Social Worker | Homeschool Consultant | Trauma-Informed Art Therapies Counsellor | Wellness Practitioner
Reg. no: ASCHP WC24/9022
Neurodivergent Wellness
Seeing health from a wellness standpoint involves acknowledging it as a beneficial state of bio-psycho-social well-being.
Therefore, health is defined as a condition where
a person's body, soul and spirit are in harmony.
Where the individual takes ownership
for their own health and wellness
through neuro-affirming self-care.
Hope is the thing with feathers
by Emily Dickinson
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Image credit: Geneva Wilson, S Jade Studio
Self-Care & Wellness-Centered HealthCare
Self-care is defined by the World Health Organization as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”
Essential Aspects of Wellness-Centered Healthcare:
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Self-care plays a crucial role in Wellness-Centered Healthcare.
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Individuals must take ownership of their own health and wellness.
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Having an understanding of one's holistic self that includes your
physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual wellness is paramount.
Self-care is not synonymous with self-indulgence or being selfish.
Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well,
you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day.”
Dimensions of Wellness
Neuro-affirming Aspects
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Emotional - Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships. Emotional Regulation & Executive Functioning.
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Physical - Recognizing the need for physical activity, sleep and nutrition. Interoception, Exteroception, Proprioception, Sensory Differences, Gender-affirming, Sensory Regulation & Stimming.
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Financial - Satisfaction with current and future financial situations and goals. Autonomy & Functional Independence.
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Social - Having a sense of connection and a dependable support system. Social Differences, Social Masking, Communication Differences, LGBTQIA+ affirming & Neuro-tribe.
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Occupational - Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work. ND Support, Accommodations & Self-advocacy.
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Environmental - Good health through pleasant environments that support well-being. ND-friendly & ND-affirming environments.
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Intellectual - Identifying creative abilities and expanding knowledge and skills. Special interests, SPINS & Monotropic Flow state.
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Spiritual - Expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life. Social Justice, Truth-seeking, Empathic.
Autistic Wellness
Neurodivergent Wellness should be neuro-affirming, taking into account the person's neuro differences
and the support and accommodations
they need to thrive in life.
The Neurodivergent
Umbrella
Neurodivergent is an umbrella term that includes e.g. Autism. It is often referred to as ND, our Neuro-Tribe, and we are called Neurodivergents. Neurodivergence also means people with a Gifted IQ, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD/ ADD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette’s, Tic Disorders, Developmental Language Disorder, Trauma etc. Some have co-occurring conditions like Depression, Anxiety, Gender Dysphoria, Alexithymia etc.
In an article by Reframing Autism (Reframing Autism, 2022b: Neurodiversity-affirming language: A letter to your child’s support network) Autism is defined as “a neurological difference in the nervous system which begins in utero and makes autistic people think, move, interact, sense and process atypically or differently to a standardized norm. Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the rich diversity of human minds and is an undeniable aspect of the biodiversity that is found in human beings.”
Also, functioning labels are harmful to the autistic community. We are all autistic. Autism is not a disease and it does not have to be cured.
Wellness Counselling & Coaching
