GG&GD Master Glossary: Decoding the science of behavior
If you are going to fiercely advocate for your child, you need to know the language. The educational and medical systems use terminology that can feel isolating and confusing. At Grit, Grace & Good Data, we believe that understanding the biology behind the behavior is the first step to securing the right support. Bookmark this page. This is your translation guide.
Allostatic Load: The cumulative wear and tear on the body and brain caused by chronic stress. When a neurodivergent child spends all day in a sensory-overwhelming classroom, their allostatic load maxes out, leading to after-school meltdowns.
Amygdala Hijack: An immediate, overwhelming emotional response disproportionate to the actual stimulus, caused when the brain’s threat center (the amygdala) overrides the logical brain (the prefrontal cortex). You cannot reason with a brain in an amygdala hijack; you can only co-regulate.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): The biological system responsible for involuntary functions including the fight, flight, freeze or fawn stress responses.
Co-Regulation: The biological process where a regulated adult uses their own calm nervous system to help stabilize a dysregulated child’s nervous system. A dysregulated adult cannot regulate a dysregulated child.
Executive Dysfunction: A neurobiological deficit in the brain’s management system. It impairs working memory, flexible thinking, task initiation, and self-control. It is a neurological barrier, not a behavioral choice or “laziness.”
Masking (or Camouflaging): The exhausting, conscious or unconscious suppression of neurodivergent traits (like suppressing the urge to stim) to survive socially in a neurotypical environment. Masking leads to severe burnout.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)/Pervasive Drive for Autonomy: A distinct neuro-profile where the nervous system interprets everyday demands and expectations as literal, life-threatening loss of autonomy, triggering an immediate fight-or-flight response.
Relational Equity: The trust and biological safety built between an adult and child through zero-demand connection. You must build relational equity before you can place demands on a neurodivergent nervous system.
Stimming (Self-Stimulatory Behavior): Repetitive physical movements, vocalizations, used to regulate the autonomic nervous system. Stimming is a biological necessity for processing overwhelming environments, not a behavioral infraction.