Glossary
Words you'll hear.
The acronyms and phrases that turn up in letters, forms and appointments, in plain English. If one is missing, tell us on the About page.
- ADHD
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A lifelong difference in attention, activity and impulse control that affects daily life in more than one setting. Diagnosed in children and adults.
- ADI-R
- Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised. A structured interview with a parent or someone who knew you as a child, covering early development, communication and behaviour. Often part of an autism assessment.
- ADOS-2
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, second edition. A set of activities and conversation with a clinician that gives a standard way of observing how someone communicates and interacts. Not a test you pass or fail.
- AQ-10
- A ten-question screening questionnaire for autism in adults. A score suggests whether a full assessment may be worthwhile; it does not diagnose.
- ASD, ASC
- Autism spectrum disorder, autism spectrum condition. Two names for the same diagnosis. Many autistic people prefer ASC, or simply autism.
- ASRS
- Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. A six-question screening questionnaire developed with the World Health Organization. A score suggests whether a full assessment may be worthwhile; it does not diagnose.
- CAMHS
- Child and adolescent mental health services. In many areas, the NHS service that assesses children and young people for ADHD, and sometimes for autism.
- Co-occurring
- Conditions that happen alongside each other. ADHD and autism often co-occur, and both often sit alongside anxiety, dyslexia or sleep problems. Each is assessed and supported in its own right.
- Conners
- A family of rating scales for ADHD, completed by the person, a parent, a teacher or another informant. Used alongside the clinical interview.
- Developmental history
- An account of early life: speech, play, friendships, school, routines. Usually gathered from a parent or relative, or from old documents when nobody is available.
- DIVA
- Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults (the current version is DIVA-5). A structured interview that walks through the ADHD criteria in adulthood and childhood.
- DSA
- Disabled Students' Allowance. Funding for equipment, software and specialist support in UK higher education. Not means-tested; applied for separately from student loans.
- EHCP
- Education, Health and Care plan. In England, a legal document setting out a child's needs and the support the local authority must provide. Follows an EHC needs assessment, which parents can request themselves.
- Executive function
- The mental skills used to plan, start, organise, remember and finish things. Difficulties with them are common in ADHD and are often what people notice first.
- ICB
- Integrated care board. The NHS body that plans and pays for services in an area of England, including assessment services and shared care arrangements.
- Informant
- Someone who knew you as a child or knows you well now, asked to complete questionnaires or take part in an interview. A parent, sibling, partner or old friend. Not essential, but helpful.
- Masking
- Hiding or compensating for difficulties to fit in, often without realising. Common in autistic people and in people with ADHD, and one reason screening scores can be misleading.
- Multidisciplinary team
- Professionals from more than one discipline working together: for example a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist. Common in autism assessments.
- Neurodevelopmental pathway
- A single route through which an area assesses conditions such as ADHD and autism, often with one referral form that asks for information from home and school.
- Neurodivergent
- A general word for people whose minds work differently from what is typical, including autistic people and people with ADHD. Not a diagnosis.
- QbTest
- A computer-based task, around twenty minutes long, that measures attention, impulsivity and movement. Used by some ADHD services to support the assessment; it does not decide it.
- Reasonable adjustments
- Changes an employer, school or service must make so a disabled person is not put at a disadvantage, under the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales. A diagnosis helps but is not legally required to ask.
- Right to Choose
- In England, the right to choose which provider carries out an NHS-funded assessment, including some independent providers with NHS contracts. The GP must agree the referral. Not available in the other UK nations.
- SENCO
- Special educational needs coordinator. The teacher in a school responsible for pupils with additional needs. The first person to talk to about support at school, before or after a diagnosis.
- SEND
- Special educational needs and disabilities. The term used in England's education system for additional needs, and for the support and legal framework around them.
- An agreement in which a specialist starts and reviews a treatment and the GP practice takes over routine prescribing. Common for ADHD medication. Practices can decline, so ask before starting.
- Stimulant, non-stimulant
- The two broad groups of ADHD medication. Which is offered depends on the person, their health and what has been tried. Both are started and adjusted by a specialist.
- Titration
- Starting a medication on a low dose and adjusting it over several weeks, with checks on effect, side effects, blood pressure, pulse and weight. Done by the specialist service.
Start with the guide that matches where you are.
Five guides, in the order things happen.