- Use these questions alongside asking the client if they are Neurodivergent.
- Acceptance: showing awareness and care around the clients’ needs will help them know that they are accepted for who they are.
- Empathy: showing understanding of the difficulties and differences people experience models empathy.
KEY ISSUES
While there are many ways in which environments can be made more Neurodivergent friendly, no two Neurodivergent individuals are the same and each will have a range of specific strengths and needs. It may not always be known whether an individual is Neurodivergent. Some Neurodivergent individuals may never have contemplated this at all while others may be reluctant to disclose due to negative past experiences. Below are some needs-led, supplementary questions that practitioners can ask alongside asking if a client is Neurodivergent. Having a list of stimuli and experiences that the client finds difficult can help to unpack how they handle this in different areas of their lives. Practitioners may also need to revisit these questions during the intervention as neurodivergence may only become more apparent as practitioners get to know the client better.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Explore needs and adaptations
- Do you have a sensitivity to or preference around lighting, sunlight, or natural light?
- Do you find background noise challenging?
- Do you have any sensitivities to smell?
- Do you have any sensitivities to touch?
- Do you have sensitivities to or preferences around heating/temperature?
- Do you require movement breaks? (this can include permission to move around the room).
- Do you require comfort breaks? (interoception: basic bodily needs).
- Do you experience anxiety around change (i.e. staff, venues, meeting new people, sitting in a particular seat)?
- Do you have any preferences around how and where we meet?
- Do you have difficulties in recognising faces?
- Do you struggle to identify your own emotions/feelings?
- Are you sensitive to emotions (hyper empathy) or struggle to relate to the emotions of others (hyposensitive)?
- Do you have problems focusing/staying on task? (Consider distractions such as noises, low interest tasks).
- Do you have any challenges with processing information?
- Do you have any challenges with communication and social etiquette (e.g., turn taking, engaging in group work)?
Strengths and adaptations
- What does sensory discomfort look and feel like for you?
- What strategies have you developed to manage these situations?
- How will I know that you are in sensory discomfort?
- How will I know if you need extra processing time?
- What can I do to help? (ask them to consider a time where someone/something has helped them in the past).
- What can you do in that moment?
- Remember that clients may have different and/or competing needs.
- There are advantages and limitations of rolling programmes and how this affects those who are Neurodivergent in terms of their participation and expectations.
- Consideration should be given as to whether the client would struggle to cope with a specific format (i.e. those who struggle significantly with transitions may find rolling programmes inaccessible).