Here are some of the “weird” words you’ve probably seen me use so far:

Neurodivergence
Basically, my/our brain just works differently from what’s considered “typical.” It’s not an illness, so I don’t need to be “cured.” I was born this way, and I’ll stay this way for the rest of my life. In my case, I’m autistic (support needs level 1) and, like many others, ADHD too. And no, that doesn’t mean I’m hyperactive. Yes, I can be boring sometimes (but that has nothing to do with autism).

Stimming
These are repetitive behaviors I do, some are easy to spot, like scratching my head, tapping out rhythms like I’m playing drums, repeating sounds I hear, getting stuck on a word, or saying the same word over and over for hours. The world can be overwhelming and overstimulating, so stimming helps me cope. But I also use it to focus, imagine, or create. Fun fact: one of my “hidden” stims is talking like a machine gun when I’m really happy or stressed.

Masking
No, I don’t walk around New York City in a superhero costume. Autistic masking just means trying to act “typical” so I can blend in socially. Basically, I’m not a superhero, I’m more like a chameleon. Or at least I was. Since my diagnosis, I’ve been working hard to drop masking altogether. By the way, it’s more common in women, only a few autistic men rely on it.

Autistic overload
Our world is full of constant stimulation. For someone like me, it’s like the drop that makes the vase overflow. Overload happens a lot, and when it hits, it crushes my system: stress, anxiety, complete shutdown. Sometimes it looks like an angry outburst (meltdown), sometimes like retreating inside myself (shutdown). If overload isn’t managed, it can spiral into burnout, an exhausting crash that’s very hard to recover from and has no clear timeline. Calm, quiet, low-stimulation environments help a lot. So does support that’s gentle and free of judgment.

Hyperfocus
If you see me completely absorbed in something and totally oblivious to the outside world, that’s hyperfocus. You could tap me on the shoulder and I probably wouldn’t notice. It’s amazing when I’m writing or composing, but less great when my family (rightfully) needs my attention. It really is like a superpower, but one I can’t switch on or off.