Glossary
Twice-Exceptional (2e)
A person who is both gifted and has a learning difference or neurodivergence (such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia). The “exceptional” abilities and the challenges often mask each other, which is why it’s frequently overlooked.
Stealth Dyslexia
You can read — sometimes even really well — but underneath, spelling, writing, or processing words is a constant hidden struggle. It’s “stealth” because it doesn’t look like traditional dyslexia, so it often goes unnoticed (or misjudged).
Masking
The effort of hiding your natural traits to “fit in.” Smiling when you’re exhausted, copying social scripts, or forcing eye contact. Masking works short-term but is draining long-term. Many people don’t realise they’ve been doing it for years.
Camouflaging
A bigger umbrella than masking — it’s the whole set of strategies you use to blend in. It can include masking (hiding behaviours), compensation (learning scripts), and assimilation (saying “yes” to fit).
Intensities (Overexcitabilities)
A term from psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski describing heightened ways of experiencing the world. Your inner world turned up to 11. Maybe your imagination never stops, you feel emotions deeply, you notice every sound or light, or your brain can’t help but ask “what if?” They’re strengths — but they can also be overwhelming until you understand them.
Positive Disintegration
A theory by Dąbrowski that personal growth often comes after a breakdown. When the old “you” no longer works, things can feel chaotic. But that “falling apart” is actually the start of rebuilding into a truer version of yourself.
You’re not falling apart, things are falling into place.
Autistic Burnout
Not just tired — it’s the crash after years of pushing through sensory overload, masking, or demands. It can look like depression or exhaustion, but at its heart, it’s your system saying “enough.”
RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)
That gut-punch feeling when you think you’ve let someone down, been criticised, or not met expectations. The intensity is real, even if the “rejection” wasn’t.
Executive Function
The brain’s admin system — planning, prioritising, organising, remembering. When it works, life flows. When it doesn’t, even small tasks feel impossible.
Neurodivergent
A broad word for people whose brains work differently from the “typical.” ADHD, autism, dyslexia, giftedness — all count. It’s not a flaw; it’s just a different wiring.