PIP Translation Guides

Use only words that are true for you.

These phrases are not magic spells. They are translation tools.

“I get overwhelmed”

Possible translation:

I experience sensory and cognitive overload which impairs my ability to process information, make decisions, communicate, and complete tasks safely.

Or:

When overloaded, I cannot continue the activity to an acceptable standard and may need to stop, leave, recover, or have another person take over.

“I shut down”

Possible translation:

I experience shutdowns where my ability to initiate movement, communicate, process instructions, or make decisions is significantly reduced.

Or:

During shutdowns, I may appear quiet or passive, but I am not coping. I am unable to continue the activity reliably without support.

“I have meltdowns”

Possible translation:

I experience episodes of acute neurological dysregulation triggered by sensory, social, cognitive, or environmental stressors. During these episodes I am unable to communicate effectively, make safe decisions, or continue the activity.

Or:

Meltdowns are not behavioural choices. They are a loss of regulation caused by overload. They create safety risks and require recovery time afterwards.

“My brain won’t start”

Possible translation:

I experience significant task initiation difficulty. I often cannot begin necessary daily living tasks without external prompting, structure, or support, even when I understand the task and want to do it.

“I lose track of what I’m doing”

Possible translation:

I have working memory and sequencing difficulties. I lose my place during multi-step tasks, miss important steps, repeat steps, or abandon the task before completion.

“I forget to eat or drink”

Possible translation:

I have impaired interoceptive awareness and time perception. Without prompts or routines, I do not reliably notice hunger, thirst, or the passage of time, which leads to missed meals, dehydration, dizziness, fatigue, or reduced cognitive functioning.

“I can do it sometimes”

Possible translation:

I cannot do this activity reliably. My ability fluctuates depending on sensory load, fatigue, stress, pain, sleep, environment, and executive function. Being able to do it occasionally does not mean I can do it safely, repeatedly, or within a reasonable time on the majority of days.

This sentence is important:

Fluctuation should be described as unreliability, not capability.

“I need reminders”

Possible translation:

I require prompting to initiate, continue, or complete the activity. Without prompts, the task may not happen, may be delayed for hours or days, or may be abandoned part-way through.

“I need someone with me”

Possible translation:

I require supervision or social support because I cannot complete the activity safely, consistently, or without significant distress when alone.

“I avoid it”

Possible translation:

I avoid this activity because it creates sensory overload, cognitive overload, distress, or safety risks. Avoidance is not preference. It is a coping response to an activity I cannot manage reliably.

“It takes me ages”

Possible translation:

I cannot complete this activity within a reasonable time. Due to processing delays, task initiation difficulty, sensory overload, fatigue, or repeated restarts, the activity takes significantly longer than it would for someone without my impairments.

“I mask”

Possible translation:

I can sometimes appear more capable than I am by masking, scripting, or forcing myself through the activity. This is not sustainable and often causes delayed exhaustion, shutdown, meltdown, or inability to complete other necessary tasks afterwards.

Task initiation

Instead of:

I procrastinate.

Try:

I have impaired task initiation. I often cannot start necessary tasks without prompting, body doubling, external structure, or a clear step-by-step plan.

Or:

The task may remain undone even when it is important, because I cannot reliably move from intention to action.

Sequencing

Instead of:

I get muddled.

Try:

I have difficulty sequencing multi-step tasks. I may do steps in the wrong order, miss safety steps, forget what I have already done, or become unable to continue.

Working memory

Instead of:

I forget what I’m doing.

Try:

I have working memory difficulties. I cannot reliably hold all the steps of a task in mind, especially when distracted, tired, stressed, or overloaded.

Planning

Instead of:

I’m bad at planning.

Try:

I have difficulty planning tasks that involve multiple steps, timing, materials, decisions, or changes of environment. I require support to break tasks down and identify what needs to happen first.

Time blindness

Instead of:

I’m always late.

Try:

I have impaired time perception. I cannot reliably estimate how long tasks will take, notice time passing, or manage appointments without external reminders and support.

