Language & Values

Embracing the Language of Neurodiversity: A Guide to Inclusive Language and Values

Updated September 2026, incorporating current preferred terms

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Maya Angelou

Neurodiversity describes the differences in the way that brains work. There is no ‘correct’ way for the brain to work; instead, there is a wide range of ways that people perceive and respond to the world.

The term ‘neurodiversity’ was coined to help fight the stigma faced by neurodivergent individuals. It is a movement (a human rights, social and disability movement) that focuses upon developing individual strengths and recognising that everyone has a unique brain and therefore different needs and abilities.

Language plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and attitudes towards neurodiversity. This guide is designed to help foster respect and appreciation for neurodivergent individuals. By embracing neuro-affirmative language, we can create an environment that is more inclusive of every brain type.

What does it mean to be neuro-affirmative?

Moving away from an approach which talks about deficits or impairments and instead, recognising and respecting evolving neurodivergent culture and identities, supporting needs and challenges and not pathologising neurodivergent ways of being.

As language around neurodiversity continues to evolve, it is important to recognise the dynamic nature of how individuals and communities choose to identify. Establishing how individuals prefer to describe themselves is essential in honouring their identities and lived experiences. This guide emphasises the importance of using language that respects and affirms neurodivergent individuals’ self-identification. It acknowledges that terminology may vary among individuals and communities, and encourages open communication to establish preferred language. This guide is committed to staying up to date, to reflect neuro-affirming language and values, ensuring inclusivity and respect for all.

Recognise that there is immense value in diversity

There is inherent value in diversity in and of itself. We need all kinds of people and minds in order to flourish as worldwide societies. Being neurodiversity affirmative is to see and celebrate the value of this diversity.

Recognise that there is value in living a disabled life

To see the value in disability and living a disabled life requires examining how our views on disability are inextricably tied to capitalist ideals of being ‘productive’ and ‘independent’ (that is, needing no outside help or support so as not to cost the ‘system’ money). It is a person’s right to choose if they identify as disabled, and disability is not a “dirty” word. Many disabled people will need ongoing support from others throughout their lives and may never have a paid job, but this does not mean they do not live a rich, valuable and meaningful life.

Ensure that all neurodivergent people, including those with significant learning disability and high support needs, have power, a place at the table, and are supported and advocated for

Being neurodiversity affirmative means that all neurodivergent people, no matter how high their support needs are, or how they communicate, have an equal voice and agency in relation to their own lives and communities. The neurodiversity movement was born out of the wider disability movement and has always (and continues to) encompass, embrace and advocate for the voices of all disabled people.

Language for Inclusive Communities

Use Identity First Language

Identity-first language, such as “autistic person,” recognises neurodiversity as an inherent aspect of an individual’s identity. The majority of neurodivergent people prefer this approach for its affirming nature, acknowledging the integral connection between their identity and lived experiences.

Respect Individual Language Preferences

Respecting individual preferences is crucial, recognising that most may prefer identity-first language while others favour person-first language. It involves honouring each person’s choice regarding how they wish to be described in relation to neurodivergent identity.

We acknowledge that the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent are framed in ways that hold both similarities and differences between different theories of knowledge, such as disability studies, critical autism studies, and neuroqueer theory, and allow space for understandings that differ from our own.

Reframe from Disorder to Neurotype

The neurodivergent experience is a valid, different neurotype. We do not need to classify people using a standard of “normality” or “typicality.” The medical model of disability and all classification systems arising from this model (for example, the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria) are inherently based on “neuro-normative” assumptions.

Being Truly Neurodiversity Affirming

Being neurodiversity affirmative does not just mean changing your language to be more respectful of the community, but making systemic changes across workplaces, healthcare systems, communities, and society so that neurodivergent people have the equal rights they deserve. This requires community allies as well as advocates. It is a basic human right to have a voice and a ‘place at the table’ in equal decision-making about community needs, and diversifying teams in this way also leads to better care and support.

Focus on Strengths

Emphasise the strengths and abilities of neurodivergent individuals, celebrating their unique perspectives and contributions to society. Recognising and highlighting strengths fosters a positive narrative around neurodiversity, promoting acceptance and inclusion.

Avoid Overgeneralisation

Recognise the diversity within the neurodivergent community, avoiding assumptions or generalisations based on stereotypes. Asking about and acknowledging individual differences and experiences promotes inclusivity and respect.

