Neurodiverse Disorders

ADHD is a neurodiverse disorder distinguished by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. 

A diagnosis of ADHD can occur at any stage of life. Counselling aims to provide a support and understanding of a new diagnosis that may be challenging to process. 

Executive functions are the complex processes our brains use to help us plan, focus our attention, remember and juggle multiple tasks. 

ADHD can be characterized by inadequacies in executive functions that may result in:

• Challenges with time management such as; being late, getting everything done last minute 

• Difficulties with planning

• Poor organization

• Low motivation

• Forgetfulness 

• Difficulty creating and maintaining relationships

• Feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks 

• Frequent irritability and heightened stress

• Poor-self image and self-esteem

• Feelings of anxiety and low mood

Counselling can support to create personalized strategies, develop personalized tools to use in order to manage your ADHD-related symptoms across different settings, including personal relationships, work, and school. 

Counselling with an ADHD diagnosis focuses a lot on strategies and tools to support emotional regulation. Some tools include mindfulness practices and behaviour therapy. 

ASD is a neurodiverse disorder that affects a person’s social skills, communication and behaviour. The "spectrum” refers to a group of people that demonstrate the key characteristics of autism, while also acknowledging their autistic experience as unique, complex and ever-changing.

Co-occurring mental health conditions are common amongst those with Autism of all ages. 

Counselling can provide support with:

• Improving emotional well-being

• Relationship building

• Communication skills

• Self-regulation and managing emotions

• Improving self image and self-esteem

• Providing strategies and support for co-occurring conditions

Given the spectrum and uniqueness to each individual, ASD characteristics include:

• Social Interaction - differences in interpreting non-verbal cues, atypical expressions of empathy, differences in conversational skills, atypical affect

• Cognitive - memory, difficulty recognizing own emotions, creative thinking, inflexible or rigid thinking

• Communication - range of communication abilities, non-speaking, persistent repetition of words or phrases, idisyncratic language and speech patterns, delayed auditory processing, preference for direct communication

• Sensory - sight, sound, taste & smell, touch, equilibrioception & proprioception

• Behavioural - self-stimulatory behaviours or stimming, strong work ethic, sensory shutdown, preference for routines and sameness

Source: (https://www.autismspeaks.ca/autistic-characteristics-across-the-lifespan)