TransitionSpeech is a neurodiverse and neurodivergent affirming practice that focuses on creating affirming goals and providing supports that help individuals achieve their objectives while also remaining true to themselves.

What is autism?

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (previously referred to as Asperger’s) is a broad range of conditions characterized by persistent challenges with social communication, speech and nonverbal communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. Since Autism is a spectrum, the degree of impact because of these challenges varies between individuals with autism.

Intervention and support can help people to develop skills and coping strategies. Social skills support can assist autistic people in reading or managing the different aspects of social situations.

3 main elements make up diagnostic criteria for Autism including:

  1. Persistent difficulty or deficit in social communication including verbal and nonverbal-language across multiple contexts

  2. Persistent difficulty or deficit with social interaction across multiple contexts

  3. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities

Social communication difficulties can look like:

  • Difficulties interpreting social “rules” body language, which can lead to confusion or misunderstandings

  • Difficulty reading or incorporating body language or non-verbal language in a message

  • Literal interpretation of language – for example, difficulty interpreting or understanding sarcasm, abstract language, or colloquial phrases like "break a leg" in context.

  • Finding it hard to say how you feel or hard to identify and process complex feelings

  • Difficulty with “theory of mind” or finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling in the moment or how to respond

  • Aversion to eye contact

  • Stilted or scripted speech

  • Difficulty managing expectations around personal space such as: getting too close to other people, or getting upset if someone touches or gets too close to them

  • Feeling very anxious about social situations

  • Difficulty in forming and maintaining friendships or relationships, or preferring to be on your own (even at times when being alone is not wanted or feels lonely).

  • Finding it hard to maintain a conversation or transition between topics.

  • Seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors can look like:

  • Inflexibility of behavior

  • Difficulty coping with change, or distress with change

  • Rigid adherence to a routine even if that routine causes issues

  • Difficulty tolerating new experiences

  • Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g., aversion to certain sounds, or textures

  • Stereotypical repetitive movements

  • Arranging things in a very particular manner

strengths in autism:

It can be helpful to think of Autism not just as a deficit or disorder but as a ‘difference’. Many people view aspects of their Autism as strengths in certain situations or environments:

  • Noticing small details, patterns, smells or sounds that others do not

  • Precision and liking to plan things carefully before doing them

  • Having a very keen interest or passion in certain subjects or activities — Many people with Autism contribute profoundly to a subject or field with the depth and passion of their knowledge in the subject.

  • Strong sense of social justice— many people with autism are pioneering equity, accessibility, and acceptance for the neurodivergent population.

Some people with Autism can use these traits to their advantage. Supportive structures can help build on these strengths.

What is adhd?

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a persistent pattern of dysregulated attention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. Symptoms can include difficulty sustaining focus or mental effort, distractibility, fidgeting, impulsivity/self-control problems, and difficulty inhibiting emotions or behaviors.

ADHD is commonly believed to be due to deficits in executive functioning. Executive functions coordinate most of our everyday mental and behavioral activities and include planning, organization, decision-making, time-management, self-inhibition, emotion regulation, multitasking, and working memory. Individuals with ADHD can often be identified by an underlying pattern of executive function difficulties.

Symptoms of ADHD may change over time, especially in adulthood, but can continue to interfere with daily functioning. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can vary by context. Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, or track and plan time efficiently, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings or outbursts of anger.

impulsivity and inattentiveness or dysregulated attention can look like:

  • Reduced attention span or being easily distracted

  • Hyperfocus, or persistent attention to a single task for an extended period of time

  • Disorganization or problems planning and prioritizing

  • Difficulty with time management or experiencing “time blindness”

  • Making “careless” mistakes

  • Appearing forgetful, losing, or misplacing things

  • Trouble sticking to or focusing on tasks

  • Trouble shifting between tasks or multitasking

  • Difficulty following through and completing tasks (especially tasks that are repetitive)

  • Constantly changing activity or tasks

  • Appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions

  • Difficulty organizing or sequencing or thoughts

  • Staying on topic in a story or conversation

  • Low frustration tolerance

  • Difficulty with emotional regulation or mood

  • Trouble coping with stress

Hyperactivity can look like:

  • Difficulty sitting still, constantly fidgeting or needing to move around sometimes excessive to the setting

  • Difficultly concentrating on tasks

  • Very talkative and/or interrupting

  • Difficulty with turn-taking

  • Acting without thinking

  • Managing risk appropriately

Strengths of ADHD:

It can be helpful to think of ADHD not just as a deficit or disorder but as a ‘difference’. Many people view aspects of their ADHD as strengths in certain situations or environments:

  • Hyperfocus (can be a strength at times) – Some people with ADHD find that they can ‘hyper-focus’ on things they are interested in for extended time such as

    • sitting and focusing on one task for 11 hours straight.

    • becoming very knowledgeable about certain topics, or very productive when they are feeling motivated and passionate about something.

  • Responding to a crisis – Some people with ADHD find that they perform better in a crisis when the situation demands their full attention.

  • Creativity – often a different way of thinking can result in alternative and creative approaches to problems.

  • Strong sense of social justice— many people with ADHD are have a keen sense of justice and fairness and are often pioneering equity, accessibility, and acceptance for the neurodivergent population.

Some people with ADHD can use these traits to their advantage. Supportive structures can help build on these strengths.