Neurodiversity, explained
How ADHD, autism, AuDHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia work. What they share, and what helps.
Draft. Some sections are still placeholders, and the page has not been reviewed yet.
Start here
What the words mean, and how many people this is about.
This guide is about brains that do not all work the same way. It covers attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, AuDHD (autism and ADHD together), dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. It says what they share. It says how to get a diagnosis in the UK, and what helps.
The team at Humble writes this guide. Some of our team are neurodivergent. Each health fact has a source. The sources are in the last chapter. You can read the chapters in any order.
What the word means
Neurodiversity means that brains are not all the same. People think, learn and focus in their own ways. The word comes from "biodiversity". That word means all the kinds of life in nature (Doyle, 2020).
Some brains do not work like most brains. A person with a brain like this is neurodivergent. A person whose brain works in the most common way is neurotypical.
Neurodivergent or neurodiverse?
The two words look alike. But they do not mean the same thing (University of Washington).
- Neurodivergent is about one person. "I am neurodivergent."
- Neurodiverse is about a group with many kinds of brain. A team with many kinds of brain in it is neurodiverse.
Many people say "neurodiverse" about one person too. This is common. Some people use the word for all of us, since all brains differ (University of Washington).
Two ways to see disability
The medical model sees the condition as the problem. It tries to fix the person.
The social model sees it another way. It says the world puts up barriers. The barriers are the problem, not the person. Remove the barriers, and the person may still have the condition. But it does not stop them taking part (University of Edinburgh).
A barrier might be a loud office. It might be a form that is hard to read. This guide uses both ideas. A diagnosis can help you get support. Changes to the world around you can help too.
Words about people
Some people say "autistic person". This is called identity-first language. Others say "person with autism". This is called person-first language.
A UK study asked 3,470 people which words they liked. Many autistic adults and parents chose "autistic". Fewer people who work with autistic people did. Nearly half of them chose "person with autism" (Kenny and others, 2016).
The study found no single choice that suits everyone. This guide says "autistic people". For the other conditions it says "people with", as in "people with dyslexia". If you are not sure, ask the person which words they like.
How common is it?
No one has an exact count. The estimates do not agree:
- About 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, says ACAS. ACAS gives advice about work.
- Between 14 and 20 in every 100 people in the UK are neurodivergent, says the IET (the Institution of Engineering and Technology).
These are best guesses. Each one counts its own set of conditions. Many people have more than one condition. Many people have never had a diagnosis. So no number is exact.
This guide is not medical advice. For help with your health, talk to a GP or another health worker.
The main areas
This chapter gives a short summary of six conditions, under the same five headings each time. Each summary ends with a link to its own guide, where one is ready.
ADHD
What it is
ADHD is short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a difference in how the brain develops. It changes how you manage attention, memory, time and action. Common signs are trouble focusing, feeling restless and acting without thinking. It is not about what you know or how hard you try. About 3 to 4 in 100 adults in the UK have it.
Strengths
Many people with ADHD can focus very deeply on things that interest them. This is called hyperfocus. Many are good at new ideas, solving problems and staying calm in a crisis. This list comes from people with ADHD, not from medical tests. Not everyone has these strengths, and they do not cancel out the hard parts.
Challenges
Forgetting a thought seconds after you have it. Finding it hard to start a task, even one you want to do. Losing track of time. Feeling stuck when everything arrives at once. Small mistakes, losing things and staying organised.
What helps
Write thoughts down within seconds, all in one place. Make the first step of a task tiny. Use timers and calendar blocks so you can see time. Changes around you help too, like a quieter seat or short blocks of work with breaks. NICE guidance says to try these changes first. If they are not enough, an ADHD specialist can offer medicine.
Myths
- "ADHD is just being lazy." No. You often know what to do. The hard part is the step between knowing and doing.
- "Only children have it." No. Many adults still have it. Restlessness often gets less with age, but trouble focusing often stays.
