In my work as a Mental Health Nurse and Neurodiversity Awareness Trainer, I hear the same thing time and again from managers and colleagues: “I want to support my neurodivergent team members properly — but sometimes I don’t even understand the language.”
That’s completely understandable. A lot of neurodivergent experience gets described using shorthand that’s well understood within the community, but rarely explained outside it. So today, I want to slow down and unpack some of the terms you’ll hear most often — what they mean, and what they can look like at work.
Masking
What it means: Consciously or unconsciously suppressing natural neurodivergent traits stimming, blurting out thoughts, needing movement, sensory reactions in order to appear “more typical” or to fit in.
At work: An employee might force eye contact they find uncomfortable, rehearse “normal” small talk before a meeting, or sit still through physical discomfort rather than fidget. It’s exhausting — and often invisible, which means it’s easy for it to go completely unrecognised by colleagues.
Executive Function
What it means: The brain’s management system the mental skills that help us plan, prioritise, start tasks, switch between them, manage time, and regulate emotions.
At work: Difficulties here aren’t about intelligence or effort. They can look like struggling to start a task despite knowing exactly what to do, losing track of time, forgetting steps in a familiar process, or feeling overwhelmed by a to-do list that would seem manageable to someone else.
Burnout (Autistic/ADHD Burnout)
What it means: A state of intense mental, physical and emotional exhaustion caused by the cumulative cost of masking, sensory overload, and navigating a world not designed with your brain in mind. It’s different from general work stress it tends to build over time and can take far longer to recover from.
At work: Someone in burnout may seem withdrawn, less capable than usual, more sensitive to sensory input, or simply “not themselves.” It’s not a motivation problem it’s often a sign that masking and demands have outpaced someone’s capacity for far too long.
Sensory Processing / Sensory Overload
What it means: How the brain receives and interprets input from the senses sound, light, touch, smell. For many neurodivergent people, this processing is heightened, meaning ordinary environments can become genuinely overwhelming.
At work: Open-plan offices, fluorescent lighting, background chatter, or strong smells from a shared kitchen can all be genuinely draining sometimes to the point of shutting down concentration entirely.
Stimming
What it means: Self-stimulatory behaviour repetitive movement or sound (tapping, fidgeting, rocking, humming) that helps regulate emotion, focus, or sensory input.
At work: A colleague clicking a pen, doodling in meetings, or pacing during a call isn’t being rude or distracted they may well be regulating themselves in order to stay focused.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
What it means: An intense emotional response to perceived criticism, rejection, or failure commonly experienced by people with ADHD. The emotional reaction can feel disproportionate to the situation, but it’s neurologically real, not an overreaction.
At work: Constructive feedback can land far harder than intended. A throwaway comment in a meeting might be replayed for hours. Understanding RSD helps managers deliver feedback with more care not avoid giving it altogether.
Hyperfocus
What it means: A state of deep, often involuntary concentration on a task of interest, to the point that time, surroundings, and other priorities fade into the background.
At work: This can be a genuine superpower for deep work but it can also mean missed meetings, skipped breaks, or one task consuming a day meant for several.
Why This Matters for Employers
Understanding this language isn’t about ticking a box. It changes how you interpret behaviour you might otherwise misread the colleague who seems “checked out” may be in burnout. The one who “overreacted” to feedback may be experiencing RSD. The one who’s “always late starting tasks” may be facing a genuine executive function barrier, not a motivation one.
When we understand the language, we stop mistaking neurodivergent struggle for a character issue and start building workplaces that actually work for everyone in them.
