Vocabulary without flashcards

Всем привет!

Bit of a random one here. I've been learning Russian for a few years now and currently live in Kazakhstan, but I continue to have very serious problems memorising vocabulary. I've heard this is a common issue for people with autism but I have no idea what the logic of that is.

Can anybody perhaps recommend vocabulary learning methods other than spaced repetition? I find it almost completely ineffective, whereas workbook stuff for grammar has been a wonder.