Words Matter.

At NeurodivUrgent, we take a neurodiversity affirming approach to autism evaluations. This means that we aim to provide an experience that embraces the uniqueness and diversity of each person we collaborate with, and we believe that autism is a natural variation in neurology, not a disease or disorder. Our goal is to help you better understand yourself, identify your strengths, and help you access any appropriate accommodations and supports you may be interested in.

An important part of being neurodiversity affirming is using respectful, inclusive language. We know that the intentional use of wording and language can go a long way towards conveying respect and creating a safe and welcoming space when interacting with others. We want to be intentional in our use of language in the way that feels right for you. In our intake paperwork, we’ll ask you how you like to be addressed with regards to your name, your pronouns, and whether you already identify as Autistic. This helps us use appropriate language both in our interactions with you and in the documentation we create for the evaluation. We avoid ableist language that portrays autism in solely negative terms or as something that needs to be cured or fixed.

In your own research into neurodiversity and autism, you’ve likely come across a sea of new terminology and jargon. You’ve probably also noticed that how people use these terms often differs significantly between one person and the next. As autism awareness increases, the way we use language to describe the autistic experience is rapidly evolving, and there is often no consensus on what a given term means.

We strive to be as inclusive as possible. At the same time, we acknowledge that language is constantly evolving, and that many people, including those seeking out our services, may at times use language which isn't up to date and that may have ableist associations. Because we want to make our services to everyone who is interested in them, we occasionally use outdated terminology intentionally in places like blog posts. This is so that search engine results still point those people towards our services and so that we can provide support to all individuals, regardless of what terminology they are using at this point in their journey. We our committed to using the preferred language of our clients and always welcome caring critique of the language we are using so that we can continue to evolve in our own use of language.

In light of this, it seems important for us to take a moment to briefly discuss what we at NeurodivUrgent mean when we use certain terms. Below, you will find a brief explanation of the meaning we intend to convey when using some of the specific terms you’ll find on our website. For many people reading this, the information below is already familiar. For those who are interested, we offer a brief explanation of how we use different terms.

  • Think of neurodiversity as a spectrum or a vast landscape of brain variations. Just as biodiversity refers to the variety of life in our world, neurodiversity points to the natural and valuable diversity of human brains and minds.

    In Simple Terms: It's the idea that everyone's brain works a little differently, and that's a good thing! It makes the world more varied and interesting.

  • This term describes individuals whose neurological functions differ from what's considered typical or standard. It can include people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and/or other neurological differences.

    In Simple Terms: If someone says they're neurodivergent, they're sharing that their brain functions in a unique way compared to the majority. It's often used as a positive badge of individuality in the world of brain functioning.

  • Autism

    The word autism is a term with many different meanings. It is commonly conceptualized as a form of neurodivergence that captures the unique way some individuals perceive and engage with the world. At its core, autism is characterized by distinct communication and interaction styles that differ from the allistic majority. This can sometimes lead to challenges in forming or maintaining relationships.

    However, it's important to remember that autism is a spectrum. This means every autistic person's experience is unique, with varying intensities of individual autistic traits and characteristics. Some people might recognize these traits in themselves and choose to self-identify as Autistic based on their own introspection, research, and/or personal experiences.

    Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

    While autism is a broader term for the general collection of traits associated with the autistic experience, autism spectrum disorder is a specific clinical label used by healthcare professionals. It's reserved for individuals whose autistic traits significantly impact their daily life in one or more areas. To be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, there must be clear evidence of these traits causing challenges or impairments in social functioning.

    In addition to social differences, for a diagnosis of ASD to be made, an individual must also be currently experiencing (or have experienced in the past) at least two of the following symptoms:

    • Sensory differences, like heightened sensitivities or sometimes not noticing certain stimuli at all.

    • A strong preference for routines, structure, and predictability.

    • Repetitive actions or thoughts, which can be comforting or serve as a way to self-regulate.

    • Deep or passionate interests that might dominate one’s time and thoughts.

    Only qualified medical or mental health professionals can diagnose someone with autism spectrum disorder, and this diagnosis should only be made after a comprehensive evaluation. When someone is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, it’s formal recognition that their autistic characteristics are affecting their ability to function in certain areas of life.

    We believe that it’s essential to differentiate between autism and autism spectrum disorder. When the term autism spectrum disorder is used to refer to all autistic people it perpetuates ableist ideas that are inaccurate, discriminatory, and harmful because it medicalizes autism and frames it as a disorder that needs to be cured or treated.

    At the same time, we know that many people going through the evaluation process will be seeking things like formal accommodations through school or work or access to health-care related and/or public benefits. In most instances, the institutions granting access to those resources require documentation formally stating that a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder has been made. For that specific reason, if the results of the evaluation indicate that you meet criteria for a formal diagnosis of ASD, a brief statement indicating that you have been given that diagnosis will be included.

  • In some places, you may see the word Autistic capitalized when referring to an individual or a group of people. Autistic with an uppercase ‘A’ is used to refer to those people who self-identity as being a part of the Autistic community.

    Many people have autistic traits or even a formal diagnosis of ASD, but do not feel like they are a part of the Autistic community or do not otherwise self-identify as Autistic. In general, where lowercase ‘a’ autistic is used, it is meant to refer to the broader group of autistic people without conveying any information regarding how a person self-identifies. For example, while all individuals with a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder are autistic, not all autistic individuals identify as Autistic.

  • Allistic is a term used to refer to people who are not on the autism spectrum.