Neurodivergent people face many unique struggles in life--including social difficulties, sensory sensitivities, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and trauma from a lifetime of marginalization and microaggressions. Written by two neurodivergent psychologists, this workbook offers acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and self-compassion skills tailored to the needs of neurodiverse people--especially those with ADHD and Autism--so they can live authentically, take pride in their identity, increase overall well-being, and build meaningful connections to thrive as neurodivergent individuals in the modern world.
An innovative approach to help you maintain your high standards while also accepting mistakes with compassion and kindness. If you’re a perfectionist, you know there’s a helpful upside to pushing yourself toward excellence: achievement, success—and, hey, it can be fun and rewarding to work hard! But unhelpful perfectionism can just as easily work against you. It can prevent you from taking risks or trying new things out for fear of failure, judgment, or rejection; cause you to procrastinate; and make you feel like no matter what you achieve, you’ll never be good enough. Grounded in evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this workbook will help you discover what drives this ‘dark side’ of perfectionism, and develop the skills you need to overcome it—without lowering your standards. By leaning in to your values and treating yourself with kindness and compassion, you’ll learn to put mistakes in perspective without wallowing in self-criticism. Most importantly, you’ll find that you can allow for imperfection, without losing your drive to achieve. If you’re ready to stop unhealthy perfectionism from paralyzing your personal growth—and start embracing yourself as perfectly imperfect—this book will introduce you to a whole new you!
Written by neurodivergent psychologists for neurodivergent readers. This empowering workbook offers self-compassion skills to help you embrace who you are and thrive. As an autistic person or neurodivergent individual with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may sometimes feel as if you’re living in a world that wasn’t designed for you. You may have sensory sensitivities, social difficulties, struggles with executive functioning, sleep issues, depression, anxiety, burnout and meltdowns, and trauma from a lifetime of marginalization and microaggressions. If you are struggling with your neurodivergent identity, know that you aren’t alone. Whether you were diagnosed as a child or are just now realizing your difference, this workbook can help you move beyond the internalized message that there is something wrong with you, so you can embrace who you really are and manage stress before it leads to neurodivergent burnout. The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD offers acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and self-compassion skills tailored to the needs of neurodiverse people—especially those with ADHD and Autism—so you can live authentically, take pride in your identity, increase overall well-being, and build meaningful connections to thrive as a neurodivergent person in the modern world. This workbook will help you: Acknowledge your needs and be your own advocate Unmask and express your authentic self Reduce sensory overload and balance emotions Manage rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) and social anxiety Build meaningful social connections Improve executive functioning to get more done Adjust your environment to better fit your needs Most importantly, you’ll learn to take pride in your identity. Whether you’re autistic, ADHD, or both, this workbook can help you overcome self-critical thinking, advocate for yourself in effective ways, and learn practical skills to help you thrive as your authentic self.
ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults offers detailed examples of individuals who have above-average cognitive intelligence, but struggle with executive function impairments of ADHD and significant social-emotional impairments of Asperger syndrome. The book centers around twelve case studies of bright children, teens, and adults treated for both ADHD and Asperger syndrome. Each chapter describes diverse examples of their strengths and their difficulties and explains how these individuals can be helped with appropriate treatment to overcome their ADHD impairments and to improve their ability to understand and interact more effectively with others. Case examples are followed by updated, science-based descriptions of these disorders. Providing science-based information about ADHD and Asperger syndrome in clearly understandable, accessible language, this text is ideal for clinicians, educators, social workers, medical and mental health service providers, and parents of those struggling with such impairments. It also advocates for restoring the diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome to diagnostic manuals of the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization.
In The ADHD Workbook for Kids, an internationally-recognized child psychologist presents more than forty ten-minute games and activities children with ADHD can do to learn to make friends, gain confidence, and manage out-of-control behaviors.
