Divergent, minority or spicy? Neurodiversity language preference for Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic, and Autism+ADHD people

Language plays a central role in how neurodivergent individuals express identity and belonging. Although terminology such as neurodivergent and neurodiverse has become increasingly common, little empirical research has examined how these and related terms are perceived within and across neurodivergent communities. This exploratory study surveyed 740 adults with a diagnosis of autism (n = 189), ADHD (n = 190), dyslexia (n = 179), or co-occurring Autism+ADHD (n = 182) from the United Kingdom and United States to assess preferences, offensiveness, acceptability, and self-use of six neurodiversity-related terms. Participants rated neurodivergent and neurodiverse as the most preferred, least offensive, and most acceptable, whereas neurominority and neurospicy were least endorsed. The overall order of preferences was largely consistent across diagnostic groups, gender identities, and countries, though group-level differences emerged for specific terms. Dyslexic participants rated neurodivergent and neurodiverse less positively than other groups, while the Autism+ADHD group expressed the strongest endorsement of neurodivergent. Participants reported infrequent self-use of these labels, suggesting that while certain terms are broadly acceptable, they may not yet serve as primary identity markers. Overall, findings indicate strong agreement, with neurodivergent emerging as the most accepted term.