Task switching

Instead of:

I get stuck.

Try:

I have difficulty switching between tasks or stopping one task to begin another. This affects my ability to respond to appointments, meals, medication, washing, dressing, or leaving the house at the required time.

Cognitive fatigue

Instead of:

My brain gets tired.

Try:

Cognitive effort causes fatigue which reduces my ability to process information, make decisions, communicate, and complete further tasks. After demanding activities, I often need extended recovery time.

Decision fatigue

Instead of:

I can’t decide.

Try:

Too many choices can overwhelm my processing capacity. I may become unable to make even simple decisions without support, especially when tired, stressed, hungry, in pain, or overloaded.

Hidden steps

Instead of:

It’s too much.

Try:

The activity contains hidden steps that are not obvious from the outside. Each step requires initiation, sequencing, memory, sensory tolerance, and decision-making. The total load often exceeds my functional capacity.

Sensory overload

Instead of:

I can’t cope with noise / lights / smells.

Try:

Sensory input such as noise, light, smell, touch, movement, or visual clutter can cause overload. When overloaded, I cannot process information, communicate clearly, make safe decisions, or complete the activity reliably.

Auditory sensitivity

Instead of:

Noise bothers me.

Try:

Noise causes pain, distress, distraction, or overload. It affects my ability to concentrate, follow instructions, cook safely, communicate, travel, or remain in public environments.

Auditory processing

Instead of:

I don’t hear people properly.

Try:

I have difficulty processing spoken information, especially with background noise, multiple speakers, unfamiliar accents, fast speech, or stress. I may need information repeated, written down, simplified, or supported by another person.

Visual overload

Instead of:

Clutter stresses me out.

Try:

Visual clutter and busy environments overload my processing. This affects my ability to locate items, read information, follow routes, make decisions, and complete tasks without support.

Light sensitivity

Instead of:

Bright lights hurt.

Try:

Bright, flickering, or artificial lighting causes sensory distress, headaches, fatigue, or overload. This can prevent me from remaining in an environment or completing the activity reliably.

Tactile sensitivity

Instead of:

I hate certain textures.

Try:

Tactile sensitivity affects my ability to tolerate clothing, washing, food textures, grooming, bedding, or touch from other people. This can cause distress, avoidance, shutdown, or inability to complete the activity.

Smell sensitivity

Instead of:

Smells make me feel sick.

Try:

Strong or unexpected smells can cause nausea, distress, sensory overload, or inability to remain in the environment. This affects cooking, eating, washing, travel, and social interaction.

Taste and texture sensitivity

Instead of:

I’m a fussy eater.

Try:

Sensory sensitivity to taste, texture, smell, and temperature restricts what I can eat reliably. Under stress or overload, my safe food range reduces further, which can affect nutrition.

Proprioception and body awareness

Instead of:

I’m clumsy.

Try:

I have proprioceptive and coordination difficulties. I misjudge force, distance, grip, balance, or body position, increasing the risk of spills, burns, cuts, falls, dropping items, or injury.

Interoception

Instead of:

I don’t notice what my body needs.

Try:

I have impaired interoceptive awareness. I do not reliably notice hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, fatigue, or toilet needs until they become urgent or severe.

1. Preparing food

Instead of:

I get overwhelmed cooking.

Try:

Due to executive dysfunction, sensory overload, working memory difficulties, and sequencing problems, I cannot prepare and cook a simple meal reliably.

Possible add-ons:

• I am at risk of leaving ap

• cognitive load which can leave me unable to eat the meal afterwards or unable to complete other necessary tasks.

2. Taking nutrition

Instead of:

I forget to eat.

Try:

Due to impaired interoception, time blindness, executive dysfunction, and sensory food restrictions, I do not reliably eat or drink without prompting, routine, or support.

Possible add-ons:

• I may not notice hunger or thirst until I become dizzy, weak, nauseous, irritable, fatigued, or cognitively impaired.

• I require prompts, visible food systems, safe foods, meal planning, or support from another person to maintain nutrition.

