Graduating ADHD Coaching!
From August 4th 2023 to April 26th 2024…I have graduated ADHD Coaching! (if this is even a thing…i have made it a thing).
Nine months ago, I was struggling to come to terms with my fairly new ADHD diagnosis and had no sense of how to make life (which just felt constantly stressful) easier for my ADHD brain. Access to Work…
Challenges Autistic and ADHD People Face at Work and What Can Help
Autistic and ADHD people have long struggled in the workplace.
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2021 only 29% of autistic people in the UK between 16-64 years old were employed (though of course, this is out of those recognised as autistic).
Challenges Autistic and ADHD Children Face at School and What Can Help
There is a reason why 92.1% of children with school attendance difficulties are neurodivergent, with 83.5% being autistic (according to one sample by Connolly & Mullally, 2022). And why children with Special Educational Needs are 50% more likely to struggle with school attendance (Office for National Statistics, 2021). And why…
My Journey of Discovering My ADHD
My journey of discovering my ADHD has been very different to my autism one (which you can read about here). Although there have been moments of imposter syndrome, from the moment I was told that I was autistic aged sixteen, I knew that the diagnosis was correct. And I knew…
Book Announcement - ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’
I can’t believe I am FINALLY able to share this (believe me, it’s been a secret for a long time!!!). My book ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’ is out 28th March 2024 and is available NOW to pre-order!! Link here.
I feel like I’m dreaming. I spent most of my childhood with my head…
Challenges Autistic People and ADHDers Face in Therapy and What Can Help
I remember being fourteen, sat in a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) session and being completely bewildered by what the lady was trying to teach me. I was having daily panic attacks - some of them more likely meltdowns - because I was so overwhelmed. I began describing how I didn’t want to go into the canteen because…
How I’m Learning To Manage Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is incredibly difficult to live with. It is an extreme emotional response to either real or perceived criticism or rejection, commonly experienced by neurodivergent people (though originally coined by Dr William Dodson as specific to ADHD).
I am very lucky to be receiving ADHD coaching with Leanne Maskell, the founder of ADHD Works and author of the…
Executive (Dys)Functioning: What it is, its Relation to ADHD and Some Strategies
Executive functioning is how we plan, make decisions, follow steps and processes, focus our attention and balance different tasks. It incorporates a set of skills which help us to learn, work and complete tasks. There is so much we couldn’t do without them.
Think about your daily tasks. Even getting out of bed and…
The Interest-Based Nervous System and ADHD
I often feel like my brain is in a constant battle of knowing there is something I should do, but just not being able to do it. Every day, I will spend hours and hours procrastinating something. It is quite common for me to spend the entire day just trying to get in the shower. And…
“It seems like everyone is getting diagnosed with ADHD or Autism these days”
Of course more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, when…
* based on UK facts and statistics *
These diagnoses are relatively new. Autism was only introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980…
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an extreme emotional response to either real or perceived criticism or rejection.
It is commonly experienced by neurodivergent people. It has been argued to be an exclusive emotional condition to ADHD, but others disagree, arguing that it can also be present in autism…
What I Wish Schools Knew About Supporting Autistic and ADHD Children
I struggled a lot at school. This started with anxiety and panic attacks when I was 13. I was eventually diagnosed with autism at the age of 16. I ran away from school, struggled to go into lessons, was described as on the verge of a school refuser and then missed a lot of school when I was unwell.
So what do I wish that teachers (who didn’t already know) had known?
How To Be Neurotypical: A Step By Step Guide
1. Ask questions that you do not want truthful answers to.
2. Ensure you wear uncomfortable clothing just because they look nice. You can even forget to take out the tag for bonus neurotypical points.
Interoceptive Awareness in Autism and ADHD
Interoception is the ability to identify, understand and respond to the state of the inside of our body. This is something that many autistic people and those with ADHD struggle with.
Interoceptive awareness allows us to feel things like hunger, thirst, whether we are hot or cold, if we need…
A Day in the Life of a Neurodivergent vs a Neurotypical
In-case you are unfamiliar with the language of neurodiversity:
NEURODIVERSITY = The diversity of human minds. Includes both neurotypical’s and neurodivergent’s. A group of people where some are neurotypical and others are neurodivergent.
NEURODIVERGENT = A person who has a different brain from…