Championing Neurodivergent Experience as a Psychological Practitioner

Date: Thursday 28th March 2024

Time: 09:15am - 10:30am

Thank you to everyone who attended the second "Championing Neurodivergent Experience as a Psychological Practitioner" event. It was a pleasure to see a diverse range of roles represented, including Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs), Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) therapists.

Part One: Understanding Neurodiversity

The first part of the session focused on defining neurodiversity and neurodivergence, and the various conditions and traits this label encompasses. We particularly concentrated on Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to the increasing number of clients referring into mental health services either with these diagnoses or querying these conditions.

Key points discussed:

• Neurodiversity covers a broad spectrum, making it challenging to define the specific issues neurodivergent clients might face when accessing mental health services.
• Attendees shared personal experiences of neurodivergence, leading to insightful discussions about the importance of person-centred care and avoiding assumptions based solely on diagnostic criteria.
• We noted the necessity for increased education on neurodiversity for mental health professionals.

Part Two: Making Services Accessible The second part of the event involved smaller group discussions focused on improving accessibility for neurodivergent clients in accessing mental health services.

Discussion points included:

• Barriers in Accessing Services: The cognitive effort and processing required for making referrals to services and accessing initial assessments can be challenging. Neurodivergent clients may be unfairly judged as not engaging 'properly' or not being committed to support due to differences in executive functioning, leading to premature discharge and reduced trust in services. It was also discussed that there is generally limited information provided to clients about what to expect from appointments and processes moving forward, as well as the impact of masking/camouflaging (whether consciously or unconsciously) on scoring routine outcome measures and case formulation. This in turn may negatively affect clients' therapeutic journeys and/or result in 'bouncing' between services.
• Improving Accessibility: Suggestions included using project groups to make communication (particularly clinical letters) more client-friendly, providing guides on what to expect from appointments, and explaining the purpose and processes of assessment/treatment sessions clearly. Clinicians should ask about any adjustments that may be required at the beginning of appointments, and also provide information on potential adaptations that could be provided.

Key Takeaways

• Communication: Making clinical letters more 'human' and providing clear information about appointments can reduce anxiety and improve engagement.
• Understanding and Adaptation: Clinicians should explain service processes clearly and be open to feedback, ensuring that they support clients in identifying and requesting necessary adjustments.
• Continuous Learning: It's important to remain willing to learn and adapt, recognizing that professionals may not have all the answers but can continuously improve their practice.

Thank you again for all the thoughtful contributions, and for facilitating such a safe space to explore these themes. It was fantastic to see such a passion for this topic amongst attendees, and I look forward to welcoming anyone who may be interested in future sessions!