ADHD Glossary

  • A
    Accountability
    A supportive coaching process in which clients identify commitments, review progress, and reflect on obstacles. The goal is to encourage follow-through without judgment.

  • Activation
    The ability to begin a task. Many people with ADHD experience difficulty getting started, even when they want to complete the task.

  • ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
    A neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention regulation, executive functioning, impulse control, emotional regulation, motivation, and self-management. ADHD presents differently across individuals.

  • B
    Body Doubling
    Working alongside another person, either physically or virtually, to improve focus, motivation, and task completion.

  • Burnout
    A state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, overwhelm, or sustained effort without adequate recovery.

  • Brain Fog
    A state of mental confusion, lack of focus, and cognitive fatigue. Its collection of symptoms—such as forgetfulness, slowed thinking, and feeling overwhelmed by simple tasks—that clouds mental clarity

  • C
    Cognitive Flexibility
    The ability to adapt thinking, behaviour, or plans when circumstances change.

  • Cognitive Load
    The amount of mental effort required to process information and complete tasks.

  • Comorbidity
    The presence of one or more additional conditions alongside ADHD, such as anxiety, depression, autism, dyslexia, or learning disabilities.

  • D
    Dopamine
    A neurotransmitter involved in attention, motivation, reward, learning, and goal-directed behaviour. Differences in dopamine regulation are associated with ADHD.

  • E
    Emotional Dysregulation
    Difficulty managing emotional responses, often resulting in emotions that feel more intense, longer lasting, or harder to control.

  • Executive Functions
    A group of cognitive skills that help with planning, organising, prioritising, initiating tasks, regulating emotions, managing time, remembering information, and achieving goals.
  • Executive Dysfunction
    Difficulties with executive functioning that interfere with daily activities, responsibilities, and goal achievement.

  • Externalisation
    The process of moving information from memory into an external system, such as calendars, task lists, reminders, visual schedules, or alarms.

  • F
    Forgetfulness
    A common ADHD characteristic involving difficulty remembering appointments, deadlines, instructions, or where items were placed.
  • Friction
    Anything that increases the effort required to start or complete a task. ADHD coaching often focuses on reducing friction and increasing ease.

  • H
    Habit Stacking
    A strategy that links a new behaviour to an existing habit or routine to increase consistency.

  • Hyperactivity
    Excessive movement, restlessness, fidgeting, or an internal sense of being constantly active or “on the go.”

  • Hyperfocus
    A state of intense concentration on an activity or interest, often accompanied by reduced awareness of time or competing priorities.

  • I
    Impulsivity
    Acting quickly without fully considering consequences. This may affect communication, spending, decision-making, or emotional responses.

  • Inattention
    Difficulty sustaining focus, following instructions, managing details, organising information, or resisting distractions.

  • Interest-Based Nervous System
    A concept commonly used in ADHD coaching suggesting that motivation is often driven by interest, novelty, urgency, challenge, or personal meaning rather than importance alone.

  • M
    Masking
    Consciously or unconsciously hiding ADHD traits to meet social, educational, or workplace expectations.

  • Motivation Bridge
    A coaching strategy that connects a task to something meaningful, rewarding, urgent, or engaging to improve activation and follow-through.

  • N
    Neurodivergent
    A term describing people whose brains function differently from what is considered neurologically typical, including people with ADHD.

  • Neurodiversity
    The concept that neurological differences are natural variations of human cognition and experience.

  • O
    Object Permanence Challenges
    An informal term used in ADHD communities to describe forgetting tasks, responsibilities, or items when they are no longer visible.

  • Overstimulation
    Feeling overwhelmed by sensory input, information, social interaction, or environmental demands.

  • Overwhelm
    A state in which demands exceed a person’s perceived ability to cope, organise, prioritise, or respond effectively.

  • P
    Paralysis (Task Paralysis)
    A state in which a person feels unable to begin, continue, prioritise, or switch tasks despite wanting or needing to do so.

  • Perfectionism
    Setting unrealistically high standards or delaying action because of fear of mistakes, criticism, or failure.

  • Procrastination
    Delaying tasks despite knowing they need to be completed. In ADHD, procrastination is often linked to difficulties with activation, prioritisation, overwhelm, or motivation.

  • R
    Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
    An intense emotional response to perceived criticism, rejection, disappointment, or failure. While commonly discussed in ADHD communities, it is not an official diagnostic criterion.

  • S
    Scaffolding
    Temporary supports, structures, or systems that help a person succeed until they can manage tasks more independently.

  • Self-Awareness
    The ability to recognise patterns in thoughts, emotions, behaviours, strengths, challenges, and needs.

