Understanding
Neurodiversity
Exploring the natural variation in how human brains process information, communicate, and experience the world. Survivor-led · Neuro-affirming · Evidence-informed.
“The neurodivergent brain is not broken. The environments and expectations placed upon them often are.”
Types of neurodivergence
Each type of neurodivergence is a distinct neurological difference with its own profile of characteristics, strengths, and support needs. Many people experience more than one.
Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC / ASD)
Neurodevelopmental difference — lifelong
A lifelong neurodevelopmental difference characterised by variations in brain structure, connectivity, and function that affect how individuals process sensory information, communicate, navigate social situations, and experience the world. Autism exists across a spectrum — presentation varies significantly between individuals and across the lifespan. No two autistic people are the same.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Neurodevelopmental condition — three presentations
A neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in brain structure, neurochemistry, and connectivity that affect executive function, attention regulation, impulse control, and activity levels. ADHD manifests in three presentations: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined presentation.
Dyslexia
Specific learning difference — affects approximately 10% of the population
A neurological difference that primarily affects reading, writing, spelling, and sometimes speaking. Characterised by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language and are often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities.
Dyspraxia / Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Neurological condition affecting coordination, movement planning, and organisation
A neurological condition affecting physical coordination, movement planning, and organisation. Dyspraxia impacts the ability to plan and coordinate physical movements. Also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), it affects fine motor skills (writing, buttoning), gross motor skills (sports, balance), and often organisational and planning abilities.
Dyscalculia
Mathematical learning difference — affects approximately 5–7% of the population
A specific learning difference affecting mathematical understanding and number processing. Involves difficulty understanding number concepts, number relationships, and struggles with mathematical reasoning and calculation. Often called “maths dyslexia,” dyscalculia is a neurological condition affecting the areas of the brain responsible for processing numbers and mathematical concepts.
Tourette Syndrome
Neurological condition — characterised by involuntary tics
A neurological condition characterised by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalisations called tics. Tics can be motor (physical movements) or vocal (sounds or words). Tourette syndrome is widely misrepresented in media — coprolalia (involuntary swearing) affects only a minority of people with the condition. Tourette syndrome often co-occurs with ADHD and OCD.
PDA — Pathological Demand Avoidance
Autism profile — anxiety-driven avoidance of everyday demands
PDA is increasingly recognised as a distinct autism profile characterised by an anxiety-driven need to avoid everyday demands and expectations. People with PDA may appear controlling or defiant, but this is driven by high anxiety and a need to feel in control — not wilfulness. Many PDA individuals are misread as “oppositional” and incorrectly managed with consequence-based approaches, which typically make things worse.
More than one?
Many people experience more than one form of neurodivergence — such as ADHD and dyslexia, or autism and dyspraxia. Recognising these overlaps ensures that support is tailored, compassionate, and effective rather than addressing only one dimension of a person’s experience.
Autism in depth
What every parent, professional and school should understand
Autism IS
- A lifelong neurodevelopmental difference in communication, social interaction, processing, and sensory experience
- A different brain wiring — not a behaviour problem
- Highly variable: every autistic person presents differently
- A spectrum of strengths, challenges, and support needs that can change over time
Autism is NOT
- Caused by parenting, trauma, vaccines, or “attention-seeking”
- Something a child “grows out of”
- A mental illness (though mental health difficulties commonly co-occur)
- A character flaw, defiance, or a lack of empathy
Autism across the lifespan
0–5
Differences in play, communication, routines, sensory preferences, and social connection. Early identification helps, but many children — especially girls — are missed.
5–11
Masking, exhaustion, anxiety, sensory overload, shutdowns or meltdowns. Behaviour often reflects overwhelm — not misbehaviour.
11–18
Increased burnout, identity questions, social pressures, and mental health risks. Distress may be internalised and misread as compliance.
18+
Many adults thrive with predictability, autonomy, and respectful workplaces. Late diagnosis is common, particularly for women and AFAB people.
The hidden cost of masking
Masking refers to copying or suppressing autistic traits to fit in. It may be praised externally, but it carries a very high cost over time.
