Why Being Neurodivergent Makes Me Better at the Things That Matter
The conversation always goes the same way.
Someone learns about my life, hears the barriers the challenges and diagnoses - and they shake their head with that uncomfortable mix of pity and admiration.
"I don't know how you do it , I don't think I could manage all that or You're incredible."
It’s well intended, and while it comes with the thrill of validation, my previous responses never sat quite right. I used to be deflective,
“Thanks, I just have to, don’t really have a choice."
It was dismissive and missed something crucial. I'm not just managing despite being neurodivergent. I'm excelling because of it.
The Problem with "Inspiration" Narratives
Let's call a spade a spade, even if it’s not intended, there’s a hidden message in these conversations. When people say, "I couldn't do what you do," they're operating from an assumption that being neurodivergent or disabled is inherently a burden to overcome.
That my situation is somehow ‘tragic’, and therefore any achievements, even just existing, is more remarkable.
This is exhausting and harmful.
It positions neurodivergent and disabled people as either ‘unfortunate figures’ struggling against impossible odds, or as inspirational superhumans who've transcended their "limitations."
Both miss the point entirely.
What if being neurodivergent isn't something I'm succeeding, in spite of, but something that's making me better at my job, my relationships, and my life?
How Lived Experience Transforms Professional Practice
When I sit across from someone who is describing what a loss of Autonomy feels like- I don't need to imagine what that feels like.
When they describe the exhaustion of masking for decades, the relief and grief that comes with finally understanding themselves - I've been there.
If they share about their frustrations in trying to manage in workplaces that don’t meet their needs – I don’t have to ‘guess’ I get it because it’s been me too.
This isn't just empathy (though that matters enormously); it's a depth of understanding that creates genuine therapeutic connection.
I can spot the signs of burnout before my clients recognise them themselves, because I've lived through that cycle.
You don’t need to convince me to believe that something is challenging, overwhelming or not as simple as it sounds, because it has been me too.
I understand the complex emotions around late identification as Autistic or ADHD, because I've wrestled with those same feelings.
This deeper lived experience foundation transcends any training or professional development, it’s more than just an intellectual understanding.
For example, I have ways of explaining concepts, in simple easy to understand ways, because my Autistic need to understand meant I deep dived the topic and have created a framework, with visuals, metaphor or story to help others understand in the way that works best for them. The accommodations I’ve found that work for myself, extend into innovative therapy approaches for others. My own epiphany moments in learning, become the light bulbs for the people I support.
I don’t just teach strategies, I live them, refine them and share what works in real life.
The Professional Advantages of a Neurodivergent Brain
Pattern recognition: My brain excels at spotting connections others miss. Now this isn’t to say that all neurotypes can’t recognise patterns’, but it’s something my brain loves to do. I can see how someone’s sensory processing challenges at work, are why they are struggling with daily living tasks at home or how self-described ‘stubbornness or not willing to quit attitude’ could actually be a PDA profile, and explain some of their barriers with self-initiation.
These aren't insights I learned from textbooks - they're patterns I recognise as part of skill I have as a Neurodivergent person.
Monotropic focus: When I hyperfocus on understanding a complex case or researching the latest evidence, I can dive deeper than most, and see not only the small detail in getting dressed but the larger picture contributing to burnout. This intense focus allows me to step into the shoes of my clients, and through this deep understanding develop genuine and innovative solutions.
Direct communication: The autistic community's preference for explicit, honest communication means I sometimes feel like an interpreter, exploring the communication breakdowns that my clients bring to discuss. Sometimes, it’s the ability to cut to the chase, and address the elephant in the room – or its in gifting someone permission to be direct with me “tell me if this doesn’t work for you so we can find a way that does”.
Burnout Experience: My own experiences with repeated burnout and late identification, mean I am positioned to pull not only from research how to support burnout recovery but my lived experience and the journeys of the people I’ve supported over time.
Executive Function Accommodations: My need for structure, with flexibility and low demand has led me to develop my own practices that protect both my wellbeing and my business.
What started as accommodations for my own executive functioning became competitive advantages for my practice.
Beyond Individual Practice: Creating Systemic Change
Being neurodivergent makes me better at seeing and challenging the systems that marginalise our community.
I understand the NDIS from all angles - as a provider trying to deliver quality services, as a parent advocating for my child, and as a participant navigating my own supports. As an Autistic human trying to weather the storm of constant change.
This lived experience means I can spot problem patterns others may be missing and advocate for changes that matter. It's not just in writing reports through a social model or strength-based approach; it’s in
educating through the assessment process,
it’s in understanding the intersection of our other support systems and seeing where they fall short of meeting disability needs,
and advocating for THAT support.
