Mindfulness is a skill set that refers to awareness and attention. Some may think it is synonymous with meditation, but meditation is a mindfulness practice, whereas mindfulness refers to a larger set of cognitive skills. The goal of mindfulness is to bring the mind to the present moment and notice in an open and flexible way what the mind is doing or body is feeling. When we can access the present moment, we allow ourselves time to make skillful decisions about our future behavior.

Psychological flexibility refers to one’s ability to be mindful, accepting, and open to whatever a situation may bring. By being more aware of what is occurring in our minds and how it is affecting our choices in life, our options for how we interact with the world around us are opened up. When we can notice what’s happening in our bodies and thoughts in the present moment, we give ourselves time to make skillful decisions based on our values rather than rigid thoughts or rules. More psychological flexibility can improve one’s coping abilities and resilience.

When providing supportive services, prioritizing a client’s autonomy and choices, including whether or not to take part in the process. This is done to empower clients, and reinforce self-determination skills which are important for all, but especially for those in our society who are more vulnerable. This should be an ongoing evaluation.

Behavior analysis is the study of the relationship between what occurs in our environment and the behaviors we display. By understanding the contingencies that happen all around us everyday, we can choose to make changes in our environment that promote skill development and goal attainment across different contexts. It is a data-driven, evidence-based science.

A strength-based approach that views neurodivergent folk with acceptance, understanding, and support. It seeks to acknowledge and accept differences, and promote accommodations across environments to encourage inclusion in a society that is not naturally supportive of varying neurotypes.

ACT is an approach to behavior change that acknowledges the influence our thoughts and rules may have on our outward behaviors. ACT seeks to help humans limit the influence our mental chatter has on our lives, increase psychological flexibility through mindfulness and acceptance, and live a values-based life through committed actions.

Just as humans are diverse in personality or physical traits, so too do we have diverse nervous systems. In other words, we have different ways of operating within the world and how we take in the world around us through our senses. Humans are by nature neurodiverse. Under the umbrella of neurodiversity which includes every single human, fall the groups of neurodivergent, and neurotypical (see below).

Opposite of neurodivergent. This term reflects the neuromajoirty, rather, those who operate within the world and sensorily experience the world in the way society has deemed the “normative” way, based primarily on it being the most prevalent presentation in humans.

Opposite of neurotypical. A neurodivergent human is someone whose nervous system (brain and nerves/senses) operates differently (diverges) from what society has deemed the “normative” standard. This term encompasses many presentations including but not limited to; Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Down Syndrome…

A neurodivergent group of people that fall within a neurominority category. Autism is developmental and innate, meaning it is present before birth and throughout the lifetime. Generally speaking, in comparison to the neuromajority, Autistic individuals have a different way of operating within and experiencing the world, often taking in large amounts of cognitive and sensory information which contributes to differences in communication and socializing styles, as well as executive function and processing time. These differences paired with society’s deficit-based view of Autism and lack of accommodations can lead to some of the common challenges observed such as poor mental health, social anxiety, overwhelm, meltdowns, shutdowns, and burnout. As with humans in general, there is great variance among autistic people in terms of sensory profiles, regulatory / integrative behaviors (stimming), disability levels, communication and social differences, and overall presentation. In addition, autism can present independently, or co-occur with other neurodivergent profiles, i.e. ADHD, Dyslexia, etc.

A neurodivergent group of people that fall within a neurominority category. ADHD is currently understood to be highly heritable as well as impacted by environmental factors that may influence the presentation. Generally speaking, in comparison to the neuromajority, an ADHD person has differences in directing or maintaining attention which can affect various executive functioning tasks including time management, prioritizing, and organizing to name a few. These differences paired with society’s deficit-based view of ADHD and lack of accommodations can lead to some of the common challenges observed such as poor mental health, anxiety, overwhelm, depression, and burnout. As with humans in general, there is great variance among ADHD people in terms of overall presentation. In addition, ADHD can present independently, or co-occur with other neurodivergent profiles, i.e. Autism, Dyslexia, etc.

The social model of disability stands in contrast to the medical model which is what is primarily used here in the U.S. The medical model views differences from the normative standards as deficits and things to be fixed or cured. In contrast, the social model views disability in terms of society’s lack of acceptance and accommodations for those who diverge from what has been deemed the normative way for humans to operate within and experience the world. This model holds true that someone’s level of disability is in direct relation to how society is set up. For example, if society provides accommodations in a particular setting that allow a person to engage more in society, their level of disability decreases in that setting. However, if other settings do not provide accommodations, then their ability to engage decreases, and therefore their level of disability has increased. Programs that operate with the social model of disability seek to make accommodations and limit barriers to increase an individual’s ability to participate in society.