- "It is mostly boys." No. NICE says ADHD is often missed in girls and women.
Sources: NHS, NICE guideline NG87 and the people with ADHD who wrote the ADHD guide. The full list is in the ADHD guide's sources.
Autism
What it is
Autism is a lifelong difference in how the brain develops. It changes how you take in the world, how you talk with people and how you deal with change. It is not an illness, and it has no cure. Doctors call it autism spectrum disorder. Many people say "autistic person". In England, about 1 in 34 children aged 10 to 14 had a diagnosis in 2018, and most autistic adults may have none.
Strengths
In a UK study, autistic adults named deep focus, attention to detail, a good memory, creative thinking, honesty and loyalty. The same trait could help in one place and make life hard in another. Another study found that autistic people pass on information to each other as well as non-autistic people do.
Challenges
Sensory overload in busy places, the energy that time with people takes, changes to plans, shutdowns and meltdowns when everything is too much, and starting, stopping or switching tasks.
What helps
Notice before plans change, plans you can see, headphones and quiet places, time to rest after seeing people and time with other autistic people. NICE says adults may be offered a social learning programme.
Myths
- "Autism can be cured." No. It is not an illness. NICE says treatments such as special diets or chelation should not be used to treat it.
- "Vaccines cause autism." No. The NHS says autism is not caused by vaccines.
- "Autistic people are bad at talking with people." Not simply. Talking is hardest when autistic and non-autistic people talk together.
Sources: NHS, NICE (CG142 and CG128), the National Autistic Society and UK research on autistic adults. The full list is in the autism guide's sources.
AuDHD
What it is
AuDHD (autism and ADHD together) is a word from the community for being autistic and having ADHD. It is not a separate diagnosis. Doctors diagnose the two conditions on their own, and a person can have both. It is common: one large review found that about 28 in 100 autistic people also have ADHD. Doctors have only been allowed to diagnose both since 2013.
Strengths
Each condition brings its own strengths, and someone with both can have strengths from either. Research is thin. One UK study found that autistic adults who also had ADHD did more creative things in daily life. Some adults with both say their traits sometimes cancel each other out.
Challenges
The two can pull against each other. You may need routine but want new things, or need quiet but seek more going on. One condition often hides the other, so the second diagnosis can come years later. Advice made for one condition can clash with the other.
What helps
Help that meets both needs at once: a routine with room to change, plans written down so a change is less scary, tools for too much noise and for too little, and rest planned before you need it. Tell health workers about both conditions.
Myths
- "AuDHD is its own diagnosis." It is not. It is two diagnoses: autism and ADHD.
- "You cannot be autistic and have ADHD." You can. Since 2013, doctors can diagnose both.
- "If the advice did not work, you did it wrong." Advice for one condition may not suit the other half of you.
Sources: National Autistic Society (opens in a new tab), Lai and others, 2019 (opens in a new tab), The Transmitter on the DSM-5 change (opens in a new tab), Kentrou and others, 2018 (opens in a new tab), Healthwatch England, 2025 (opens in a new tab) and Taylor and others, 2025 (opens in a new tab). The AuDHD guide lists them all.
Dyslexia
What it is
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty. It mostly makes it hard to read and spell words fast and correctly. It can also affect memory for words, how fast you deal with words and keeping things in order. It has nothing to do with how clever you are. About 1 in 10 people in the UK are dyslexic.
Strengths
Many dyslexic people are strong at reasoning, visual thinking and creative work. Some researchers think dyslexic brains may be better at exploring new ideas. That idea is new and not proven yet.
Challenges
Long emails and documents take a lot of energy. Spelling stays hard, even for words you know. Reading under time pressure is slow. Spoken instructions with many steps can slip away.
What helps
Text-to-speech, which reads text out loud. Speech-to-text, which types what you say. Text that is easy to read: a plain font, more space and text lined up on the left. And instructions in writing.
Myths
- "Dyslexia means you are not clever." No. It appears in people at every level of ability.
