Resources on Neurodivergence

Neurodivergence refers to natural differences in the way the brain processes information, learns, remembers, perceives, and responds to the world. It is different from neurotypical functioning, which is the more common or expected patterns of thinking, learning, and processing information in society. Neurodivergence is a natural part of human diversity, and everyone’s experience with it is unique. As we have been studying more about different types of neurodivergence and more the ability for individuals to share their own experiences with it - neurodivergent diagnoses have been on the rise. Whether you identify as neurodivergent yourself, are exploring the possibility, or are supporting a loved one, this page is here to provide understanding, compassion, and helpful tools.

Here you’ll find resources that celebrate different ways of thinking, learning, and experiencing the world. From self-advocacy and sensory support, to creativity and community, these materials are meant to encourage empowerment and self-acceptance while also offering practical strategies for everyday life.

You are not alone on this journey. Trust yourself as you explore. Please take what resonates, set aside what doesn’t. Know that your way of being in the world is both valid and valuable.

Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity (ADHD) Information

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects  executive functioning - which can include attention, focus, impulse control, and activity levels. Everyone experiences ADHD differently, and strengths often accompany these challenges, such as creativity, energy, and hyper-focus on areas of interest. It exists on a spectrum, meaning symptoms can range as follow:

• Inattentive: Difficulty sustaining focus and organizing tasks.
• Hyperactive-Impulsive:  Restlessness, difficulty sitting still, acting without thinking.
• Combined: Both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.

ADHD is diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, pediatricians, and primary care physicians. This occurs through clinical interviews, questionnaires, and behavioral observations, often involving input from parents, teachers, or other caregivers. 

The following playist is created for adults who have been recently diagnosed with ADHD or want to learn more about how understanding around diagnosis of ADHD has advanced over the past several decades. In addition to understanding the diagnosis and how it feels to have it, there are also tips on how to manage different aspects of it. This can also be helpful for loved ones of adults with ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCx5JLvyynWry4-7a3VC4F4KKUHyN1vit

The following is a playlist created for parents or caregivers of children who have ADHD. It is both for understanding ADHD more as well as tips and strategies on how to assist children who have it in a compassionate manner: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCx5JLvyynWqtKXOJpe0ViRm1sQiA9DJY

Autsim Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects social communication, behavior, and sensory processing. It is described as a spectrum because people can experience a wide range of abilities and challenges, from needing significant support with daily living and communication, to living independently with subtle differences in social interaction or sensory sensitivity. Each autistic individual has a unique profile of strengths, interests, and ways of perceiving the world.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a diagnosed through psychologists, pyshciatrists, neuropsychologists, and developmental pediatricians. It focuses on a combination of developmental history, behavioral observations, and standardized assessments by qualified professionals such as psychologists or developmental pediatricians.

Below are links to videos to help people who are neurotypical understand what it is like to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and for people who have ASD to find words to express how they feel internally:

• Autism in general: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8hHGIJKf3o
• Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder (updated research): 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CFZTuAzSZ8&t=2416s
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z7YbKx2qRI&t=3s
• Autism in general: "Float" at Disney Plus
• Autism in general: "Loop" at Disney Plus
• Autistic behaviors as communication: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yfFwDq4R5M&list=PLpGhATEgbzMBUzfg_w-y4Q-BsCIv3P69l&index=13
• Stimming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bhT2R9HiLs
• The Difference Between ADHD and Autism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQc5Feyl2GE

This is an online resource for people who do have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to better understand how to safely navigate the internet: https://www.wizcase.com/blog/internet-safety-guide-for-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/#8%C2%A0%20%3Cbr%3E

Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)

Sensory processing refers to the way our nervous system receives, organizes, responds and integrates  information from the senses (touch, sound, movement, vision, taste, smell, vestibular, proprioceptive). For some people, sensory input can feel overwhelming, under-noticed, or mixed in ways that impact daily life.

Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) are usually evaluated by occupational therapists through structured observations, standardized questionnaires, and assessments of how sensory input affects daily functioning.

These differences are sometimes called Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD), and they are a type of neurodivergence that either stand alone or overlap with other forms of neurodivergence. Below are the main categories:

Sensory Modulation Disorders: Difficulties regulating responses to sensory input.

• Over-Responsive (Hypersensitivity): sounds, textures, lights, or smells feel too intense or painful.

• Under-Responsive (Hyposensitivity): sensory input is easily missed, leading to seeking stronger input to notice or engage.

• Sensory Seeking/Craving: actively seeking extra stimulation—touching objects often, making loud noises, moving constantly.

