A Guide to Supporting Your Neurodivergent Self

A framework of recommendations to support an individual with an AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) profile in building a life that honors their neurotype, leverages their strengths, and provides scaffolding for areas of challenge.

🧠 Acknowledging Your Strengths

Deep Focus & Passionate Interests

Your ability to immerse yourself in topics is a powerful asset that allows for the development of expert-level knowledge.

Pattern Recognition & Systemizing

Many neurodivergent individuals excel at seeing connections and systems that others miss, making them natural problem-solvers.

Honesty, Loyalty, & Strong Moral Compass

A preference for direct communication and a deep sense of justice are common traits that foster reliable and principled relationships.

Creativity & Innovative Thinking

Your mind is likely a wellspring of ideas, capable of making rapid, novel connections that lead to exceptional creativity.

Resilience & Adaptability

Navigating a world not built for your brain style fosters incredible resilience and perseverance.

Heightened Sensory Experience

While sensitivities can be a challenge, they can also lead to a richer, more detailed, and nuanced appreciation of the world.

🤝 Building Your Support System

I. Therapeutic & Clinical Support

Individual Therapy: Engage with a provider who is explicitly neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed. Look for person-centered, validating approaches. Resources like Zocdoc and Psychology Today can help.
Specialized Treatment: If co-occurring OCD is present, consider Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) adapted for a neurodivergent profile.
Medication Management: Consult a knowledgeable psychiatrist to discuss options for ADHD that may improve executive functioning and emotional regulation.

II. Systems, Advocacy, & Community Support

Apply for Public Services: Investigate eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and state-level Developmental Disability Services (like Regional Centers in CA).
Know Your Rights: Familiarize yourself with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state-specific laws (like the Lanterman Act in CA).
Connect with Peers: Seek out online or in-person peer support groups for neurodivergent adults to reduce isolation and find validation.

💡 Self-Advocacy & Well-being Strategies

Honor Your Sensory System

Proactively create comfortable environments. Use tools like tinted lenses (e.g., FL-41), noise-canceling headphones, blackout curtains, and weighted blankets to manage sensory input.

Authentic Communication

Consciously reduce masking in safe relationships. Practice explicitly stating your needs and boundaries. Connect with others on your own terms in ways that feel energizing.

Physical Well-being

Engage in regular physical movement that feels good to your body. Explore sustainable nutritional shifts, like focusing on adequate protein intake.

Vocational & Independent Living

Explore state vocational training services. Use external aids like visual timers, checklists, and apps to support executive functioning and financial planning.

📚 Psychoeducation & Further Learning

🔗 Recommended Websites

📖 Selected Books

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, Ph.D.
NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman
Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child by AWN
How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, LPC
Taking Charge of ADHD by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.