- "It is only about reading." No. It can also affect memory, speed and order.
- "You either have it or you don't." No. It can be mild or strong, and it is different in each person.
Sources: NHS, British Dyslexia Association and the Rose Report (2009). The full list is in the dyslexia guide's sources.
Dyspraxia
What it is
Dyspraxia is a lifelong condition that mainly affects movement, balance and coordination. Doctors call it developmental coordination disorder (DCD). It can also make planning and learning new skills harder. It does not affect intelligence. About 5 in 100 children have it, and it often lasts into adult life.
Strengths
Research on strengths is still small. It does not affect intelligence. In a UK study, adults with dyspraxia described their own ways around daily problems, which helped them stay active in adult life.
Challenges
Planning and organising time, handwriting and typing, bumping into or dropping things, tiredness and getting used to new routines.
What helps
An occupational therapist for practical ways to do tasks, a physiotherapist for balance and coordination, a calendar or app for plans and a computer for writing.
Myths
- "It is just being clumsy." Movement is only one part. Planning, organising and tiredness are often harder for adults.
- "Children grow out of it." Half or more still have it as teenagers, and it is often lifelong.
- "It means you are less clever." Dyspraxia does not affect intelligence.
Sources: NHS, international clinical recommendations on DCD (Blank and others, 2019) and UK research on adults with DCD. The full list is in the dyspraxia guide's sources.
Dyscalculia
What it is
Dyscalculia is a lasting difficulty with numbers, most of all with knowing how big a number is. It is not low intelligence. Most estimates say 3 to 7 people in every 100 have it, but few get a diagnosis. It is different from maths anxiety, which is fear of maths. You can have one without the other.
Strengths
We found no good research on strengths that come with dyscalculia. It is a difficulty with numbers, so it says nothing about your other skills.
Challenges
Everyday numbers can be hard: managing a budget, checking a receipt, reading an analogue clock, working out timetables, making sense of big numbers and remembering a PIN.
What helps
For children, clear teaching helps. For adults there is little research, so tools do most of the work: a calculator, a digital clock, a calendar, alarms and spreadsheet software.
Myths
"It's just being bad at maths." Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that lasts all your life. "It's just maths anxiety." The two are different. Most children with high maths anxiety are average or good at maths.
Getting a diagnosis
How diagnosis works in the UK, for children and adults. Each guide adds the extra facts for its condition.
What an assessment is
A diagnosis comes from an assessment. An assessment is one or more meetings with trained people. They ask about your life now and when you were a child. You may fill in forms (NHS).
For an adult, they may talk to someone who knew you as a child, such as a parent. If no one can, school reports can help (NICE).
Who does it depends on the condition:
- ADHD. A specialist trained in ADHD. This might be a psychiatrist (a doctor for mental health) or a paediatrician (a doctor for children) (NICE).
- Autism. A team of experts (NHS).
- Dyslexia. An educational psychologist (an expert in how people learn). Or a specialist dyslexia teacher (NHS).
- Dyscalculia. A specialist teacher or a psychologist. They need a dyscalculia qualification (British Dyslexia Association).
- Dyspraxia. For a child, it can be a paediatrician or an occupational therapist (a health worker who helps with daily tasks). It can also be a physiotherapist or an educational psychologist (NHS).
NHS and private routes
On the NHS. For ADHD, autism and dyspraxia, start with your GP (your family doctor). Tell them what you notice. Tell them how it affects your life. They can refer you to a specialist. For a child, you can also talk to the school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) (NHS).
Waits can be long. In England, 9 in 10 people on the autism list had waited more than 13 weeks. NICE says the wait should be 13 weeks at most (National Autistic Society, using NHS data from December 2025).
In England, your GP may agree you need an ADHD assessment. Then you can choose who does it, from an NHS list. This is called Right to Choose. It is only in England (ADHD UK).
The NHS does not assess dyslexia or dyscalculia. This is because they are not health conditions. A school may arrange one. Most people pay for one, or a parent or employer does (British Dyslexia Association; NHS).