Sensory-Based Motor Disorders: Challenges with movement and coordination related to how sensory information is processed.

• Dyspraxia (Motor Planning): difficulty planning and carrying out new or complex movements.

• Postural Disorder: trouble with balance, stability, and core strength.

Sensory Discrimination Disorders: Difficulty interpreting and making sense of incoming sensory information (e.g., telling the difference between textures, sounds, shapes, or movement directions).

This is an informative video that shows the overlap between SPD and ASD as well as what happens in the brains of individuals who have SPD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CFZTuAzSZ8&list=PLCx5JLvyynWoqocWzHeYzFXGPGIDAAnWc&index=1&t=388s

Additional Learning Variations

These are neurodevelopmental variations that affect how people acquire, process, or express information. ADHD and dyslexia are the most commonly known types, and sensory processing disorders can overlap with some. Learning differences are not related to intelligence, and individuals may have unique strengths alongside challenges.

Reading and Language-Based Differences

• Dyslexia: Difficulty with reading, spelling, and decoding words.
• Hyperlexia: Advanced reading ability for age with challenges in comprehension or language use.
• Specific Language Impairment / Language Disorder: Difficulty understanding or using spoken or written language.
• Auditory Processing Disorder: Challenges interpreting and making sense of sounds, including speech. Can involve difficulty interpreting sounds, overlaps with auditory SPD.

Writing and Motor-Based Differences

• Dysgraphia: Difficulty with handwriting, spelling, and written expression.
• Fine Motor Skill Difficulties: Trouble with tasks requiring precise hand movements, sometimes impacting writing.

Math and Number-Based Differences

• Dyscalculia: Difficulty understanding and manipulating numbers, performing calculations, or grasping math concepts.

Executive Function and Processing Differences

• ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): Impacts attention, impulse control, and organizational skills, which can affect learning.
• Working Memory Deficits: Challenges holding and manipulating information in the mind for tasks like problem-solving or following multi-step directions.
• Processing Speed Differences: Slower ability to perceive, interpret, and respond to information efficiently.

Nonverbal and Visual-Spatial Differences

• Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD): Strengths in verbal skills paired with difficulties in visual-spatial tasks, coordination, or interpreting nonverbal cues.
• Visual Processing Disorders: Challenges interpreting or remembering visual information, impacting reading, math, or spatial reasoning.
• Auditory-Visual Integration Challenges: Difficulty combining auditory and visual information for learning tasks.

Memory and Recall Differences

• Long-Term Memory Retrieval Differences: Difficulty accessing previously learned information, even when it was understood initially.
• Short-Term Working Memory Challenges: Struggling to remember instructions, sequences, or new information in the moment.

Neurocognitive Variations

These are natural differences in how people experience memory, imagination, perception, and inner life. They aren’t necessarily disorders, but rather unique ways the brain processes information. Below are main categories:

Imagery & Inner Visualization: How vividly people are able to picture things in their “mind’s eye.”

• Aphantasia: Little or no ability to form mental images (“mind’s eye” is blank).
• Hyperphantasia: Extremely vivid, lifelike mental imagery.

Autobiographical Memory Variations: Differences in how clearly and in what detail people remember events from their own lives.

• Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM): Difficulty recalling personal life events in detail, even when facts are remembered.
• Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM): Exceptionally detailed recall of personal life events, often linked to specific dates.
• Hyperthymesia: A form of HSAM where everyday personal memories are recalled with striking detail, often involuntarily.

Cross-Sensory Experiences: When the senses interact or merge in unusual ways.

• Synesthesia: One sense automatically triggers another (e.g., hearing music and seeing colors, or tasting flavors when reading words).
• Mirror-Touch Synesthesia: Feeling a physical sensation in your own body when seeing someone else touched.

Giftedness

Giftedness refers to exceptional abilities in one or more areas, such as intellectual reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, or artistic expression. Like other forms of neurodivergence, it represents a natural variation in how the brain processes information. Gifted individuals may experience intense focus, rapid learning, deep curiosity, and heightened sensitivity. At the same time, giftedness can bring unique challenges, such as heightened emotional intensity, asynchronous development, or feeling “out of sync” with peers.

Some gifted individuals are also twice-exceptional (2E), meaning they are gifted while also navigating a learning difference, ADHD, autism, or another neurodivergent trait. This combination can create a complex profile of strengths and challenges, such as advanced problem-solving paired with sensory sensitivities, social differences, or attention difficulties. Recognizing giftedness and 2E as forms of neurodivergence validates both the remarkable abilities and the unique hurdles that come with experiencing the world differently.