My Child is Neurodivergent
Parenting a child or children who are neurodivergent can be very challenging. As a mother of two neurodivergent (now older) children has made me stronger as a person in so many ways. But not without a humongous effort to understand neurodevelopmental conditions and gain a deeper understanding.
The process of getting your child diagnosed can be both daunting and exhausting. NHS CAMHS has buckled under the sheer weight of demand for diagnosis, hence NHS England ADHD/ASD Taskforce. Meanwhile, we parents are expected to deal with all the inherent challenges. Some of us are lone parents without the added support of a partner. As parents, we may also have ADHD and/or ASD ourselves that compounds the situation.
My ADHD and ASD counselling in Hertfordshire offer you, as parent(s) to better understand all the variables involved. And there are many! Supportive listening is key. There aren’t any hard and fast answers due to personality differences in children and different cultural expectations. From personal experience, the first step is accepting that your child may do things differently than neurotypical children. There are many societal pressures to conform to ‘how children should behave’ without understanding the nature of neurodivergence. That can make you feel very alone in your quest to do the best for your child and to see them included and happy during the school years and beyond.
Meeting your child’s needs
Meeting your neurodivergent child’s needs is not always easy. But it can be accomplished provided they are offered a safe space to express their needs. A space in which they can express themselves without preconceived ideas from the parent(s). In this way, you can forge a stronger and closer bond with your child. This can be anxiety provoking for the parent(s), but I can help validate your feelings and ground you. So that, you are better able to facilitate your child’s needs.
Understanding the Effects of Neurodivergent Children
It is common for parents to feel guilty that they are not meeting their children’s needs. What is helpful to understood is that outside of neurodivergent challenges are the developmental and hormonal changes that occur during a child’s growing up process. These biological changes also need to be understood and taken into account outside of their neurodivergence. This is where it can get tricky. My ADHD and ASD Counselling in Hertfordshire can help you make sense of what is going on and suggest better ways of coping. I also have the added advantage of knowing what may or what may not work due to personal experience because my children are now young adults. I also counsel adult ADHD and ASD individuals who are having difficulties in interpersonal relationships and offsetting difficulties in general that they may be experiencing.
If you need supportive listening and guidance from an experienced therapist in neurodivergence. Contact me now at Penny Glazebrook Counselling and Psychotherapy now!
