Neurodivergence
Our understanding of autism and how to support neurodivergent clients of all ages has rapidly evolved in recent years. Validation, accommodation, and community are critical to helping people heal from the widespread isolation and trauma that result from being misunderstood. Whether we're helping clients grapple with a late-life diagnosis, working with parents of autistic children--or children themselves--our practices must be up to date. These articles unpack topics including ADHD, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), autistic burnout, neurodivergent couples therapy, and more. Learn from Kory Andreas, Casey Ehrlich, Tasha Oswald, Diane Gould, and others.
What We're Missing in ADHD Treatment
Rethinking Consequences, Skill Gaps, and ResponsibilityAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD affects countless children and adults, yet it remains widely misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed. Clients with ADHD often come to us struggling with shame, having internalized years of criticism about being "lazy" or "unmotivated." Effective treatment helps clients move beyond these interpretations to embrace self-compassion and develop strategies that work with, instead of against, their instincts. These articles explore procrastination, executive function challenges, and approaches for depathologizing ADHD. Discover how to help clients unmask hidden symptoms and build lives that function well while embracing their neurodivergence.
Autism & Neurodivergent-Affirming Care
As our understanding of autism spectrum disorder and other forms of neurodivergence evolves, we must move beyond deficit-based models to create truly affirming spaces. Autistic clients often carry deep wounds from years of being misunderstood or forced to mask their authentic selves, making validation and accommodation essential. These articles explore topics including autistic burnout, neurodivergent couples therapy, and what effective support looks like for clients across the lifespan. Learn from Kory Andreas, Casey Ehrlich, Tasha Oswald, Mona Delahooke, and others reshaping neurodivergent-affirming care.
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Because it's characterized by extreme resistance to everyday demands, PDA is often misunderstood by caregivers as defiance or oppositional behavior. Traditional behavioral treatment approaches can backfire spectacularly with PDA clients, intensifying anxiety and rupturing trust with loved ones and helpers. These articles explore the shifting understanding of PDA as a profile of autism and emerging approaches that honor autonomy while effectively supporting PDA clients and their families. Learn more about the neurological underpinnings of Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Persistent Drive for Autonomy, and how to create therapeutic environments in which clients feel safe and caregivers feel empowered.
Going no-contact is a last-resort boundary some autistic adults set when other attempts to set limits with family members have failed. Read more
On the surface, autistic burnout may present like depression in neurotypical clients, but treatment is considerably different. Read more
Dr. Ramani Durvasula and Kory Andreas discuss why autism and narcissism are often misconstrued in intimate relationships. Read more
Misinformation about autism harms families, undermines progress, and diverts attention away from evidence-based practices that prevent neurodivergent burnout. Read more
Tried-and-true behavioral strategies have been failing spectacularly in households with Pathologically Demand Avoidant children. Helping PDA families feel safe... Read more
Vulnerable nervous systems that are in chronic distress require a unique approach to understanding and creating a felt sense of safety. Read more
For many Autistic people, the trauma they carry is a result of society treating them like broken neurotypicals. Neuro-affirming care begins with providing... Read more
Neuro-affirming intakes need to begin with doing no harm. Read more
What would you do if your active but chronically dysregulated four-year-old stopped speaking, eating, and moving, and everyone you turned to for... Read more
Couples therapy was designed for neurotypical people—yet we know that neurodivergence is everywhere. How can we better identify, help, and support... Read more
When it comes to teens who’ve found belonging and understanding in the autism community, our job is more about validating than diagnosing. Read more
Increasing numbers of young people are wanting the validation of an autism diagnosis, even when assessments reveal they don’t meet the criteria. Read more
Parenting with untreated adult ADHD poses inherent difficulties for the entire family. Read more
The strongest couples are the ones who are open to help—the ones who can surround themselves with allies, inviting others into the trenches with them. Read more
Is there an alternative to applied behavioral analysis for children on the spectrum? Read more
Four simple ingredients will become bread, whether you do everything right or not. The result may not be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. Read more
A nine-year-old boy with severe behavioral challenges suddenly throws a full plate of food onto the school cafeteria floor. The consequence? His... Read more
With summer camps cancelled and many schools indefinitely closed, a therapist shares six homeschooling strategies that have served him well in helping the... Read more
Rather than a curse, ADHD expert Ned Hallowell believes this diagnosis comes with vast strengths. Read more
A controversial method makes talk therapy possible for people who don’t talk. Read more
By Christina Emanuel - Ryan’s reputation arrived before he did: brilliant, oppositional, angry, a general pain in the butt, and autistic. Over the years, he... Read more
An young woman with autism celebrates a very special night. Read more
Author Steve Silberman discusses what it means to view autistic people as individuals seeing the world in a different way, rather than just a checklist of... Read more
Adults with Asperger's syndrome often behave as if they were confused actors walking onto a stage and being the only ones who don't know the lines or the plot... Read more
Clients with ADHD often know the coping skills that can improve their lives—the problem is applying them in daily life. Read more
Part of the epidemic of misdiagnosed ADHD in young children today results from a failure to understand how trauma often leads to difficulty learning in school. Read more
When a child is diagnosed with an autism disorder, everything in a family changes. Good-enough parenting must give way to the demands of uber-parenting: always... Read more
By redefining Autism's five core deficits as opportunities to practice and develop skills, you can help your child make their own choices, coregulate, and... Read more
Constant Uncertainty about who's a friend and who's a foe, the mundane chaos of the classroom, rules that always seem to be changing—an ordinary day at... Read more
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