Signs of burnout
- Loss of skills, shutdowns, and withdrawal
- Increased anxiety or depression, and self-harm risk
- Strong need to retreat, sleep, or reduce demands
What helps
- Reduce unnecessary demands and increase recovery time
- Predictable routines and calm spaces
- Validation and safety — not pressure to mask
Underdiagnosed and overlooked
Many are underdiagnosed because diagnostic criteria were largely developed based on research with boys and men, and because masking is highly effective in girls.
- Strong people-pleasing and social scripts — makes masking highly effective
- Internalised anxiety rather than outward behaviour
- High burnout risk after years of successful masking
- Frequent misdiagnosis with depression, anxiety, BPD, or eating disorders
- Late diagnosis in adulthood is common — often prompted by a child’s diagnosis
Core principles that work
- Assume competence and remove unnecessary barriers
- Regulate first, then communicate, then problem-solve
- Prioritise predictability, structure, and choice
- Create low-demand, neuro-affirming environments
- Listen to autistic voices — including children
Co-occurring conditions
- ADHD — co-occurs in approximately 50–70% of autistic people
- Anxiety — extremely common; often the presenting difficulty
- PTSD and complex trauma — particularly from years of masking
- Dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other learning differences
- Eating difficulties and sensory eating
- Sleep problems, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal issues
Recognising neurodivergent strengths
Strengths that exist not despite neurodivergence, but often because of the unique way neurodivergent brains process information
Neurodivergent individuals often possess remarkable strengths that are valuable in personal, educational, and professional contexts. These are not consolation prizes — they are genuine cognitive advantages that emerge from neurological difference.
Pattern recognition
Enhanced ability to identify patterns, sequences, and logical systems. Valuable in mathematics, programming, engineering, and data analysis.
Creative innovation
Exceptional creativity, innovative thinking, and unconventional problem-solving approaches. Ability to see connections others miss and generate novel solutions.
Hyperfocus & expertise
Periods of intense concentration when engaged with topics of high interest, leading to remarkable productivity and deep levels of expertise.
Visual-spatial thinking
Enhanced visual-spatial abilities allowing excellence in architecture, design, engineering, and the arts. Thinking in pictures rather than words.
Attention to detail
Noticing details others overlook and maintaining high standards for accuracy and quality — invaluable in fields requiring meticulous attention.
Authentic communication
Remarkable directness and honesty in communication. Authenticity that builds trust and cuts through ambiguity in professional and personal relationships.
Holistic thinking
Ability to see “big picture” connections and think holistically about problems, bringing fresh perspectives to complex challenges.
Resilience & determination
Having navigated a world not designed for their neurological differences, neurodivergent individuals often develop exceptional resilience and determination.
Myths vs facts
Common misconceptions about neurodiversity cause real harm — they delay diagnosis, damage self-worth, and deprive people of support they deserve. Here is what the evidence actually shows.
❌ Myth
“All autistic people are savants with extraordinary abilities.”
✓ Fact
Savant-level abilities affect approximately 10% of autistic people. Most individuals have varied cognitive profiles — strengths in some areas and challenges in others. Films like Rain Man have cemented a stereotype that erases the richness of diverse experiences and the genuine difficulties many face in everyday life.
❌ Myth
“ADHD is just poor discipline or bad parenting.”
✓ Fact
ADHD has neurobiological foundations, characterised by differences in attention regulation and executive functioning. A child with ADHD is not choosing to be restless, impulsive, or unfocused — they are managing a brain that works differently. They deserve structured support, not moral judgment.
❌ Myth
“Neurodivergent people can’t succeed professionally.”
✓ Fact
History and contemporary society include many highly successful neurodivergent people who have made transformative contributions. Albert Einstein, Temple Grandin, Steve Jobs, Simone Biles, Greta Thunberg, and many others. Research recognises neurodiversity as a workplace asset, bringing unique problem-solving, creativity, and innovation.
❌ Myth
“It’s either a severe disability or a superpower — nothing in between.”
✓ Fact
Neither extreme captures reality. Neuroatypical profiles exist on a spectrum of functioning and adaptation. Each person brings unique strengths alongside genuine challenges. Forcing people into reductive categories helps no one — and denies appropriate support to many.
❌ Myth
“Children grow out of autism or ADHD.”
