Autism and ADHD

​Understanding who you are…

People with autism, ADHD, or are neurodivergent in other ways can exceed expectations, achieve amazing things, and be completely, unabashedly, happy.

But they face a whole host of other challenges…

The miscues can be painful and confusing. Socially, sometimes it’s hard to understand why people can’t say what they mean and why they don’t understand you. Are they making fun of you? Why?

Getting picked on for talking about Pokémon nonstop when everyone else stopped listening, for needing to pace or shout when you’re excited.

Do people have other information that you don’t? Is there a rule book you missed? You really don’t know how things are going at school, at work, socially.

It’s not about being picky. It’s not about crowds being annoying. It’s not about just not wanting to wear jeans or annoying changes in routines.

People telling you to” try harder,” “you just need to apply yourself,” “you could do so much better” do not help.

… it’s not that simple.

Here’s something that might surprise you…

If you or someone you know with autism or ADHD experience sadness, anxiety, or frustration…

It’s usually due to the diagnosis… not the conditions themselves.

Let me explain…

ADHD is a difference in how your brain gets stuff done. That’s why it’s called executive functioning. It’s how you “execute tasks.”

Autism is a difference in social communication, how your world impacts you, and how you impact your world.

This doesn’t mean you have to feel sad or anxious.

The feelings of sadness, anxiety, and frustration are side effects of society not understanding these differences and not being able to manage those feelings within society. Those feelings aren’t part of the diagnosis.

Once you understand and work with the differences in your brain, these feelings get smaller.

Those feelings of accomplishment, happiness, and purpose get bigger.

Life can get better… you just need a little help.

Education and Coaching

Those big feelings? We can work to help you manage them and help make sense of them.

While there isn’t a “rule book” for life, there are plenty of ways to learn about other people’s perspectives and how to communicate your thoughts and feelings so that people can really HEAR you. So they can see the real you, with all the amazing things you have to offer. Psychoeducation can help you understand how your brain works.

Those land mines you avoid? We can develop a careful, organized plan to figure out what we can work around and what we can’t – coaching and helping you understand what to prioritize.

Confusing social situations? Let’s disentangle them.

What are your goals? Let’s figure out what we need to get there.

This might mean working on communication, social perspective-taking, planning, or maybe making sense of how to manage those overwhelming feelings that can take over.

Diagnosis

The right diagnosis can give you peace of mind; knowing what’s going on will direct you to the right kind of help.

I also use a variety of assessments to get you the answer you need, including cognitive assessments, academic assessments, functional behavioral assessments, and social-emotional assessments.

Of course, I can also administer all the gold-standard assessments for autism, like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R).

And here’s what’s particularly important…

I approach these assessments in a strengths-based manner.

I’m not going to give you a list of what’s wrong with you. Sure, there are things you’ll need to work on, and this won’t always be easy. I’ll be honest with you about what’s not working.

But we’ll also focus on what you’re good at and where you thrive. That’s just as important.

We’ll get an idea of how your brain works, how you communicate, and how you listen. We’ll better understand how well you access your life/ community and what’s getting in your way.

We will focus on goals, what you want, and how to get there using your specific strengths and weaknesses.

If you need services from the community, we can talk about how to get those, too.

Treatment

A diagnosis doesn’t mean anything if the person being diagnosed is not truly seen and heard.

Who you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go matters.

I understand what a diagnosis means in the context of a person’s environment and life. I know how their culture, upbringing, and day-to-day routine will impact the data gathered through “standardized” assessments.

So, your treatment will be unique to you.

Are you the parent of a newly diagnosed toddler? That might mean parent coaching to learn how to build your relationship with your child in a fun, caring way that focuses on encouraging communication and play. We’ll work on ways to make day-to-day activities fun opportunities for growth.

Maybe you’re the parent of a school-aged child, or your child is an adult who needs support. I can help with age/ability-appropriate behavior management or how to organize your home, so you don’t always feel like you are a step behind.

If you are an adult looking for help achieving your own goals, we’ll take a strength-based approach to understand how your brain works and how to get you where you need to be.

This isn’t about changing who you are…

It’s about helping you be the happy, healthy person you want to be.

This isn’t about not loving your child the way they are or you not loving yourself the way you are…

It’s about being you and changing the things in your life that aren’t working. You deserve to live your best life possible, starting today.

Maybe you’ve tried therapy before, and it didn’t quite click, or it just felt like someone was trying to put you in a box, or maybe it was just plain bad.

Don’t let that stop you from getting help from someone who “gets it.”

Let’s work together to do this right.

Call me now, don’t wait to start living your best life: (484) 535-4441.