Neurodivergence
🔎 Client Situation: Neurodivergent Identity (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc.)
Client identifies as neurodivergent or is exploring a recent diagnosis/suspected diagnosis. They may be navigating overwhelm, burnout, masking, low self-esteem, or uncertainty around how to work with their natural wiring.
⚡ Techniques & How to Use Them
1. Strength-Based Coaching
- How: Focus on what works because of their neurodivergence (e.g., creativity, hyperfocus, deep empathy). Ask: “What unique strengths come with your brain wiring?”
- When: When the client feels broken or deficient.
2. Energy & Sensory Mapping
- How: Identify sensory needs, stimulation triggers, and energy cycles. Use this to shape routines and environments.
- When: When overstimulation, shutdowns, or energy crashes occur.
3. Executive Function Support
- How: Offer tools for planning, initiation, and memory (timers, visual cues, external prompts, body doubling).
- When: When tasks are hard to start, organize, or remember.
4. Self-Compassion & De-Masking Work
- How: Explore where they feel they have to “perform” or “pass.” Ask: “What parts of you are tired of hiding?”
- When: When client experiences burnout or chronic self-judgment.
5. Environment and Routine Design
- How: Collaboratively build systems that suit the client's natural rhythms. Focus on what works, not what “should” work.
- When: When traditional time or task management systems have failed.
6. Values-Based Goal Setting
- How: Anchor goals to the client’s authentic values. Ask: “What does success look like for you?”
- When: When societal expectations cloud their vision.
7. Flexible Accountability Structures
- How: Use compassionate check-ins, gamified progress tracking, or shared wins journal. Adjust to avoid shame.
- When: When motivation is inconsistent or shame blocks follow-through.
8. Identity Empowerment
- How: Support the client in rewriting their story: “I’m not broken — I’m different.” Encourage advocacy and boundary setting.
- When: When the client struggles with belonging, self-worth, or diagnosis integration.
9. Emotional Regulation Support
- How: Explore grounding, sensory tools, co-regulation practices, or body-based cues.
- When: When emotions feel overwhelming or dysregulating.
10. Anti-Perfectionism Reframe
- How: Shift focus from perfection to progress. Ask: “What’s good enough to move forward today?”
- When: When internalized expectations cause paralysis or self-criticism.
🔎 Powerful Coaching Questions
- “What works best for your brain?”
- “Where are you still trying to fit into someone else’s system?”
- “What do you need less of — not more of — to function well?”
- “What rules or routines are you ready to redesign around your neurodivergence?”
- “What would radical self-trust look like for you?”
Tip: Neurodivergent clients thrive with acceptance, flexibility, and creative support. Your job as coach is to help them build a life that works with, not against, their natural wiring.