ADHD A-Z Glossary
Every ADHD term explained in plain English, with no jargon and no judgement.
Whether you’ve just started learning about ADHD or you’ve been living with it for years, it helps to have a go-to reference for all the terminology. I’ve written these definitions in the same way I’d explain them to a client: clearly, honestly, and without making it more complicated than it needs to be.
A
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
A neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain regulates attention, impulses, and activity levels. Despite the name, it's not really a 'deficit' of attention. It's more like the brain's attention system works differently. You might hyperfocus on things you love and struggle to focus on things you don't. ADHD is typically diagnosed as one of three presentations: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, or combined.
ADHD Coaching
A type of practical, goal-oriented support where a coach helps you build strategies for managing ADHD challenges like time management, organisation, and task initiation. It's not therapy. It's focused on skills and systems that work with your brain. Coaching can be especially helpful alongside (or instead of) medication.
ADHD Tax
The extra costs (financial, emotional, and time-related) that come with living with ADHD. Think late fees, impulse purchases, replacing lost items, buying duplicates because you forgot you already had something, or the emotional toll of constantly feeling behind. It's not a real tax, but it can really add up.
AuDHD
A term used by the neurodivergent community for people who are both autistic and have ADHD. It's not a clinical diagnosis, but it's become a widely recognised way to describe the experience of living with both conditions, which can sometimes pull you in opposite directions (like craving routine but also needing novelty).
B
Body Doubling
Working alongside another person (in person or virtually) to help you stay on task. There's something about having someone else present, even if they're doing their own thing, that helps the ADHD brain focus. It's one of the most popular ADHD productivity strategies, and it genuinely works for a lot of people.
Burnout
A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. ADHD burnout can hit differently. It often comes from years of masking, overcompensating, or trying to keep up with neurotypical expectations. It's more than just being tired; it can feel like your brain has completely shut down.
C
Combined Presentation
One of the three ADHD presentations where you meet the criteria for both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. This is the most commonly diagnosed presentation in adults. It doesn't mean you have 'more' ADHD. It just means your symptoms show up in both areas.
Comorbidity
When someone has two or more conditions at the same time. ADHD very commonly co-occurs with anxiety, depression, autism, dyslexia, and other conditions. Understanding comorbidities is important because they can affect how ADHD shows up and what support works best.
D
Decision Fatigue
The mental exhaustion that comes from making too many decisions. With ADHD, this can be amplified because even small decisions (what to eat, what to wear, which task to start) can feel overwhelming. Reducing the number of daily decisions through routines and systems can help enormously.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in motivation, reward, and attention. ADHD brains are thought to have differences in how dopamine is produced and regulated, which is why you might find it hard to start boring tasks but can hyperfocus for hours on something interesting. Many ADHD medications work by increasing dopamine availability.
DSA (Disabled Students' Allowance)
A UK government grant for university students with disabilities, including ADHD. It can fund things like assistive technology, specialist mentoring, and study support. You don't have to pay it back, and it doesn't affect your other student funding. Definitely worth applying for if you're a student with ADHD.
E
Emotional Dysregulation
Difficulty managing and responding to emotional experiences in a way that feels proportionate. With ADHD, emotions can feel more intense. You might go from fine to furious in seconds, or feel devastated by something that others would shrug off. It's one of the most underrecognised aspects of ADHD.
Executive Function
A set of mental skills that help you plan, organise, manage time, focus attention, and regulate behaviour. Think of it as your brain's project manager. ADHD significantly affects executive function, which is why you might struggle with starting tasks, staying organised, or switching between activities, even when you really want to.
Executive Dysfunction
When your executive function skills aren't working as they should. This isn't laziness or a lack of intelligence. It's a genuine neurological difficulty. It can look like forgetting appointments, struggling to prioritise, starting tasks but not finishing them, or feeling paralysed when facing a to-do list.
F
Fidgeting
Restless physical movement like tapping, bouncing your leg, playing with objects, or shifting in your seat. For people with ADHD, fidgeting is often a self-regulation strategy that actually helps with focus and concentration. Fidget tools and movement breaks can be really helpful.
H
Hyperfocus
An intense state of concentration where you become completely absorbed in something, sometimes for hours, to the point where you lose track of time and everything else around you. It's one of the more misunderstood aspects of ADHD. Hyperfocus can be a superpower when directed at the right things, but it can also mean you forget to eat or miss important commitments.
Hyperactivity
Excessive physical movement or restlessness. In children, this often looks like running around and climbing things. In adults, it's usually more subtle: feeling internally restless, talking a lot, struggling to sit still in meetings, or always needing to be doing something. Some people describe it as having a motor running inside them.
I
Impulsivity
Acting without thinking things through. With ADHD, this can show up as interrupting conversations, making impulse purchases, saying things you later regret, or making snap decisions without considering the consequences. It's not about poor character. It's about how the ADHD brain processes reward and consequences.
Inattentive Presentation
One of the three ADHD presentations, characterised mainly by difficulties with sustained attention, organisation, and follow-through. This type is often missed, especially in women and girls, because there's no obvious hyperactivity. You might zone out in conversations, lose things constantly, or struggle to finish tasks.
Interest-Based Nervous System
A concept from Dr William Dodson describing how the ADHD brain is motivated by interest, challenge, novelty, and urgency, rather than importance or deadlines (like neurotypical brains). This explains why you can spend hours on a hobby but can't make yourself do the admin. It's not a lack of willpower; it's how your brain is wired.
L
Late Diagnosis
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood, sometimes after years or decades of struggling without knowing why. Late diagnosis is increasingly common, especially among women, people of colour, and those who were good at masking. Getting diagnosed later in life can be both a relief and emotionally complex.
