Autism & ADHD Support

Autistic and ADHD children, young people and adults can experience the world in ways that differ from those around them.

Support is often most helpful when it begins with understanding those differences — including how the person experiences demands, relationships, sensory input, expectations and everyday environments — rather than trying to make them fit a particular idea of how they should behave.

At Family Minded, our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, practical and strengths-based. We focus on understanding what is contributing to stress, overload or mismatch, what supports may improve regulation and participation, and how to build skills in ways that respect the person’s identity, autonomy and capacity.

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We can provide a range of neuroaffirming supports

Support may focus on:

• emotional regulation and overwhelm

• executive functioning, attention and task initiation

• routines, transitions and changing demands

• sensory needs

• communication and mutual understanding

• friendships, relationships and social fit

• school, study or work demands

• self-esteem, identity and self-understanding

• masking and the effort involved in appearing to cope

• burnout and recovery

• adjustment following diagnosis

• recognising strengths and support needs

• self-advocacy and asking for help.

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Support for neurodivergent children and young people

For children and adolescents, therapy may involve a combination of individual work, parent support and collaboration with school.

We consider the young person’s developmental stage, communication style, interests, sensory profile, relationships, current capacity and environment.

Behaviour is viewed as information. Rather than asking only, “How do we stop this behaviour?”, we are interested in questions such as:

• What is making this difficult?

• What is the behaviour communicating?

• Is the demand greater than the young person’s current capacity?

• What support or environmental change may help?

• What skills can be built over time?

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The goal is not compliance for its own sake. It is greater wellbeing, participation, self-understanding and capacity.

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Support for neurodivergent adults

We also work with neurodivergent adults, including people diagnosed later in life and those making sense of what autism or ADHD means for them.

Support may focus on:

• understanding patterns of stress and overload

• executive functioning

• work or study demands

• relationships and communication

• identity and masking

• burnout and recovery

• self-advocacy

• developing routines and strategies that are realistic and sustainable.

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Therapy is not about teaching someone to appear more neurotypical. It is about helping them understand themselves, reduce unnecessary strain and find approaches that fit the way they function.

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Working with parents and families

Parents often benefit from support to understand behaviour, regulation, capacity and developmental differences.

This may include:

• understanding behaviour as communication

• recognising when a child needs support versus when they are ready to stretch

• adjusting demands and environments

• supporting routines and transitions

• reducing conflict around everyday expectations

• strengthening communication and connection

• building confidence and skills over time.

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The aim is not to remove every challenge. It is to help families respond in ways that are supportive, realistic and developmentally appropriate.

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Our approach

We aim to support neurodivergent people in ways that respect identity, autonomy and individual differences.

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Autism & ADHD assessments

If you are looking for a diagnostic assessment rather than therapy or support, we also provide autism and ADHD assessments.

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Not sure what kind of support you need?

You do not need to work this out before contacting us.

Tell us a little about what is happening and what you are hoping to understand or change, and we can help guide you toward the most appropriate next step.

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