Our approach integrates six complementary theoretical frameworks from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science to understand neurodivergent differences as natural variations in human cognition and emotional processing.
Free Energy Principle
Our brains constantly make predictions about the world and work to minimize “prediction errors” – the difference between what we expect and what we experience. Different brains have different ways of balancing sensory data against prior expectations.
Active Inference
We don’t just passively predict the world – we actively engage with it to make our predictions more accurate. Neurodivergent individuals may have different strategies for reducing prediction errors, which can manifest as sensory sensitivities or special interests.
Predictive Processing
How much we weight sensory information versus our prior expectations. Autistic-like processing involves higher precision on sensory data, while ADHD-like processing involves lower precision on priors. The brain processes information across multiple levels.
Theory of Constructed Emotion
Emotions aren’t hardwired reactions but predictions about bodily states and environmental demands. The brain constructs emotional experiences based on past learning and present context, including how we perceive internal bodily signals.
Flexibility Mindset
George Bonanno’s research on contextual and regulatory flexibility. The ability to adapt behavioural responses based on situational demands and to bounce back from adversity through flexible coping strategies.
Transdiagnostic Factors
Ten evidence-based factors that cut across diagnostic categories, helping us understand individual patterns without relying on traditional labels. These factors provide a more nuanced view of neurodivergent differences.
Further Reading
Explore the scientific foundations behind our approach with these key resources across our six theoretical frameworks.
Core Neuroscience Frameworks (fix the links)
- Free Energy Principle: Karl Friston’s foundational framework for understanding brain function and behaviour
- Predictive Processing & Autism: How predictive processing differences relate to autistic experiences
- Theory of Constructed Emotion: Lisa Feldman Barrett’s research on how emotions are constructed by the brain