Private. You can pay to be assessed for any of these conditions. Check that the person has the right training. For ADHD, ask your GP before you pay. Some GPs will not keep giving you ADHD medicine that a private clinic started (Khan, 2023).
Routes are not the same in each part of the UK. They also change from area to area. The table shows the main routes.
| Condition | Who assesses | NHS route | Private options | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADHD | A psychiatrist, a paediatrician or another specialist trained in ADHD (NICE). | Your GP refers you. In England, Right to Choose lets you pick an approved provider (ADHD UK). | Private clinics. Ask your GP first if they will keep giving any medicine (Khan, 2023). | Yes. NICE guidance covers adults (NICE). |
| Autism | A team of experts (NHS). | Your GP refers you. For a child, a health visitor or the school SENCO can too (NHS). | Private clinics. | Yes. Ask your GP. Waits are long in many areas (NHS; National Autistic Society). |
| AuDHD | Two assessments: an ADHD specialist for ADHD, and a team of experts for autism (NICE; NHS). Some NHS areas have one adult service for both (Kent Community Health NHS). | Your GP refers you. Autism and ADHD are often assessed on separate routes (Healthwatch England). In England, Right to Choose covers both assessments (NHS South West London). For a child, an ADHD diagnosis should not delay an autism referral (NICE). | Private clinics. Ask your GP first if they will keep giving any ADHD medicine (Khan, 2023). | Yes. If you have one diagnosis, you can ask to be assessed for the other. Before 2013, doctors could not diagnose both (The Transmitter). |
| Dyslexia | An educational psychologist or a specialist dyslexia teacher (NHS). | No. A school may arrange it (NHS; British Dyslexia Association). | Private assessors, or the British Dyslexia Association's own service (NHS). | Yes. You or your employer usually pay (British Dyslexia Association). |
| Dyspraxia | A paediatrician, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist or an educational psychologist (NHS). | A GP, health visitor or SENCO can refer a child. A diagnosis is not usually made before age 5 (NHS). | Private assessments (NHS). | Yes. A GP may refer you to an occupational therapist (NHS). |
| Dyscalculia | A specialist teacher or a psychologist with a dyscalculia qualification (British Dyslexia Association). | No (British Dyslexia Association). | Private assessors, or the British Dyslexia Association's own service. | Yes. You or your employer usually pay (British Dyslexia Association). |
If you are an adult
You can be assessed as an adult. NICE has guidance for adults with ADHD and for autistic adults (NICE). For dyspraxia, see a GP. Keep notes on how it affects you. Your GP may refer you to an occupational therapist. You can also pay for a private assessment (NHS).
As an adult, you will be asked about when you were a child. Someone who knew you then, or old school reports, can help (NICE).
Why many women find out late
Many girls and women are diagnosed late, or not at all. Research gives some reasons:
- Missed. Girls with ADHD are often not noticed, or not sent to be assessed (Young and others, 2020).
- Different signs. Girls and women with ADHD can show other signs than boys and men (Young and others, 2020).
- Hidden signs. Girls and women may find ways to cope that hide their signs (Young and others, 2020).
For autism, one review found about 3 boys for every 1 girl. It also found that girls who meet the criteria are more likely to be missed (Loomes and others, 2017).
Self-identifying
Some people feel sure they are neurodivergent. But they have no diagnosis. This is called self-identifying. It can help you know yourself and find people like you.
Some help needs a diagnosis. Only a health worker trained in ADHD should start ADHD medicine (NICE).
At work, you do not need a diagnosis. Your employer should offer support whether or not you have one (ACAS).
What helps across all of them
Small changes that help across many conditions. Try one at a time. Keep what works.
What helps is different for each person. These ideas help across more than one condition. Each condition guide adds more.
Habits
- Get it out of your head. Use a calendar, a diary or an app to stay organised (NHS).
