Found on the Intertubes:
Neurodivergent Geek Girl now
Fun fact #37: Your brain relaxes when objects stay where you left them. Not because you’re tidy, but because prediction takes energy. This is called prediction error processing and autistic/ADHD brains have higher prediction-error sensitivity.
Predictability lowers sensory demand - your nervous system spends less energy scanning for change. When something moves unexpectedly (even something small) your brain has to update the whole mental map.
That extra processing is why rearranged rooms, shifted objects or “surprise tidying” can feel overstimulating (or even threatening) for autistic and ADHD people.
Your stress isn’t always about the mess.
It can be about the prediction error.