, fine motor skills, and sometimes speech. People with dyspraxia often develop creative ways to navigate physical tasks and daily activities.

Executive Function: A set of cognitive processes that support planning, organisation, and flexible thinking. These skills include working memory, self-monitoring, and time management. Executive function differences are common in ADHD and influence how individuals approach tasks and structure their environment.

Hyperactivity: Hyperactivity: A high level of movement and energy, commonly associated with ADHD. Individuals who experience hyperactivity may engage in frequent motion, fidgeting, or spontaneous actions. This can manifest as restlessness, enthusiasm, or creative energy, depending on the situation.

Hyperfocus: Hyperfocus: A state of intense concentration on an activity, interest, or task, sometimes to the exclusion of other responsibilities. It can be a strength in areas of passion or deep interest.

Impulsivity: Acting quickly without always considering long-term outcomes. Impulsivity can foster spontaneity and creativity but may also present challenges in structured environments.

Inattention: A difference in attention regulation, where focus shifts based on interest, stimulation, or environmental factors. Individuals with inattention may struggle with tasks that do not engage them but can maintain deep focus in areas of interest.

Neurobehavioral: Relating to how brain function influences behaviour, emotions, and cognition. This term is often used in discussions about neurodivergent experiences such as ADHD and autism.

Neuroinclusive: Creating environments that embrace and support individuals with diverse neurotypes—such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. Neuroinclusive spaces are designed to remove unnecessary barriers, ensuring all neurotypes can participate, thrive, and contribute meaningfully.

Neurologist & Neuropsychologist: A medical professional specialising in brain function and neurological differences.

Neurominority: A group of individuals whose cognitive processing, learning styles, or sensory experiences differ from the societal majority. This includes people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurotypes. Neurominorities navigate a world primarily designed for neurotypical experiences, which can create barriers but also drive the need for greater accessibility and inclusion.

Neuropsychologist: A psychologist specialising in how the brain and nervous system affect behaviour and cognition, often administering tests to identify brain function challenges.

Neurotransmitter: A chemical messenger in the brain that transmits impulses between nerve cells. Examples include dopamine and noradrenaline.

Neurotypical (NT): Describes individuals whose cognitive processing, learning styles, and sensory experiences align with societal expectations. Neurotypicality is often contrasted with neurodivergence but is simply one way of experiencing the world

Neurodiverse: Describes a group or environment that includes individuals with a range of neurotypes, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and neurotypicality. A neurodiverse workplace, school, or community reflects the natural variation in how people think, learn, and process information.

Neurodivergent & Neurodivergence: Neurodivergent refers to individuals whose cognitive processing, learning styles, or sensory experiences differ from societal expectations. It is not a medical term but a community identity describing people whose minds work differently. Neurodivergence is the state of being neurodivergent. Other related terms include neurodistinct, neurominority, and neurospicy.

Noradrenaline: A neurotransmitter important for various brain and body functions, often reduced in ADHD.

Obsessive Compulsive (OCD): A neurotype characterised by recurring thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or rituals (compulsions). ADHD and OCD are distinct but can co-occur, with OCD often linked to patterns of intrusive thoughts, while ADHD influences attention, impulse regulation, and activity levels.

Occupational Therapist: A licensed healthcare professional providing therapy focused on daily living and work skills, including for those with ADHD.

Oppositional Defiant (ODD): A neurotype associated with strong-willed behaviour, emotional sensitivity, and resistance to authority. It can co-occur with ADHD, particularly in childhood, and is shaped by environment, communication styles, and emotional regulation.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC): The outer front part of the frontal lobe in the brain involved in attention, behaviour, judgement, and emotion.

Psychiatrist: A medical doctor specialising in mental health and neurodivergence, providing support for individuals with different neurotypes.

Psychoeducation: Providing education and information to individuals receiving mental health services and their families.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by perceived rejection or criticism.

Stimulant & Non-Stimulant Medication: Medications that support focus, impulse regulation, and attention by influencing neurotransmitter activity in the brain.

Time Blindness: A difference in perceiving the passage of time or estimating time for tasks, often associated with ADHD. This can affect planning and time management but may also allow for deep focus in the moment.

Titration: The process of adjusting medication dosage to find the most effective level with the fewest side effects. In the UK, this process is typically managed by a nurse or prescribing clinician.

Working Memory: The brain’s system for temporarily storing and processing information needed for tasks like reasoning, comprehension, and learning, often referring to very short-term memory.

*Our terms and definitions are not a clinical definition, rather an attempt to clarify what we mean when using them. Other definitions are definitely available.

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