Use Inclusive Language

Using inclusive language respects all neurodivergent identities and acknowledges intersectionality with other aspects of identity. Prioritising preferred terminology, avoiding ableist language, and promoting accessibility create a welcoming environment for all.

Listen and Learn

Listening to the experiences and perspectives of neurodivergent individuals broadens understanding and promotes empathy. Learning from their insights fosters meaningful connections and supports inclusive practices.

Avoid Pathologising Language

Avoid framing neurodiversity solely as a disorder or deficit, recognising it as a natural variation of human neurology with both strengths and challenges. Using affirming language promotes acceptance, encourages supports, and celebrates diversity, which brings inclusion.

Reject Compliance or Behaviour Based Approaches

Behaviour-based compliance approaches are fully rejected by the autistic community and the neurodiversity paradigm, in part as they share their origins with gay conversion therapy. Ultimately the end goal of Applied Behaviour Analysis is an autistic child (or adult) who is ‘indistinguishable’ from their neurodivergent peers. Compliance-based behavioural methods (including Positive Behaviour Support, or PBS, and ABA) have been shown to have significant, negative, long-term effects on people’s mental health.

Compliance-based behaviour methods are ineffective, increasingly showing links between masking (promoted by social skills training) and poor mental health, self-harm and suicide. These approaches place barriers to connection, prevent full exploration of neurodivergent identity and finding a way to be neurodivergent in the world, instead encouraging concealment of a crucial element of the self, increasing loneliness and isolation. This leads to feelings of rejection, hurt and devaluation.

A Process of Ever-Becoming

Several neurodiversity-affirming psychologists¹, in encouraging fellow clinicians to move towards neuro-affirmative practice, write that “neuro-affirmative practice is a process of ever-becoming: you will never arrive.” We should always learn from the community, ever exploring our own knowledge. “Do not make neuronormative or heteronormative assumptions… Strive for cultural humility. Show yourself compassion as you unlearn, re-learn, and ever move forward. Learning is an ever-looping process of becoming, it is not linear. Welcome this.”

¹ What does it mean to be neurodiversity-affirmative? The British Psychological Society, opens in a new tab

Terms We Do Not Use

As our understanding deepens, some widely used terms no longer fit our values. Here is language we have moved away from, and why.

Low arousal approach / low demand approach

These describe an approach in terms of what adults reduce or withhold from the person (arousal, demands), which keeps the framing centred on adult management rather than the autistic person’s own autonomy and consent. Even when well-intentioned, this echoes behaviour-based, compliance-oriented language. We describe the actual practice instead, for example “collaborative, autonomy-led support” or, reducing pressure or “adjusting expectations in partnership with the person.”

Emotional regulation

This locates dysregulation as an individual emotional failing to be corrected and narrows it to emotions alone. Emotions are natural and important reactions to our surroundings and experiences. Dysregulation is a whole nervous system and sensory response to an environment not built for the person, and it often needs co-regulation with a trusted other, not just self-management. We use “regulation,” “co-regulation,” or “dysregulated / dysregulation” instead.

Neurotypical

There is no fixed “neurotypical” brain to contrast against. What looks typical simply reflects whose needs are already being met by their environment; anyone whose needs go unmet will diverge from that norm, whether or not they are neurodivergent. We use “neuronormative” to name the constructed standard itself, rather than presenting it as a real, fixed type of person. See the Terms and Concepts section for the full definition.