M
Masking
Hiding or suppressing your ADHD traits to fit in with neurotypical expectations. This might look like overcompensating at work, rehearsing conversations, or pretending you're fine when you're really struggling. Masking takes a huge amount of energy and is a major contributor to ADHD burnout.
Medication
ADHD medication (stimulant or non-stimulant) works by affecting neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Stimulants like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) are the most commonly prescribed in the UK. Medication doesn't 'cure' ADHD, but it can significantly help with focus, impulse control, and executive function for many people.
Mentoring
Practical, skills-based support that helps you build strategies for managing ADHD in everyday life. Unlike therapy, mentoring focuses on action plans, accountability, and systems, including time management, organisation, and study skills. A mentor works alongside you to figure out what works for your specific brain.
N
Neurodivergent
A term for people whose brains work differently from the statistical norm. It includes ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological variations. Being neurodivergent isn't a disorder. It's a different way of experiencing the world. The term was coined to move away from 'deficit' language.
Neurodiversity
The concept that neurological differences (like ADHD, autism, dyslexia) are natural variations in the human brain, not defects to be fixed. A neurodiversity-affirming approach recognises that different brains have different strengths and challenges, and focuses on support rather than 'cure'.
Neurotypical
A term for people whose brain development and functioning are considered 'typical' or within the statistical norm. It's not a value judgement, just a way to distinguish between different neurological experiences. Most of society's systems, workplaces, and schools are designed for neurotypical brains.
NICE Guidelines (NG87)
The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for diagnosing and managing ADHD. NG87 covers everything from assessment to medication to non-medical support. These guidelines are important because they set the standard for how ADHD should be treated within the NHS.
O
Object Permanence (ADHD Context)
In the ADHD community, this refers to the tendency to forget about things (or people) when they're not right in front of you. It's not the same as the developmental concept. It's more like 'out of sight, out of mind' on overdrive. This can affect relationships, work tasks, and even remembering to eat.
Overwhelm
A state of feeling completely swamped by tasks, information, or emotions. ADHD overwhelm can be triggered by too many choices, a long to-do list, sensory input, or just the general demands of daily life. When overwhelm hits, everything can feel equally urgent and impossible, leading to shutdown or avoidance.
P
Paralysis (Task Paralysis)
The inability to start or complete tasks, despite knowing they need to be done and genuinely wanting to do them. It's not procrastination in the traditional sense. It feels more like being frozen. Task paralysis is one of the most frustrating aspects of ADHD and is closely linked to executive dysfunction.
Pomodoro Technique
A time management method where you work in focused bursts (usually 25 minutes) followed by short breaks. It's popular with people with ADHD because it breaks tasks into manageable chunks and builds in regular rewards. Some people find 25 minutes too long or too short, so experiment to find your sweet spot.
Private Assessment
Getting an ADHD assessment through a private clinic rather than the NHS. In the UK, this typically costs £500-£1,500 but has much shorter waiting times (weeks rather than years). Some private diagnoses are accepted by the NHS for ongoing treatment through shared care agreements.
R
Reasonable Adjustments
Changes that employers, universities, or service providers are legally required to make under the Equality Act 2010 to remove barriers for disabled people, including those with ADHD. Examples include flexible deadlines, quiet workspaces, written instructions, and extra time in exams.
Rejection Sensitivity (RSD)
An intense emotional response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure. People with ADHD often experience rejection sensitivity more acutely. Even a slightly critical comment can feel devastating. It's one of the most impactful yet least talked-about aspects of ADHD.
Right to Choose
Your legal right under the NHS Constitution to choose which provider carries out your first outpatient appointment. For ADHD, this means you can ask your GP to refer you to a provider that specialises in ADHD (like Psychiatry-UK) instead of waiting on a general NHS waiting list. It can significantly reduce waiting times.
S
Self-Regulation
The ability to manage your emotions, behaviour, and attention in response to the demands of a situation. ADHD makes self-regulation harder because the brain's control systems work differently. Building external systems and strategies (like routines, reminders, and accountability) can help compensate.
Sensory Processing
How your brain receives, organises, and responds to sensory information. Many people with ADHD (and autism) experience sensory sensitivities, being overwhelmed by noise, lights, textures, or crowds. Understanding your sensory profile can help you create environments where you can function at your best.
Stimming
Repetitive movements or behaviours (like tapping, rocking, or playing with hair) that help with self-regulation. While more commonly associated with autism, many people with ADHD also stim. It serves a purpose: it can help with focus, calm anxiety, or release energy.
T
Task Initiation
The ability to begin a task. For people with ADHD, starting is often the hardest part, even when you know exactly what needs to be done. Strategies like the '2-minute rule', body doubling, and breaking tasks into tiny first steps can all help with task initiation.
Time Blindness
A common ADHD experience where you have difficulty perceiving the passage of time accurately. You might think 10 minutes have passed when it's actually been an hour, or consistently underestimate how long tasks will take. It's not about being careless. The ADHD brain genuinely struggles with time perception.
Titration
The process of gradually adjusting ADHD medication dosage to find the right amount for you. It usually involves starting on a low dose and slowly increasing it while monitoring side effects and effectiveness. Titration can take several weeks and requires regular check-ins with your prescriber.
W
Waiting List (NHS)
The queue for NHS ADHD assessment and diagnosis. In the UK, waiting times can range from 2 to 5+ years depending on your area. Options while waiting include Right to Choose, private assessment, and practical support like ADHD mentoring. You don't need a diagnosis to benefit from strategies and support.
Working Memory
The ability to hold information in your mind while using it, like remembering a phone number while dialling it, or keeping track of instructions while following them. ADHD commonly affects working memory, which is why you might forget what you were about to say mid-sentence or walk into a room and forget why you're there.
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