Abstract
Research is needed to identify prevailing terms respectively used in relation to autism and ADHD in a scholarly context, along with broader academic understandings and disagreements surrounding neurodivergence terminology. This rapid review thus aims to inform about scholarly reporting involving: a) prevailing terms positioned under the umbrellas of autism and ADHD; b) neurodivergence terminology; and c) neurodivergence-related terms that remain contested. To address the above-stated research aims, the author carried out a rapid review of the scholarly literature. While highlighting the broad nature of terms as respectively positioned under autism, ADHD, and neurodivergence, this review also revealed strong disagreements concerning ideological underpinnings and general applications of these terms. According to the scholarly literature, particularly contentious areas encompass those of: a) medical model persistence versus inclusive neurodivergence-based terms; b) the terms warranting inclusion under an umbrella term of neurodivergence; c) the use of identity first versus person first language; and d) the terms potentially holding ableist tones. This exploratory study provides an evidence-based disability policy roadmap towards advancing the use of inclusive autism, ADHD, and neurodivergence terminology.