Let this workbook guide you toward your authentic, autistic self. You don’t have to hide anymore. If you grew up before the neurodiversity movement, chances are you were taught at an early age that your autistic traits were “wrong” or “bad.” Whether it was stimming, difficulties with making small talk, avoiding eye contact, sensitivities to loud sounds or certain textures, or even talking passionately about the things you care about—somewhere along the way you learned to mask these aspects of yourself to better fit in, avoid bullying from other kids, and in some cases to even gain the love of your own parents. The problem is that, over time, masking can lead to higher levels of stress, burnout, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and depression. So how can you be your authentic self and still succeed and thrive in a neurotypical world? Written by a therapist who is actually autistic, this neurodiversity-affirming workbook offers skills to help you cultivate self-acceptance, manage intense emotions, and be your own advocate when needed. You’ll take a good look at the situations or people that caused you to mask in the first place. You’ll also discover: How to set and achieve your own authentic goals—with a clear view of who you are and what you care about Why self-love and self-acceptance is so important for autistic folks How to live your life on your own terms, while self-advocating for accommodations How to let go of old, hurtful messages about autistic people that you’ve internalized How autism can be both a strength and a disability Strategies to cope with burnout or meltdowns How to be assertive and set boundaries with others You don’t have to mask, hide, or camouflage any longer. Let this workbook guide you on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. You are worthy of it. And you deserve it.
As a parent, you already know that your child has many gifts. What you may not know is that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms-the very qualities that lead him or her to act out and distract others-may be among them. This second edition of The Gift of ADHD includes compelling new research indicating that the impulses that lead your child to act exuberantly may correspond with unusual levels of creativity and a heightened capacity for insight into the feelings and emotions of others. Could it be that ADHD is not a hindrance, but an asset in our fast-paced digital age? ADHD expert Lara Honos-Webb presents the evidence for this revolutionary concept and explains how you can help your child develop control over inattentive, hyperactive behavior and enhance the five gifts of ADHD: creativity, attunement to nature, interpersonal intuition, energetic enthusiasm, and emotional sensitivity. Filled with easy skill-building activities you and your child can do together, this book will help your child transform problematic symptoms into strengths, then build the self-esteem they need to let those gifts shine.
So much depends on how you look at things: Are you a glass-half-empty person, or do you discover advantages where other people find only weaknesses? When it comes to raising healthy, happy kids, positive encouragement and support can work miracles where attempts to change and control create frustration and resentment. In her first book, The Gift of ADHD, psychologist Lara Honos-Webb offers a positive, strengths-affirming new way to look at kids who present behaviors associated with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Instead of struggling to “tame” your easily distracted child, she shows you how to appreciate your child’s creativity, sensitivity, and passion for living. In this book, she develops the ideas from The Gift of ADHD into 101 simple and engaging activities you can use to develop your child’s unique strengths. The chapters of the book explore ways you can shift your thinking about different aspects of ADHD. Each starts with a short discussion of how a particular challenge can be reconceived as a strength. After that, the book dives into fun and positive activities you and your child can do together—often in just a few minutes—to help develop and reinforce the gifts of ADHD.
Discover the secret to positivity by tapping into your inner strengths! As a teen, your brain is changing every day. You’re more aware of the challenges and difficulties of life. You’re questioning everything. And you can tell when grownups are being fake or dishonest. All of these sudden realizations can be overwhelming, and as a result, you may fall into a “negativity trap.” And while there’s nothing wrong with a little sarcasm or skepticism—after a while, negative thoughts have a way of turning inward, causing stress, damaging your self-esteem, and crushing your confidence. So, how can you start building the real positivity you need to be happy, healthy, and in control of your life? You only need to look inside yourself. In this unique workbook, you’ll learn to tap into the power of your own character strengths—such as bravery, creativity, being a good friend, perseverance, honesty, and more—in order to build self-confidence, boost a positive attitude, and cope with the inevitable stress of life. You’ll also find out how to spot strengths in those around you, such as friends, family, teachers, and more. Finally, you’ll discover how your own character strengths can help bolster your engagement in life, enhance positive and healthy relationships, give your life greater meaning, increase your accomplishments, and even improve your physical health. This isn’t a workbook to help you be sunny and happy for the benefit of others. It’s not a workbook to help you ignore the difficulties and injustices of our world. What it is is a toolkit for finding your own inner strengths and using those strengths to be your very best. Imagine all you can accomplish with the power of real positivity—both for yourself and the world!
A diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be confusing and overwhelming for all involved, and it can be difficult for parents to know how best to approach the subject with their child. This easy-to-use interactive workbook gives parents the help they need to explain ASDs to their child and provide practical and emotional support following diagnosis. Parents are invited to work through each chapter with their child as they grow older and go through adolescence, encouraging them to talk through how the ASD affects each area of their life, from making friends to problem-solving to planning a career. The information and advice is presented in a clear and positive way to help both parent and child understand more about what the diagnosis means for them. As the workbook is completed an invaluable record of development will be created for parent and child to look back on together. This hands-on workbook is an essential resource for parents and carers looking for guidance on explaining ASDs from diagnosis onwards to children aged 10 and up.