  • Self-Compassion
    Treating oneself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance, particularly during setbacks or difficulties.

  • Self-Regulation
    The ability to manage attention, emotions, behaviour, impulses, and energy in pursuit of goals.

  • Sensory Sensitivity
    Heightened sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures, smells, tastes, or other sensory experiences.

  • Stimming
    Repetitive movements, sounds, or behaviours used to regulate attention, emotions, energy, or sensory input.

  • Strengths-Based Coaching
    A coaching approach that focuses on identifying and leveraging strengths, talents, interests, and successes rather than concentrating solely on difficulties.

  • T
    Task Initiation
    The process of beginning a task. Difficulty with task initiation is one of the most common challenges experienced by people with ADHD.

  • Therapy
    Professional support focused on mental health, emotional wellbeing, and behavioural change. Therapy and coaching often complement one another.

  • Time Blindness
    Difficulty accurately perceiving, estimating, or managing time, often leading to lateness, missed deadlines, or unrealistic planning.

  • Transition
    The process of moving from one activity, environment, task, or focus state to another. ADHD can make transitions particularly challenging.

  • V
    Values-Based Goal Setting
    A coaching approach that connects goals to a person’s core values, helping increase motivation, commitment, and meaning.

  • W
    Working Memory
    The ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information needed to complete tasks, solve problems, follow instructions, and make decisions.

Predominantly Inattentive Presentation

ADHD characterised primarily by attention-related challenges.

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation

ADHD characterised primarily by hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Combined Presentation

ADHD characterised by significant symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.

  • A
    Anxiety Disorders
    A group of mental health conditions characterised by excessive worry, fear, nervousness, or physical symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety commonly co-occurs with ADHD and can affect focus, decision-making, sleep, and emotional wellbeing.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
    A neurodevelopmental condition involving differences in social communication, sensory processing, interests, and behaviour. ADHD and autism frequently co-occur.

  • D
    Depression
    A mood disorder characterised by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, and difficulties with concentration. Depression occurs more frequently in people with ADHD than in the general population.
  • Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder)
    A neurodevelopmental condition affecting coordination, motor planning, organisation, and movement. Individuals may experience challenges with balance, handwriting, sports, or learning new physical skills.
  • Dyscalculia
    A learning difference that affects understanding and working with numbers, mathematics, and numerical concepts.
  • Dyslexia
    A learning difference that primarily affects reading, spelling, decoding, and written language processing

  • E
    Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
    A group of genetic connective tissue disorders affecting collagen. Symptoms can include joint hypermobility, chronic pain, fatigue, easy bruising, and frequent injuries. Some research suggests higher rates of ADHD and autism among people with EDS.

  • H
    Hypermobility
    A condition in which joints move beyond the typical range of motion. Some people experience no difficulties, while others experience pain, fatigue, instability, injuries, digestive issues, or autonomic nervous system symptoms. Research has identified higher rates of ADHD, anxiety, and autism among people with symptomatic hypermobility.

  • Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD)
    A diagnosis used when joint hypermobility causes significant symptoms and functional difficulties but does not meet the criteria for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

  • M
    Migraine
    A neurological condition involving recurring headaches and other symptoms such as nausea, sensory sensitivity, visual disturbances, and fatigue. Migraines may occur more frequently in neurodivergent populations.
  • O
    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    A mental health condition involving unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions) intended to reduce anxiety.
  • P
    Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
    A profile most commonly discussed within autism communities, characterised by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations due to anxiety and a strong need for autonomy. PDA is not currently recognised as a separate diagnosis in many diagnostic systems.
  • Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
    A disorder of the autonomic nervous system that causes symptoms when standing, including dizziness, rapid heart rate, fatigue, brain fog, and fainting. POTS is frequently discussed alongside hypermobility conditions and is reported more often in neurodivergent populations.
  • S
    Sensory Processing Differences
    Variations in how the nervous system receives and responds to sensory information. Individuals may be highly sensitive to, under-responsive to, or actively seek certain sensory experiences.

  • Sleep Disorders
    Conditions that affect sleep quality, duration, or timing. People with ADHD are more likely to experience insomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome, restless legs syndrome, and other sleep-related difficulties.

  • T
    Tic Disorders
    Conditions involving involuntary movements or vocalisations. Tics can occur alongside ADHD and may vary in frequency and intensity over time.

  • Tourette Syndrome
    A neurological condition characterised by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic that persist for more than a year.

  • Trauma and PTSD
    Psychological responses to distressing or traumatic experiences. Trauma symptoms can sometimes resemble ADHD symptoms, and ADHD may increase vulnerability to certain life stressors.