Terms and Concepts in Neurodiversity

Ableism: Discrimination in favour of non-disabled people.
Ableist Language: Words or phrases that make people with differences or disabilities feel less valued, and might intentionally or unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or negative perceptions.
Accommodations: Actions that help ameliorate a substantial disadvantage due to disability or medical condition. For children in the classroom, this could mean allowing noise-cancelling headphones, providing more opportunities for movement, extra time for test-taking, or physical changes to the classroom environment.
ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in self-regulation, executive function, attention and impulsivity.
Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA): Focuses on the function of behaviour and the compliance of the child (achieved through rewards or negative reinforcement), and teaches children to mask their pain and distress, leading to poor mental health and increased suicidality.
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS): Being widely promoted as another approach used on people who are disabled and/or neurodivergent and display behaviours others do not wish to see. Often the disabled person has significant sensory, communication, trauma or medical needs and rights that are not met. PBS is not supported by Disabled People’s Organisations and allies, because it does not meet human rights, has a poor quality evidence base, and its risks and harms are not understood.
Alternative Augmentative/Assistive Communication (AAC): Encompasses all the ways people communicate without talking, using devices, strategies or methods such as signing.
Assistive Technology: Technology that supports daily life tasks.
AuDHD: Co-occurrence of being both Autistic and ADHD and only recognised formally in 2013 version of the DSM-5.
Autism: Being autistic is a different, valid neurotype with a distinct developmental trajectory. It is a different way of experiencing the world, not a disorder. Characterised by a preference for routine or similarity, justice sensitivity, high levels of empathy, difference in displaying emotions, communication differences and individual sensitivity to sensations.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: How autism is referred to in the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association’s professional reference book on mental health and brain-related conditions. See the preferred language table; we advocate that this term should not be used in relation to Autistic people.
Burnout: A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, often experienced by neurodivergent individuals due to the continuous effort to adapt to a world designed for neuronormative individuals.
Co-occurring Conditions: Conditions that may accompany neurodivergence, affecting an individual’s experiences and support needs. However, we advocate that this term is not used in relation to Autism/ADHD/Tics/OCD/Dyslexia etc as this perpetuates the medical model and we use it only referencing medical conditions such as connective tissue differences that travel often with neurodivergence.
Disabled, Disability: These terms acknowledge that societal barriers, not just medical conditions, create challenges for neurodivergent individuals.; The definition of disability in Ireland is found in sections 2 and 7 of the Disability Act 2005: “a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation, or to participate in social or cultural life, by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment, which is permanent or likely to be permanent and gives rise to the need for services to be provided continually.”
Double Empathy Problem: The phrase coined by Damian Milton explaining the misunderstanding that happens between neurodivergent and neuronormative people, as both can struggle to understand each other’s feelings and perspectives. The emphasis should be on both people developing an understanding of each other’s ways of being and working together on the best ways to interact. There needs to be mutual respect for the diversity of communication between humans.
Dyslexia: A learning difference that can cause difficulties with reading and writing. Everyone with dyslexia is different, but there is a commonality of difficulties with reading, spelling and writing and related cognitive or processing difficulties. Dyslexia is not a general difficulty with learning; it impacts specific skill areas, and its impact can change according to the environment.
Dyspraxia: Affects movement and coordination (organisation of bigger and smaller movements), which can affect the performance of day-to-day activities at home, in school, during play, or at work.
Dysregulation: Experiencing nervous system distress, often due to sensory overload or stress.
Gestalt Language Development: A second path of natural language development, called ‘gestalt language development,’ which contrasts with ‘analytic language development’ that has in the past been labelled as ‘typical.’ Gestalt language development is common among both neuronormative and neurodivergent children, and has predictable steps just like ‘typical’ language development. It begins with language gestalts, such as whole phrases, songs, stories and movies, whereas analytic language development begins with single words.
Gestalt Language Processing: Processing language as a Gestalt processor.
Gestalt Processing: Experiencing the world as a Gestalt processor, in short, processing things as a whole (the entirety of an experience may include smell, sound, surroundings, processed as one whole).
Inclusion: The practice and goal of creating environments and opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
Inclusive Language: Language that is consciously chosen to be respectful and welcoming, avoiding terms that exclude, marginalise, or are harmful or insulting.
Intersectionality: Describes the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination “intersect” to create unique dynamics and effects.
Neuro-affirming: Approaches and practices that validate and support the identities and experiences of neurodivergent individuals.
