Supporting Autism and ADHD

Since working in CAMHS and in private practice I have supported a number of children, young people and adults to access therapeutic support who are diagnosed with autism and ADHD, as well as supporting families querying a neurodevelopmental assessment.

My experience has taught me how difficult it can be for neurodivergent individuals to get access to services due to a lack of understanding around neurodevelopmental conditions. It can feel really overwhelming working with a practitioner that does not understand neurodiversity, and trying to fit into services that have fixed ideas of therapy that are not flexible.

This lack of understanding can make therapy feel really difficult to access and may make someone feel that they cannot be supported. This is especially difficult when considering that neurodevelopmental conditions increase the likelihood of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression which is why it is so important to find a therapy intervention that works.

Nationally there is a lack of post diagnostic support, and individuals as well as families can find themselves feeling left with questions on how to move forward after being diagnosed.

Approach:

My approach is based on the individual. I spend time getting to know someone, and making sure that the therapy space is set up in a way that feels comfortable and that I am offering support in a way that feels right.

For many neurodivergent individuals this may be spending time getting to know how your condition impacts you, and setting some safe boundaries about what to do or not do in the therapy space whether this is in person or online.

Understanding a diagnosis:

I can work with individuals to understand how their diagnosis impacts them, helping them to identify areas they may struggle with and providing strategies to support these difficulties. We can also work on day to day challenges that feel overwhelming and make daily life a struggle.

Pre and post diagnostic support:

I have worked with a number of young people and adults who are querying whether they may have a neurodevelopmental condition and wish to be referred for a diagnosis.

Many individuals may have had to fight to get a diagnosis, this may have been missed by educational settings or services and as such this can be very difficult to make sense of even after a diagnosis. I am happy to offer post diagnostic support to individuals and their families.

Specialist CPD (continuing professional development) & Supervision group

I am part of a group of Yorkshire based therapists who support neurodiversity and attend a specialist CPD and supervision group run by Aspire Autism Consultancy to keep my knowledge of neurodiversity up to date and relevant for my clients.