- Break it into steps. Ask for instructions in clear, small steps (ACAS).
- Find your people. Talking with people who have the same condition can help. ADHD UK, the National Autistic Society and the British Dyslexia Association are UK charities you can contact.
Changes around you
- Tools that read and write. Text-to-speech reads words out loud. Speech-to-text types what you say. Many phones and computers have these built in (Dyslexia Scotland).
- Less bright light. Use less strong light, wear sunglasses or use dark curtains. A desk with screens on each side can block things you see (National Autistic Society).
- Less noise. Quiet areas, less background noise and headphones that block noise can help (Mersey Care NHS).
- Text that is easy to read. Use text that is not too small, with space between the lines (Dyslexia Scotland).
- Changes at work or college. Workplaces, colleges and universities can make changes to help you. These are called reasonable adjustments (NHS).
One tool for getting things out of your head is Humble, which we make. You save notes and tasks wherever you are, and Humble helps you find them again.
At work
The law can protect you at work.
In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people at work. Your condition can count as a disability under this law. You do not need a diagnosis for this (ACAS).
It counts when it has a "substantial" effect on your daily life. Substantial means more than a small effect. The effect must also be long-term. This means it has lasted, or will likely last, 12 months or more (GOV.UK).
Then your employer must make reasonable adjustments. These are changes that help you do your job. This could be new tools or new hours (GOV.UK). Access to Work is a government grant. It pays for support to help you work, and you do not pay it back (GOV.UK).
This law is not used in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK). Northern Ireland has its own laws.
Our work guides explain the rest: whether to tell your employer, how to ask for changes and how Access to Work fits in.
Sources and about this guide
Who wrote this, what it's based on and when it was last checked.
The team at Humble writes this guide and keeps it up to date. Some of our team are neurodivergent. Every health fact and number on this page comes from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the guide says so.
Shared definitions and numbers
- Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: a biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125 (opens in a new tab). Used for: the word modelled on biodiversity, spiky profiles.
- University of Washington DO-IT Center: What do “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” mean? (opens in a new tab). Used for: neurodivergent and neurodiverse.
- University of Edinburgh: The social model of disability (opens in a new tab). Used for: the social model.
- Kenny, L. and others (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism, 20(4), 442–462 (opens in a new tab). Used for: identity-first and person-first language.
- ACAS: What is neurodiversity? (infographic, 2025) (opens in a new tab). Used for: about 1 in 7.
- The IET: What is neurodiversity? (opens in a new tab). Used for: between 14 and 20 in 100.
Shared traits
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust: ADHD in adults (leaflet) (opens in a new tab). Used for: organising and choosing what to do first in ADHD.
- Demetriou, E. A. and others (2018). Autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis of executive function. Molecular Psychiatry, 23, 1198–1204 (opens in a new tab). Used for: executive function in autism.
- British Dyslexia Association: What is dyslexia? (opens in a new tab). Used for: concentration and personal organisation in dyslexia.
- NHS: Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in adults (opens in a new tab). Used for: planning and organising time, adult diagnosis, calendars and diaries, reasonable adjustments.
- National Autistic Society: Sensory differences, a guide for all audiences (opens in a new tab). Used for: sensory differences in autism, changes to light.
- Panagiotidi, M., Overton, P. G. and Stafford, T. (2018). The relationship between ADHD traits and sensory sensitivity in the general population. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 80, 179–185 (opens in a new tab). Used for: ADHD traits and sensory problems.
- Hull, L. and others (2017). “Putting on my best normal”: social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 2519–2534 (opens in a new tab). Used for: masking.
- Raymaker, D. M. and others (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2) (opens in a new tab). Used for: autistic burnout.
- ADHD Foundation: What conditions can co-occur with ADHD? (opens in a new tab). Used for: more than 2 in 3 children and young people with ADHD have another condition.