Neuroception: A subconscious process through which the nervous system evaluates safety in the environment. While perception requires conscious awareness and cognitive processing, neuroception functions at a subconscious and instinctual level. Neurodivergent individuals, particularly children who have a Persistent Drive for Autonomy (see below), commonly have hypersensitive neuroception, meaning their nervous system is constantly under threat even in situations that appear safe to others due to loss of autonomy and power imbalance. This can create challenges in accessing basic needs, social interactions, and regulation of the nervous system.
Neurodivergent: Refers to individuals whose brains work in unique ways. It celebrates the diversity of minds and challenges the idea of a single way of thinking or processing information. Neurodivergent brains deviate from the normative way of thinking or being, that is expected by society.
Neurodiversity Paradigm: Viewing neurological differences as natural variations that should be respected and valued, not seen as deficits.
Neurodiverse: A group or environment that includes many different types of minds, both neuronormative and neurodivergent.
Neurodiversity: Celebrates the natural variation in how people’s brains work, recognising differences in cognition, behaviour, and neurological makeup as valuable aspects of human diversity.
Neurodiversity Movement: A social justice and civil and human rights movement, aiming to celebrate and accept differences, achieving equality, respect and full inclusion for neurodivergent people.
Neuronormative: Describes the socially constructed standard by which some ways of thinking, communicating and being are treated as the default. Neuronormative is not a fixed type of brain or a category of person; a neuronormative standard exists because an environment meets some people’s needs by default, while others must adapt, mask, or diverge from it to get by. We use “neuronormative” rather than “neurotypical” because it names the standard and the systems that enforce it, rather than presenting a fixed type of person to contrast against neurodivergent people.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Causes a particular pattern of thoughts and behaviours across four main steps: an unwanted and distressing obsession; the anxiety it provokes; a compulsion, meaning repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed in response; and temporary relief, which does not last. OCD can arise as a PDA response, or as part of a PANS/PANDAS presentation or other nervous system response to stress.
PANS/PANDAS: PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is a broad neuropsychiatric condition, while PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) is a subset triggered specifically by strep infections. They involve both neurological and psychiatric symptoms, often appearing suddenly in children before puberty and are characterized by the abrupt onset of obsessive-compulsive behaviours (OCD) or severe food restriction, accompanied by other symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, mood changes, tics, sensory sensitivities, sleep disturbances, and deterioration in school performance or motor skills.
PDA, Persistent Drive for Autonomy: Previously referred to as Pathological Demand Avoidance. A central nervous system disability, where loss of autonomy and equity results in nervous system distress and dysregulation, that can affect the ability to perform daily life tasks.
Positive Neurodivergent Identity: To have pride in neurodivergent culture, value one’s personal communication style, and recognise and increase personal strengths and self-autonomy, including by way of self-advocacy.
Rights Based Model of Disability: Recognises that disability is a social contract and that disabilities must not be taken as a legitimate ground for the denial or restriction of human rights. It acknowledges that disability is one of several layers of identity, so disability laws and policies must take the diversity of persons with disabilities into account, and that human rights are interdependent, interrelated, and indivisible.
Rights Based Model of Support: A human rights-based approach to care and support seeks to ensure that the human rights of participants are protected, promoted and supported by staff and services. The attitudes of providers and the language they use when working with people they support are crucial to implementing this approach.
Sensory Differences: Variations in how people process sensory information.
Sensory Processing: How the brain takes in and sorts out information from the senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory (taste), proprioception (information from the muscles), vestibular (movement) and interoception (how the body feels things internally).
Social Model vs. Medical Model of Disability: The social model recognises societal barriers that create challenges for neurodivergent individuals, such as inaccessible environments and negative attitudes, and aims to remove these barriers for a more inclusive society. In contrast, the medical model sees neurodiversity as a problem to be fixed, focusing on treating brain differences rather than addressing societal barriers, and may overlook the strengths and unique perspectives neurodivergent individuals bring to society.
Stimming: Self-expression body language that helps regulate sensory input or manage emotions, common among neurodivergent individuals.
Tics: Fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or sounds.
Tourette’s Syndrome: Tics are the main symptom of Tourette’s syndrome. They usually appear in childhood, between the ages of 2 and 14, with around 6 years being the average age. People with Tourette’s syndrome have a combination of physical and vocal tics, and most experience a strong urge before a tic, known as a premonitory sensation, which is only relieved after the tic has been carried out.
Universal Design: The design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people regardless of age, disability or other factors. It emerged as a rights-based, anti-discrimination measure seeking to create design for all abilities, and is key to achieving the right to education and training enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
UNCRPD: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a UN treaty which affirms and protects the human rights of people with disabilities, signed by Ireland in 2007 and ratified by Ireland in March 2018. Ireland ratified the Optional Protocol, which establishes an individual complaints mechanism, at the end of 2024.