✓ Fact
Autism and ADHD are lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions. What changes over time is how they are expressed and how a person learns to manage their environment — not the underlying neurological difference.
❌ Myth
“If they can do it sometimes, they’re just not trying.”
✓ Fact
Variable performance is a hallmark of neurodivergent conditions. The ability to do something in one context at one time does not mean a person can do it consistently, in all conditions, under pressure. Inconsistency is part of the condition — not evidence of laziness.
The words we use matter
Harmful language pathologises neurodivergent traits, delays help-seeking, and damages self-worth.
| Avoid | Use instead |
|---|---|
| “Badly behaved” | “Needs different support strategies” |
| “Lazy” / “Not trying” | “Experiencing executive function challenges” |
| “Attention seeking” | “Communicating unmet needs” |
| “Just needs discipline” | “Benefits from structured, tailored approaches” |
| “Weird” / “Odd” | “Has a unique profile” / “Thinks differently” |
| “High-functioning” / “Low-functioning” | Describe specific support needs without global labels |
Using inclusive language
Language shapes how we understand and value neurodivergent people. Using respectful, person-centred language acknowledges the humanity and dignity of neurodivergent individuals — whilst recognising that preferences vary within communities.
Understanding the terms
- Neurotypical: A person whose neurological development and functioning are typical of the majority population
- Neurodivergent: A person whose neurological development differs from what is considered typical — includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological variations
- Neurodiverse: Describes a group that includes people with different neurological profiles — a classroom or workplace can be neurodiverse
- Neurodivergence: The state of having a brain that functions differently from the neurotypical standard
Which to use?
There is ongoing discussion about identity-first language (“autistic person”) versus person-first language (“person with autism”). Many autistic self-advocates prefer identity-first language, viewing autism as an integral part of their identity rather than something separate from themselves.
The best approach: ask the individual what they prefer, or follow the preference of the relevant community. When uncertain, follow the person’s own lead. Never correct someone’s choice of language about their own identity.
The problem with “high-functioning” and “low-functioning”
These terms are harmful for multiple reasons: they oversimplify complex profiles of strengths and challenges, deny support to those labelled “high-functioning,” dismiss the capabilities of those labelled “low-functioning,” and are not clinically meaningful. Instead, describe specific support needs or abilities without applying global judgements to the whole person.
🎵 A moment that stayed with me
Three years ago, I met Craig while he was performing at an event for Learning Disability Awareness in Oswestry. When I mentioned that the children with me — all diagnosed with ASD/ADHD — were struggling to stay still, he immediately understood. He shared his own late-diagnosis story, and his honesty stayed with me.
Recently, Craig posted an original song that moved me deeply, both as an adult diagnosed with ADHD and as a healthcare professional. His words capture the reality of growing up undiagnosed, masking, and carrying years of misunderstanding and internalised blame. He turned that pain into music that gives voice to those who never had one.
“I finished my E.P. last year, but haven’t done anything with it yet. If I’m honest, I think I’ve just been scared and anxious about what people might think. So today feels like the first day of fighting back.
“Know Your Enemy”, track three from Just Like The Stars, is about battling an unknown illness for decades and getting nowhere. For 30 years, I was treated for depression and anxiety when the real issue was ADHD — something I had to discover myself, and something I can never get those years back from.
“Sharing this song is a big step for me. If you could listen, give feedback, or share it, I’d be incredibly grateful. I know there’s something special in my music; I just need to start believing in myself again.”
If you’d like to support Craig’s music, follow his journey, or book him for gigs and events, please visit his social media. Sharing his work helps amplify a voice that deserves to be heard.
I’m neurodivergent, and I parent neurodivergent children
This page is grounded in lived experience and strengthened by postgraduate and professional training. It was not created as an academic exercise — it was created because I needed it to exist, and because too many people like me and my children were navigating these systems without adequate support.
I understand what it means to be neurodivergent in a world that was not designed for how your brain works. I understand the masking, the exhaustion, the misdiagnosis, and the moment when things finally start to make sense. I also understand it as a clinician — a nurse practitioner who has worked with neurodivergent patients and families for years.