- Lino, F. and Chieffo, D. P. R. (2022). Developmental coordination disorder and most prevalent comorbidities: a narrative review. Children, 9(7), 1095 (opens in a new tab). Used for: conditions that come with dyspraxia.
- Lai, M.-C. and others (2019). Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(10), 819–829 (opens in a new tab). Used for: about 28 in 100 autistic people have ADHD.
- Hours, C., Recasens, C. and Baleyte, J.-M. (2022). ASD and ADHD comorbidity: what are we talking about? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13 (opens in a new tab). Used for: 50 to 70 in 100, and the question about it.
Getting a diagnosis
- NICE guideline NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (opens in a new tab). Used for: who diagnoses ADHD, adults, who starts ADHD medicine.
- NICE guideline CG142: Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (opens in a new tab). Used for: adult autism assessment, someone who knew you as a child, school reports.
- NHS: How to get diagnosed with autism (opens in a new tab). Used for: what an assessment is, GP, health visitor and SENCO routes, a team of professionals.
- National Autistic Society: Over 254,000 face waits for autism assessment (February 2026) (opens in a new tab). Used for: 9 in 10 waited more than 13 weeks.
- ADHD UK: Right to Choose (NHS England) (opens in a new tab). Used for: Right to Choose in England only.
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust: Adult Neurodevelopmental Service (opens in a new tab). Used for: an example of one NHS adult service for autism and ADHD.
- NHS South West London: ADHD and autism Right to Choose (opens in a new tab). Used for: Right to Choose covers autism and ADHD assessments.
- Khan, N. (2023). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the rise of the private diagnosis. British Journal of General Practice, 73(733), 358 (opens in a new tab). Used for: GPs and medicine after a private diagnosis.
- NHS: Diagnosis of dyslexia (opens in a new tab). Used for: who assesses dyslexia, school and private routes.
- British Dyslexia Association: Assessments (opens in a new tab). Used for: not on the NHS, who pays.
- British Dyslexia Association: How can we get an assessment for dyscalculia? (opens in a new tab). Used for: who assesses dyscalculia.
- NICE guideline CG128: Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis (opens in a new tab). Used for: an ADHD diagnosis should not delay an autism referral (AuDHD row).
- Healthwatch England (2025): The impact of having ADHD and autism (opens in a new tab). Used for: separate assessment routes (AuDHD row).
- The Transmitter (Spectrum): New rules allow joint diagnosis of autism, attention deficit (opens in a new tab). Used for: both diagnoses allowed since 2013 (AuDHD row).
- NHS: Diagnosis of developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children (opens in a new tab). Used for: who assesses dyspraxia in children, age 5.
- Loomes, R., Hull, L. and Mandy, W. P. L. (2017). What is the male-to-female ratio in autism spectrum disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6) (opens in a new tab). Used for: about 3 to 1, girls more likely to be missed.
- Young, S. and others (2020). Females with ADHD: an expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 404 (opens in a new tab). Used for: why girls and women with ADHD are missed.
What helps and at work
- Dyslexia Scotland: Dyslexia and assistive technology (opens in a new tab). Used for: text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
- Dyslexia Scotland: Dyslexia-friendly typed formats (opens in a new tab). Used for: text size and line spacing.
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust: Highlighting the senses (2026) (opens in a new tab). Used for: quiet areas, less noise, headphones.
- ACAS: Adjustments for neurodiversity (opens in a new tab). Used for: instructions in clear steps, support with or without a diagnosis.
- GOV.UK: Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 (opens in a new tab). Used for: substantial and long-term, 12 months, not in Northern Ireland.
- GOV.UK: Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions (opens in a new tab). Used for: the duty to make reasonable adjustments.
- GOV.UK: Access to Work (opens in a new tab). Used for: what Access to Work is.
Draft, October 2026. This guide has not been reviewed yet. Once it is live, we will review it every six months.
This guide is general information. It is not medical advice. For diagnosis, medicine or your health, talk to a GP or another health worker.
Did you find a mistake? Is something missing? Email us. We read them all.
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