Preferred Language Table

This table sets out the preferred language for the most commonly used and most commonly misused terms in this guide. It is not exhaustive; refer to the Terms and Concepts section above for fuller definitions.

ASDASD Unit

We do not use ASD or ASD Unit — read on to find out why.

Preferred Language	Language to Avoid	Why is it Preferred?
Identity First Language: Autistic Individual	Person First Language: Person with Autism	Emphasises autism as an integral part of a person’s identity. Individuals may prefer to identify with their neurodivergence. Respects the neurotype and avoids framing autism as a disorder or “condition.” Some neurodivergent people differ in their language preference; acknowledging each individual’s preferred language is respectful toward their identity and lived experience.
Autistic, Autism	Has Autism, Has Asperger’s, Asperger’s Syndrome, On the Spectrum, With Autism, AS/ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism Spectrum, ASC, Suffers from Autism, Classic Autistic	Moves away from the view that autism is a disorder that someone “has,” towards respecting different neurotypes. Asperger’s is no longer an official clinical diagnosis. The term derived from the work of Hans Asperger, a psychiatrist who worked with the Nazis and employed abhorrent descriptions of autistic children.
Classroom	Autism Class, ASD Unit, Autism Unit, Unit	Children and adults, regardless of neurotype, are taught in classrooms, not units. There is no requirement for a school to use the DSM-5 term “ASD.” Avoid abbreviations that dehumanise.
Disability, Difference	Disorder	Disability is not a ‘dirty’ word. People should be free to choose to declare themselves disabled, receive the support they need, and not be shamed for doing so. “Disorder” suggests something is inherently wrong or dysfunctional about a person.
Differences, Challenges, Needs	Deficits, Impairment	Highlights the uniqueness of neurodivergent individuals without framing their challenges or characteristics as deficits. Recognises that diverse ways of thinking and experiencing the world contribute to the richness of human diversity, and that there are disabling environments and barriers arising from neuronormative systems and practices.
Individuals with Specific Support Requirements, Diverse Needs, a Disability; Disabled Person; Neurodivergent; Higher Support Needs	Special Needs, Special (for example, special education or special class)	The phrase “special needs” can cause harm: it increases stigma by framing accommodations as “special” rather than a right, it can infantilise, and it fosters segregation. Needs and rights are not extra or special, but derive from the same fundamental civil rights of all people.
Autistic or Neurodivergent Development Trajectory	Regression, Missing Milestones, Developmental Delay, Problematic Development, Developmental Difficulties, “Has the Mental Age of…,” “Acts Like an X Year Old”	Acknowledges that neurodivergent individuals may follow unique paths of growth that are not predictable according to traditional perspectives, and that development is ongoing and multifaceted. “Regression” or missing milestones implies backward development, which can be stigmatising.
Support, Accommodations, Adjustments, adaptations	Treatment, Cures, Therapy to “Cure,” Interventions, Fix Autism, Cure Autism, Treat Autism	Emphasises the need to create environments that support and accommodate diverse needs and promote equitable participation, recognising neurodiversity as a natural aspect of human variation. “Treatment” or “cures” suggest a deficit-oriented, pathologising approach, implying neurodivergent individuals need fixing.
Non-speaking or minimally speaking, or speaks other than by using mouth words	Speaking at Times, Minimally Speaking, Non-verbal, Pre-verbal	Accurately describes individuals who primarily communicate through methods other than spoken language, such as sign language, gestures, or AAC, without suggesting they do not communicate at all. “Non-verbal” might wrongly imply a total lack of communication ability.
Characteristic	Symptoms, Signs, Impairments, Deficit, Difficulties Attributed to Being Autistic	Acknowledges that neurodiversity is an inherent aspect of an individual’s identity, personality or cognitive profile, and supports individual uniqueness. “Signs” or “symptoms” may imply a medicalised perspective, framing neurodiversity as a collection of problems to be treated or cured.
Neuronormative	Neurotypical, Normal	There is no fixed “neurotypical” brain or type of person to contrast against. What looks typical simply reflects whose needs are already being met by an environment; anyone whose needs go unmet will diverge from that norm. “Neuronormative” names the constructed standard itself, rather than presenting it as a real, fixed category of person. “Normal” additionally implies a standard or ideal that others deviate from, reinforcing stigma.
Intellectual Disability	Developmental Disability (used imprecisely), the R-word, Handicapped	Respects the dignity and humanity of individuals with cognitive differences. The R-word is deeply offensive and perpetuates hurtful stereotypes. “Handicapped” is outdated and focuses on limitations rather than abilities.
Sensory Processing Differences, Sensory Differences, Autistic Sensory Perception	Sensory Processing Disorder, Sensory Abnormalities	Each individual has a unique way of processing information and experiencing their environment. Differences in sensory experience are natural and should not be seen as deviations from a perceived norm. “Disorder” suggests something is inherently wrong.
Support Needs	High/Low Functioning, Mild/Severe	Recognises the individualised supports or accommodations required to address the unique strengths, challenges and preferences of neurodivergent individuals, avoiding functioning labels that oversimplify and stigmatise.
Dysregulated, Meltdown, Nervous System Distress	Disruptive, Bold, Behavioural Outburst, Challenging Behaviour, Behaviour of Concern, Tantrum, other critical terms	Accurately describes a state of imbalance in the central nervous system, or instability in emotional or sensory regulation, without stigmatising language. A meltdown signals nervous system distress. Critical terms may imply a lack of self-discipline or a chosen behaviour, reinforcing misconceptions.
Passion, Passionate, Hobby, Areas of Strength, Area of Expertise, Hyperfocus, Attention to Detail, Focused Interest	Obsessive, Obsessed, Special Interest, Rigid Interest, Repetitive Interest	Conveys the deep interest and strong focus a neurodivergent individual may have for a topic. “Obsessive” suggests an unhealthy fixation, disregarding the happiness and self-regulatory capacity the interest provides. “Special interest” implies something unusual about the hobby.
Authentic Communication, Connection	Social Skills (training)	Social skills training is fully rejected by the neurodiversity paradigm, where comparisons to the practice of gay conversion therapy are made. Like all behaviour-based models, it encourages neurodivergent people to mask their true selves, leading to internalised shame. It ignores Milton’s Double Empathy Problem: difficulties in communication are mutual, not located in the neurodivergent person alone.
World Autism Day, World Autism Month	Autism Acceptance Day, Autism Acceptance Month	Autistic people should not have to seek anyone’s ‘acceptance.’ Rather than placing the onus on autistic people to seek acceptance, we encourage non-autistic people to educate themselves on autism and on what supports autistic people might need to be included in communities.