Everything on this page is designed to be useful, accessible, and honest — not to overwhelm, but to empower.
Why accurate diagnosis matters
After my son was diagnosed with ADHD at age five, I embarked on research to understand both his condition and my own experiences. It wasn’t until age 32 — feeling increasingly overwhelmed — that I approached my GP. Before she could prescribe antidepressants, I voiced what I’d come to suspect: not depression, but undiagnosed ADHD.
Her open, understanding response made all the difference. She referred me to a new adult ADHD service — evidence of positive societal progress, not only in creating such services but in having healthcare professionals who recognise that people struggle for reasons beyond traditional mental health diagnoses.
If we could recognise and address these challenges in children — embracing their strengths whilst providing understanding that there is nothing “wrong” with them — we could cultivate far more positive futures.
The neurodivergent brain is not broken.
“When environments fail to meet neurodivergent needs, barriers appear. Our focus is not on fixing individuals — it is on removing those barriers so people can thrive.”
Amy Prince, Registered Nurse, Neurodiversity Coach & Founder, NAAVoices.com
Trusted UK organisations
National Autistic Society
The UK’s leading charity for autistic people and their families. Information, advice, and support services.
autism.org.uk →ADHD UK
Peer-led support, information, and advocacy for people with ADHD. Online groups and resources.
adhduk.co.uk →ADHD Foundation
The UK’s leading ADHD charity providing information, advocacy, and national programmes.
adhdfoundation.org.uk →British Dyslexia Association
Information, support, and guidance on dyslexia for individuals, families, and professionals.
bdadyslexia.org.uk →Dyspraxia Foundation
Support for individuals and families affected by dyspraxia (DCD) in the UK.
dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk →NHS — Autism & ADHD
NHS information pages on autism and ADHD — assessment pathways, treatment, and support.
nhs.uk →IPSEA
Free, legally-based advice for families with children in special education — EHCPs, tribunal, and rights.
ipsea.org.uk →ACAS
Free guidance for employers and employees on neurodiversity, workplace adjustments, and employment rights.
acas.org.uk →Contact
Charity for families with disabled children — SEND support, EHCPs, and benefit guidance.
contact.org.uk →From the Founder
From the Founder
Personal writing from Amy Royle — survival, recovery, neurodiversity, parenting through trauma, advocacy, and the journey that built NAAVoices.
Glossary of key terms
A plain-English reference for commonly used neurodiversity terms. Useful for parents, professionals, and anyone new to the space.
Key terms
- Masking / camouflaging: Suppressing or hiding neurodivergent traits to appear neurotypical. Exhausting and linked to burnout.
- Meltdown: An involuntary response to overwhelm — not a tantrum. The person is not in control and needs calm, not consequences.
- Shutdown: An inward meltdown — withdrawal, reduced communication, difficulty moving. Often less visible than meltdown.
- Stimming: Self-stimulatory behaviour (rocking, flapping, pacing) used to regulate sensory input or emotions. Functional and healthy.
- Executive function: The brain’s management system — planning, initiating, switching between tasks, working memory, and impulse control.
- Demand avoidance: Avoidance of everyday demands driven by anxiety rather than defiance. See PDA.
Support system terms
- EHCP: Education, Health and Care Plan. A legally binding document detailing a child’s needs and the support they must receive in England.
- IDP (Wales): Individual Development Plan. Wales equivalent of EHCP under the Additional Learning Needs Act 2018.
- SENCO / ALNCo: Special Educational Needs Coordinator (England) / Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (Wales). School-based lead for SEN/ALN.
- IPSEA: Independent Provider of Special Education Advice — free legal advice for families.
- RSD: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria — intense emotional pain triggered by perceived rejection, common in ADHD.
- Alexithymia: Difficulty identifying and describing one’s own emotions. Common in autism and ADHD.
- PDA: Pathological Demand Avoidance — an anxiety-driven autism profile characterised by avoidance of everyday demands.
- Co-regulation: An adult helping a child regulate their emotional state through calm, attuned presence — not instruction.
All resources by NAAVoices.com — survivor-led, trauma-informed, evidence-based
Survivor-led, trauma-informed resources for domestic abuse survivors, neurodivergent individuals, and families.
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