• Stress, sensory overload, or decision fatigue can reduce my ability to choose food, prepare food, tolerate textures, or eat enough.

• I may rely on limited safe foods, snacks, frozen meals, or simplified meals because full meal preparation is not reliable.

3. Managing medication, therapy, or health monitoring

Instead of:

I forget my meds.

Try:

Due to executive dysfunction, working memory difficulties, time blindness, and interoceptive differences, I cannot reliably manage medication or health monitoring without prompts, alarms, routines, or support.

Possible add-ons:

• I may forget whether I have taken medication, take it late, miss doses, or fail to reorder prescriptions without external systems.

• I need reminders, dosette boxes, written instructions, app prompts, or another person to help me manage treatment reliably.

• If my routine changes, my ability to manage medication or therapy is significantly reduced.

• I may need support to understand, remember, and follow medical instructions after appointments.

4. Washing and bathing

Instead of:

I struggle to shower.

Try:

Washing and bathing create executive function, sensory, transition, temperature, and fatigue demands which mean I cannot complete the activity reliably without prompting, preparation, or support.

Possible add-ons:

• I may avoid washing because of sensory distress from water, temperature change, wet hair, skin sensations, noise, light, smell, or the transition in and out of the shower.

• I need prompting to initiate washing and support to plan it around fatigue, pain, recovery time, or sensory tolerance.

• Washing can cause overload or exhaustion, leaving me unable to complete other necessary activities afterwards.

• I may use wipes, dry shampoo, simplified routines, or reduced-frequency washing as adaptations, but this does not mean I can bathe reliably to an acceptable standard.

5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence

Instead of:

I leave it too late.

Try:

Due to impaired interoception, attention regulation, task switching difficulty, or sensory barriers, I do not always notice or respond to toilet needs reliably.

Possible add-ons:

• I may not recognise the need to use the toilet until it is urgent.

• I can become stuck in a task and delay going to the toilet even when I need to go.

• Sensory issues, public toilets, unfamiliar environments, queues, noise, smell, or lack of privacy can prevent me from using toilets reliably when away from home.

• I may need prompts, routines, accessible toilet planning, or support to prevent accidents, distress, or avoidance of going out.

6. Dressing and undressing

Instead of:

I can’t decide what to wear.

Try:

Due to executive dysfunction, sensory sensitivity, temperature regulation difficulties, and decision fatigue, I cannot always select appropriate clothing or dress reliably without prompting or support.

Possible add-ons:

• Clothing textures, seams, labels, tightness, pressure, temperature, or fabric can cause distress or overload.

• I may be unable to choose clothing appropriate for weather, activity, pain levels, sensory tolerance, or social expectations without support.

• I can become stuck during dressing because of task initiation, sequencing, pain, fatigue, or sensory discomfort.

• I may wear the same safe clothing repeatedly because selecting or tolerating other clothing is too difficult.

7. Communicating verbally

Instead of:

I struggle with people talking.

Try:

I have difficulty processing, understanding, and responding to spoken information, especially under stress, sensory overload, time pressure, unfamiliar situations, or background noise.

Possible add-ons:

• I may need extra processing time, written information, repetition, simplified language, or support from another person.

• I can lose speech, become unable to explain myself, or give inaccurate answers when overloaded.

• I may appear articulate in some situations, but this is not reliable. Under stress, my ability to communicate verbally reduces significantly.

• I may need communication support for appointments, phone calls, official conversations, or situations where misunderstanding carries risk.

8. Reading and understanding written information

Instead of:

Forms are hard.

Try:

I have difficulty processing complex written information, especially official forms, medical letters, benefit documents, instructions, or information with unclear consequences.

Possible add-ons:

• I may be able to read the words but not reliably understand what action is required, what evidence is needed, what deadlines apply, or what the consequences are.

• Visual clutter, dense text, unfamiliar wording, stress, and executive dysfunction reduce my ability to understand and act on written information.

• I require support to break information down, identify tasks, complete forms accurately, and respond within deadlines.

• My reading ability can mask my processing difficulty. Being able to read text does not mean I can understand, prioritise, and act on it reliably.

