Blog

During the sixth week of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, I spotted a comment on social media written by a young woman. She mentioned that having ADHD at this time led to some particular challenges and kindly agreed to be interviewed about her life before and during lockdown. Her name has been changed to protect her

I recently ran a workshop for university staff who support students with ADHD.  Delegates were surprised at the extent of the difficulties which may face these students throughout each day, and at the students’ resilience and determination.  As well as discussing potential challenges, we shared ideas about managing ADHD at university.  In this post, I

This interview with a university student provides some interesting insights into how dyspraxia may affect people throughout their lives. It also shows how, with determination, and some appropriate support, dyspraxia need not be an obstacle to success. Some details, including the student’s name, have been changed. Louise: How does being dyspraxic affect you? Paul: Dyspraxia

Note-making is a skill which is always necessary for students and often necessary for employees. It is, however, a skill which is often taken for granted.  In this article, I outline the value of making notes, discuss different forms of note-making, and provide some tips about effective note-making.  Why make notes? It is important to

Recently I ran a series of workshops for adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). In this post, I review these workshops in order to reflect upon their success and to share my ideas with others. I always knew that running a series of workshops for adults with ASC would be challenging in terms of preparation

Procrastination can certainly be the thief of time for those with a neurodiverse condition. In this post I discuss the nature and consequences of procrastination as well as strategies for tackling this common problem.  Neurodiverse conditions and procrastination Individuals with dyslexia often delay beginning tasks which involve literacy skills. Those with Asperger Syndrome and ADHD

In this post, I explore ten common myths about autism. 1.  You can be mildly autistic. In my view, it is a mistake to label someone as being mildly autistic as you either meet the diagnostic criteria, or you don’t. Those with autism vary a great deal in terms of their cognitive functioning, however, hence

In this post, I briefly describe the characteristics and possible causes of dyspraxia, the ways in which it manifests itself in adulthood, and how it may be identified. What is dyspraxia? Dyspraxia (or developmental coordination disorder as it is often known as outside of the UK) is a lifelong condition. It is characterised by weaknesses

For this post, I have interviewed a fifty year old male who was unaware that he was dyslexic until he was in his thirties. His name has been changed to protect his identity. Louise: What was your early experience of learning to read and write? Chris: I found this very difficult and was behind my

In this post I aim to outline the nature of visual stress, briefly discuss methods of identification and treatment, and point the reader towards further sources of information, as well as indicating where appropriate help may be sought. When I heard that the actor, Paddy Considine who has starred in films including Hot Fuzz and

I recently assessed a woman in her 40s and found that she met the criteria for a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. She kindly agreed to an interview which allowed me to explore some issues related to employment in those with an autism spectrum disorder. Some details, including the client’s name, have been changed to protect

In this post, I will be outlining some of the challenges facing students who begin their university careers with undiagnosed neurodiverse conditions. I hope that this will help students to recognise whether they may have such a condition, and encourage them to seek appropriate support.  As this year’s freshers contemplate their return to university following