It’s for advocating for systems and environments that support actual inclusion, because I know what it feels like to be misunderstood and pathologised.
The Emotional Intelligence of Lived Experience
As an Occupational Therapist who graduated right at the beginnings of the Neuroaffirming Movement, I was supervised, supported and spent a large part of my career surrounded by non-affirming practice models. I’ve heard the
“you’re too invested in this , you need to be better at managing your emotional boundaries , or perhaps you need to not see people who have experiences that you relate to”.
Not only does this position being deeply feeling as ‘something to overcome’ but it implies that a deep empathy or connection with the people we support is something to be avoided.
I challenge that this is backwards.
My own experiences with emotional regulation have made me incredibly attuned to the emotional landscapes of others. I can usually recognise dysregulation before it escalates because I've learned to monitor these signs in myself. I understand the shame spiral that comes after a meltdown because I've been there.
My pattern recognition and deep empathy is a signal for me to regulate myself, AND it often means I am doing work that feels meaningful. I feel a deep sense of Joy and hope when seeing myself in my clients, knowing that if I or others like me have had success, then they can to. I can use my deep empathy to monitor for my own compassionate fatigue and burnout risks maintaining my own professional sustainability, and support someone with not just evidence-based strategies but lived experience ones that I know work. I get to relate to the emotion, even if I don’t relate to the contextual experience – allowing me to maintain client centred in my work.
My sensory processing differences mean I notice when environments are overwhelming for others. I adjust lighting, reduce background noise, and create sensory-friendly spaces not because I learned this in a course, but because I know how crucial these accommodations are. It means once aware of sensory preference, session prep becomes as much about setting up the space for their sensory needs as it does the clinical work.
My experience with masking helps me recognise when clients are performing neurotypicality at the cost of their wellbeing. I can gently point out these patterns and help people find more sustainable ways of being in the world. We get to dismantle internalised ableism together.
Reframing Success and Contribution
Here's what I want people to understand:
being Neurodivergent isn't a limitation to overcome. It's a set of strengths that makes me uniquely qualified for this work.
The clients I serve aren't getting a therapist who's succeeded despite her differences. They're getting a therapist whose differences make her better at seeing their strengths, understanding their challenges, and creating genuinely neuro-affirming support.
My business isn't successful despite being run by someone with executive functioning differences. It's successful because those differences led me to create systems, processes, and a workplace culture that actually supports neurodivergent brains.
My staff aren’t disadvantaged because they work for someone with a different brain, they’re supported in their own differences, in the ways that work best for ALL of us.
The Ripple Effects
When we show up authentically as a neurodivergent professionals, we’re not just serving our clients better. We’re modelling what's possible.
For neurodivergent colleagues: If you take one thing from this, know that you don't need to mask or pretend to be neurotypical to be successful. Your natural way of being can be, and is a professional asset.
For families: Your neurodivergent children can grow up to be contributing members of society who leverage their differences as strengths. Being Neurodivergent, Autistic or having a brain that works differently, doesn’t mean they don’t have a bright future, it just may look different than you imagined.
For the industry: I'm living proof that neuro-affirming approaches don't just feel better - they produce better outcomes, reduce burnout and support a sustainable workforce.
The Real Inspiration
If you want to find my story inspiring, don't focus on how I'm managing despite my challenges. Focus on how I'm thriving because of my strengths.
Be inspired by the fact that my neurotype has led to innovative emotion-regulation tools that help my clients.
Be inspired by how my executive functioning differences, have fostered a way of working that supports other neurodivergent professionals to thrive.Be inspired by the way my lived experience allows me to advocate effectively for systemic change.
Be inspired by the possibilities.
The real inspiration isn't that I'm succeeding despite being neurodivergent. It's that the world becomes a better place when neurodivergent people are empowered to contribute our unique perspectives and strengths.
So, What next?
Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, parenting a neurodivergent child, or working alongside neurodivergent colleagues, the message is the same:
Stop seeing neurodivergence as something to overcome. Start seeing it as an asset.
The accommodations, perspectives, and approaches that emerge from lived experience don't just help neurodivergent people survive - they help entire communities thrive. My neurodivergence isn't the obstacle I've heroically surmounted. It's the reason I'm good at what I do.
And that's not inspiration porn. That's just the truth.
If this resonates with you, I'd love to hear about the ways your own neurodivergence enhances your work and relationships. Share your stories - they matter more than you know.