While there are often many (very important!) supports for children with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, I found that there just wasn’t enough support out there for adults. 

Learning from clients with learning disabilities and/or ADHD

When I speak to adults with learning disabilities, they often tell me they’ve tried everything under the sun to try and help themselves accomplish their goals and nothing seemed to work. 

Most of my first meetings are a repeat of “Hey Alex, I researched the best practices for managing ADHD in the workplace….”

• “I set timers”

• “I bought a new planner”

• “I lock my phone”

• “I tried this app”

But…none of them worked.

My background with an early-diagnosis for dyslexia and ADHD 

I had the privilege of having an early diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD along with many resources to succeed all the way through college. Having had a lifetime of these learning disabilities and IEPs (Individualized Education Program) I knew I had the ability to succeed but it would look different than my peers. 

Afterwards, my professional career included over a decade of program and leadership development. It was there I trained thousands of leaders with many different skill levels, realizing how unrealistic it was to expect everyone to do the exact same thing and end up with the same results. That’s where I developed my approach:

Best Principles Vs Best Practices

With my coaching theory of Best Principles vs Best Practices we have the same goal in mind of allowing you to manage at work or at home but how we get there is based on what your needs are. 

This philosophy carries over into all aspects of my business whether it is 1:1 Coaching, 2:1 relationship coaching, or my self-paced courses. I walk you through a process to help you observe what your needs are, what success looks like for you, and how to help yourself accomplish your goals in a way that makes sense for you. 

As much as we would love to have that instant gratification of trying one strategy and it working long-term, it is certainly not realistic. This process of getting to know yourself takes some work, but it is a process that leads to success long term. And ultimately, that is the goal.

Getting That Diagnosis for Learning Disabilities, Autism, ADHD, and More

It’s a very personal decision for many to decide if they will go through the often long process to get diagnosed. For some, it can be a total lifechanger, to suddenly have access to more supports and just language to describe their lived experience. Sometimes, getting a diagnosis can be the hardest part of this journey, so congratulations for those of you who have made it this far! It’s unfortunate there are so many hoops to jump through for people who already might be burned out from what’s happening in day-to-day life. I put together some of these learnings, such as how to advocate for yourself in the workplace, and started an ADHD support group cohort for adults diagnosed within in the past five years to support one another in a virtual group coaching environment. 

Decluttering Your Neurospicy Mind

There are so many shows, articles, and books now about decluttering physical spaces. But, often for neurospicy adults, we need to take mental stock of what’s going on in our minds and bodies. Because sometimes simple daily tasks feel overwhelming, and other times we can get into hyper-focus and productivity. But most of the time, people are looking for a certain middle ground which is more sustainable for their lives. I talk more about this on my blog and Instagram. Most importantly, I’ve found that offering free 30 minute Declutter Your Mind sessions is really helpful to people from all walks of life.

Neurodivergent, or “Neurospicy” Life

You might see me using the word “neurospicy” from time to time. This is a play on the term neurodivergent, an umbrella term for anyone whose brain doesn’t fit the “typical” mold of what society has set us up to expect. Neurodiversity is a way we can embrace that everyone’s brains are beautiful and cape-able, and it’s just a matter of finding what works for the individual instead of a one-size-fits-all situation. 

If you’re Autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, Down’s Syndrome, Tourette’s, epilepsy, dyspraxia, synesthesia, dyscalculia, along with chronic mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder…welcome to the club! It’s a big one! And yes, we’ve got some great jackets for our members!  

Slowly, we are shifting to a world where our diversity is a gift, something to be celebrated, or at the very least just a normal part of life…and not something to be “fixed”. We can approach ourselves as individuals and groups with curiosity and compassion together. 

Many people find the neurodiversity was a bit of an intimidating term, so often you’ll find folks in the community referring to ourselves as “neurospicy”...just a way of saying our brains have something a little extra special to add a bit of spice to our lives and the lives of others! 

So…what are some ways to navigate life as a neurospicy adult? 

Employment Support for Adults With Learning Disabilities 

As a career coach for adults with learning disabilities, it’s key to think through your unique strengths and challenges to avoid frustration and burnout. I was able to put together a list of ways to avoid common errors in the workplace if you’re a neurospicy individual. This includes setting strong boundaries, taking regular breaks, and using tools such as Grammarly for written communications. Advocating for yourself in the workplace is another key skill, including being aware of your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if you’re facing discrimination.