Preferred Positive Imagery

Rainbow infinity symbol
Promotes a positive and inclusive view of neurodivergence, challenging the notion that people are ‘puzzling’ or ‘broken’ and instead emphasising unique strengths and abilities. The rainbow signifies the diversity of experience within neurodiversity, and the infinity symbol represents the infinite potential of neurodivergent people.
Gold infinity symbol
Used by the autistic community, as the first two letters of ‘autism’ and ‘autistic’ are “Au,” the chemical symbol for gold.
Butterfly symbol
Used to show the beauty of diversity; many feel it represents constant motion and how ADHD brains may flit between things.

Negative Imagery to Avoid

Puzzle pieces
Linked puzzle pieces are associated with the view that autistic people are ‘missing’ a piece of their puzzle and are a problem to be solved. This symbol objectifies and dehumanises. The use of primary colours also infantilises neurodivergent people, suggesting they remain child-like forever.
Puzzle ribbon
Introduced by the National Autistic Society in 1963 to reflect the “puzzling” nature of autism. The ribbon suggests autism is a disease that must be cured, reinforcing the same dehumanising ‘missing piece’ framing as the puzzle pieces above.
Autism Speaks branding / the colour blue
The blue puzzle-piece branding is considered to perpetuate the belief that autism relates to males only. This is harmful for autistic girls, who often go without diagnosis, and when diagnosed, may have their differences and needs ignored. The concept originated with Autism Speaks, an American organisation formed to find a “cure” for autism, including by funding research into genetics and eugenics.

Neurodiversity Ireland wants to change how Irish society views neurodivergence. We are asking you to unlearn, and re-learn, learn from the neurodivergent community, ever exploring your own, ever-looping knowledge.

Thank you for your continued support!

Results and Analysis of the Autistic Not Weird 2022 Autism Survey, opens in a new tabChris Bonnello, Autistic Not Weird

Neurodiversity Ireland, Language and Values Guide – RCN20206465

The guides to download

Embracing the Language of Neurodiversity

A Guide to Inclusive Language and Values. Updated September 2026, incorporating current preferred terms.

Neurodiversity Ireland, September 2026

PDF, 11 pages, 480 KB

Preferred Language Quick Reference

Condensed from: Embracing the Language of Neurodiversity — A Guide to Inclusive Language and Values (March 2025).

Neurodiversity Ireland

PDF, 2 pages, 69 KB

Media & Press Guide

Terms and framing journalists and press most often get wrong when covering autism and neurodivergence.