Introducing HAQs, My New Neurodistinct Acronym

HAQ and its plural sister, HAQs, are my newly coined recursive acronyms I've been playing around with:

HAQ or HAQs = Hacks, Accommodations & Quirks

HAQ is pronounced as "hack" while its plural sounds like "hacks."

I don't tend to say the initialized version of acronyms, but if you want to pronounce HAQ literally as its three letters "H-A-Q" (haych-aye-que) instead of saying "hack," please do so.

Either pronunciation works, just like their rhyming cousins, FAQ and FAQs, non-recursive acronyms sounding like "fack" and "facks." Although they may be more frequently heard as initialisms when pronounced by their letters, "F-A-Q's."

So, introducing HAQ and HAQs ...created on Monday, April 13th, 2026, right here for Neurodistinct.me. 🥳

What makes an acronym recursive?

In open-source programming culture, a recursive acronym is one where the first letter stands for the acronym itself. Examples you've no doubt seen before include:

GNU stands for: GNU's Not Unix
PHP is: PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
YAML represents: YAML Ain't Markup Language

For my new acronym, I'll be using here on Neurodistinct.me:

HAQ or HAQs = Hacks, Accommodations & Quirks

The H (pronunciation-wise) points back to its defined-self as a closed loop. Originally it was completely unintentional, but with my goofy brain, it ended up completely Neurodistinctly Perfect.

What HAQ & HAQs stands for

The three words aren't random:

• Hacks — Intuitive, DIY (do it yourself) workarounds, clever shortcuts, daily survival strategies, behaviors and habits you invent for yourself. Because many (most?) parts of the neurotypical world's "How To..." instruction manual are poorly written for our neurodistinct brains.
• Accommodations — more of a clinical term, formal and informal support tools, systems, environmental changes, and access needs geared to physical and neurodistinct realities.
• Quirks — are not deficits. Quirks are not symptoms. What neurotypical culture might call our "quirks" are actually the specific particular, hard-wired ways our brains work. At Neurodistinct.me, we're reclaiming "quirks" as simply who we are and how we are in a world which is not wired for us.

The hashtag family

Going forward on Neurodistinct.me, you'll see these tags in use here, all pronounced as their "hacks" equivalent:

#NeurodistinctHAQs
#AutismHAQs
#ADHDHAQs
#AuDHDHAQs
#DyscalculiaHAQs
#WrittenExpressionDisorderHAQs

All tags are also active on Neurodistinct.me's internal tag pages, and will show up when new HAQs-related content is published.

Why it matters

"Life hacks" is already in the cultural vocabulary. "NeurodistinctHAQs" just takes it another step forward and makes it specific. It's an acknowledgment of neurodistinct people. Hacking our own life isn't merely a trendy productivity trope. #NeurodistinctHAQs are our own personal adaptations for sanity, for survival, and eventually for self-acceptance.

Consider this post the official timestamp. HAQ and plural sister HAQs are officially a Thing! ...and you read it here first.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

— Steve
Bellingham, WA

P.S. – Take a deep, deep breath. Maybe cut yourself some slack today.