For employers, I’m able to consult and put on workshops to ensure they are doing a better job of embracing and providing employment support for adults with learning disabilities. 

Neurospicy Parenting

Becoming a parent is life changing, and putting some extra thought and preparation into the journey can make the difference. It can be a difficult change, which is why I wrote this post with some key learnings from my own experience as a new parent. And as I got further into it, how I overcame specific challenges parenting with dyslexia, such as putting stickers on everything to show what is right vs. left, and finding apps to read directions on all the parenting products!  For literal parenting journeys, I compiled a list of “what’s in my diaper bag” to make life easier for traveling with babies for neurodivergent parents! Plus some general ADHD travel hacks, including a packing list and tools such as packing cubes and packing shelves. Finally, the ever-present budget can feel daunting as a parent, so I’ve discovered tools and goal-setting techniques to support managing money with ADHD.  

Learning Disabilities, ADHD and Food

Eating is something we have to do each day, and for neurospicy people (including myself) that results in decision fatigue. I found that meal kits were a great help in reducing this stress, while making sure we were eating balanced meals. But there’s no silver bullet solution, and when I became a parent I worked with my anti-diet dietician to come up with some principles and ideas that helped us along the way…such as feeling comfortable going for a craving, but perhaps pairing it with a protein if you’re able to keep some easily at hand. Plus, I made a list of snacks to have on hand when hyper-focused and it’s easy to forget to eat. 

Change is Hard, and It’s Okay To Fail

Change is hard. Especially hard for many neurodiverse folks. Which is why instead of shaming activities, we can reflect that many of us find comfort in simple supports like games (Tetris is my fave…the patterns, the feeling of control, yes!!!) That’s a key thing to learn because many folks who are neurodiverse had a hard time as children, being constantly compared and told they aren’t doing things as expected. And this can continue into adulthood, where many folks feel an intense fear of failure. Failing my driving test four times ended up teaching me a lot more than I expected about getting comfortable with failure, and working to silence negative self-talk.

Life Transitions with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Learning Disabilities 

While transitions are a normal part of life, they can be particularly difficult for neurodivergent folks. Reflecting back on a year full of particularly intense transitions, I realized my life felt shaky because I was trying to manage it based on a former life that no longer exists. Many people reach a point in their lives, myself included, where our former careers aren’t serving us to our greatest potential. It’s in that spirit I developed a self-paced course specifically for transitioning careers, and another course for recent graduates looking to get into the job hunt who may be experiencing setbacks. Reflecting on how to propel ourselves forward based on how our life looks now, and what we need to make room for in what’s to come, can be helpful during major events. 

Privilege and Positions in the Learning Disability Space 

When my school wouldn’t provide the supports I needed (or even help me get diagnosed with my learning disabilities!) my parents were able to pack up and move us somewhere else that had amazing options. But this isn’t the case for so many. Privilege pays such a key role in our journeys, and discrimination makes it worse. 

For example, according to one study, “Black students who were in 8th grade in 2003 were 71 percent less likely to be identified for learning disabilities than their white peers, whereas black students who were in the 8th grade in 2015 were 55 percent less likely to be classified with a learning disability.” While these numbers seem to be improving, it’s still a staggering difference and affects many of the young adults in the workforce today.

While I cannot understand what it’s like to navigate the world through this lens, I will always do my best to advocate for anyone who has faced these challenges. I also always use this lens when meeting with my clients and first acknowledge all of the different factors that played into their story. If I don’t first recognize these complicated layers and the systemic inequities in our education system, I wouldn’t be properly doing my job as a learning disabilities and ADHD coach. 

And while I can’t claim to be an expert in educational equity, it’s up to me to stay vigilant and committed to learning about it every single day. To me, this includes hearing stories from people of color who have had to handle these obstacles while navigating the education system. It also means doing my research and due diligence to advocate for students of color and students from low-income communities. I always welcome feedback in this department and would love to hear if there are any additional organizations I should get involved with. 

Back to Best Principles Vs Best Practices

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to learn a bit about my experiences and philosophy as a coach for adults with learning disabilities. But there’s always so much more to learn! From when I started this business with an intentionally misspelled name (who is more Cape-Able of a cool name spelling than someone who is dyslexic?) to the many courses and services we now offer. Please check back for updates, let me know if you have a group interested in a keynote speaking address, and get in touch for anything else you’d like to discuss.