9. Engaging with other people face to face

Instead of:

I struggle with people.

Try:

I have social communication differences and sensory processing difficulties which affect my ability to engage with other people reliably, especially in unfamiliar, stressful, busy, or unpredictable situations.

Possible add-ons:

I may misread tone, intent, facial expression, social rules, or implied meaning.

• I may mask during interactions but experience delayed shutdown, meltdown, exhaustion, or inability to function afterwards.

• I can become vulnerable in interactions because I may take information literally, miss red flags, agree under pressure, or be unable to advocate for myself.

• I require social support, preparation, scripts, advocacy, or recovery time for appointments, official interactions, conflict, group settings, or unfamiliar people.

10. Making budgeting decisions

Instead of:

I’m bad with money.

Try:

Due to executive dysfunction, impulsivity, working memory difficulties, overwhelm, and difficulty processing consequences, I need support to make budgeting decisions reliably.

Possible add-ons:

I may understand money in theory but struggle to apply this reliably in real time.

• I can lose track of bills, subscriptions, deadlines, spending, or available funds without external systems or support.

• Stress, urgency, sales pressure, online systems, or confusing information can impair my ability to make safe financial decisions.

• I need prompts, budgeting systems, simplified accounts, support from another person, or help understanding financial consequences.

11. Planning and following journeys

Instead of:

I get anxious going out.

Try:

Due to sensory overload, executive dysfunction, anxiety, processing difficulties, and difficulty managing unexpected change, I cannot plan and follow journeys reliably without preparation, prompting, or support.

Possible add-ons:

• I need significant preparation before leaving home, including route planning, timing, transport information, sensory planning, food, medication, and recovery time.

• Unexpected changes such as delays, diversions, crowds, noise, lighting, cancelled transport, or unclear instructions can cause overwhelm, shutdown, meltdown, or inability to continue the journey.

• I may be unable to ask for help, process directions, make safe decisions, or recover the plan if something goes wrong.

• I can sometimes complete familiar journeys, but unfamiliar journeys or changes to routine are not reliable without support.

12. Moving around

For many neurodivergent people this may overlap with physical disability, fatigue, pain, dyspraxia, coordination, dizziness, or other conditions.

Instead of:

I’m clumsy or exhausted.

Try:

Due to coordination difficulties, fatigue, sensory overload, pain, balance issues, or reduced body awareness, I cannot move around reliably, safely, repeatedly, or within a reasonable time.

Possible add-ons:

• Busy environments, uneven ground, noise, visual movement, crowds, stairs, or unfamiliar spaces increase my risk of falls, disorientation, pain, fatigue, or overload.

• I may need aids, rest breaks, route planning, support from another person, or extra time.

• Even when I can move a distance once, repeating it or doing it alongside other activities may not be reliable.

On a good day, I may be able to...

On a bad day, I cannot...

On the majority of days...

If I try to do this without support...

The risk is...

The impact afterwards is...

I need prompting because...

I need supervision because...

I need assistance because...

I use aids or systems such as...

This is not reliable because...

This takes significantly longer because...

I can do this only when...

I cannot repeat this safely because...

I appear capable when masking, but afterwards...

My ability depends on...

The activity becomes unsafe when...

Without support, the task is delayed, abandoned, or completed unsafely.

For each activity, it helps to include a real example.

Try this structure:

Last time this happened...

What I was trying to do...

What went wrong...

What risk or consequence happened...

What support I needed...

How long recovery took...

Examples:

Last week I tried to cook pasta. I became distracted while waiting for water to boil and left the hob unattended. I only noticed because I smelled burning. This shows I need supervision or prompts when cooking with heat.

I missed lunch three times last week because I did not notice hunger and lost track of time. By late afternoon I was dizzy, shaky, and unable to think clearly. I need prompts and visible food systems to take nutrition reliably.

I attended an appointment alone and became overloaded. I could not process what was being said or ask questions. Afterwards I could not remember the actions agreed. I need communication support or written summaries for appointments.