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DSM-5(also: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV, DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the standard classification system used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. The current edition (DSM-5-TR,…

Decreased Sound Tolerance(also: DST, Sound Intolerance)

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is an umbrella term for conditions in which everyday sounds are perceived as uncomfortably loud, threatening, or emotionally distressing. It encompasses hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to sound volume), misophonia (strong emotional reactions to…

Deficit Narrative(also: Deficit-Based Framing, Deficit Model)

A framing approach that characterizes disability or neurodivergence primarily in terms of what individuals lack, cannot do, or do poorly compared to a non-disabled norm. Deficit narratives are embedded in many clinical assessment tools through language that pathologizes natural…

Demand Avoidance(also: Pathological Demand Avoidance, PDA, Persistent Drive for Autonomy)

An inner resistance to perceived demands — even self-imposed ones — that can lead to inability to start, change, or complete tasks. Demand avoidance is associated with an autism profile sometimes called Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the UK, and more recently reframed by…

Developmental Learning Disorder(also: DLD, Specific Learning Disorder, Learning Disability)

A group of neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the acquisition and use of specific academic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics. Developmental Learning Disorders include dyslexia (affecting reading), dysgraphia (affecting writing), and dyscalculia (affecting…

Dopamine Hunger(also: Dopamine Seeking, Dopamine Starvation)

A colloquial ADHD-community term describing the drive to seek stimulating activities to compensate for differences in dopamine regulation characteristic of ADHD brains. It manifests as impulsivity, novelty seeking, and patterns such as repeated social-media checking, doom…

Double empathy problem(also: Double empathy theory)

A theory proposed by Damian Milton (2012) that reframes communication difficulties between autistic and neurotypical individuals as arising from a mutual lack of understanding rather than a deficit in autistic people alone. The double empathy problem challenges the dominant…

Dyscalculia(also: Math Learning Disability, Number Blindness, Mathematics Disorder)

A specific learning disorder that affects the ability to acquire, understand, and manipulate numerical and mathematical concepts. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with number sense, memorizing arithmetic facts, performing calculations, and understanding mathematical…

Dysgraphia(also: Disorder of written expression, Specific learning disorder in written expression)

A neurological learning disability that affects written expression, including handwriting legibility, spelling accuracy, and the ability to organize thoughts in writing. Dysgraphia can make text entry and written composition cognitively exhausting, creating significant barriers…

Dyslexia(also: Reading Disability, Developmental Dyslexia)

A neurologically-based learning disability that primarily affects the acquisition and processing of written language, manifesting as difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, and phonological processing. Dyslexia varies in severity and is estimated to affect 10-17% of the…

Dyspraxia(also: Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD)

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor planning, coordination, and the sequencing of movements. People with dyspraxia have difficulty translating intended actions into coordinated physical movements, despite having adequate muscle strength and understanding of what they…

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