About Us
Who we are
Everything Autism is a specialist practice working with and supporting autistic individuals and their families. We are a multi disciplinary team who have significant expertise and knowledge in providing services relating to the formal identification (diagnosis) of an autistic identity. We work with children, young people and adults.
Everything Autism is a small team of practitioners who strive to give the very best to each and every family and individual we work with. We are proud of being a small but passionate team as we believe this helps you receive the very best care. We understand that everyone is unique and our practice reflects this. We are passionate about ensuring that every voice is heard and listened to and that voice is at the centre of everything we do.
What is Autism?
The term autism is used to identify a neurotype (brain type) and describes differences in how a person experiences and interacts with the world around them. Autistic peoples’ brains process information differently from the majority brain type, or ‘neurotypical’.
‘Neurodiversity’ describes differences in brain functioning and is the result of natural variations in the human genome; it is an important and valuable part of human evolution and diversity. Being autistic is just one example of neurodivergence.
Autism is a spectrum, meaning that there is a wide range of diversity across the autistic population. Every autistic person experiences different combinations of autistic characteristics and each to different intensities. This means that while all autistic people may share certain broad characteristics, each autistic person is an individual and has their own unique profile relating to their experiences, strengths and challenges.
Setting, circumstance and general wellness can impact on autistic peoples’ sensory and information processing, meaning that their needs can fluctuate and be different at different times. This is known as being ‘dynamic’.
Being autistic consists of different ways of thinking, communicating, understanding, being and feeling; it is an internal experience.
Characteristic external signs of being autistic include different ways of socially interacting, communicating and connecting with others, combined with differences with information and sensory processing, enjoyment of repetition in movements, actions and speech, deep focus on special interests, and a preference for predictability and sameness.
Autism is identified formally when characteristics that are observed by the assessing team and reported by the individual and people familiar to them meet the criteria for autism defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSMV).
Diagnosis is given when these differences have been present from childhood and impact on the individual’s everyday life.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurotype, meaning it describes a particular way the brain develops and processes information. ADHD influences how a person regulates attention, activity levels, impulses, motivation and executive functioning (the brain skills involved in planning, organising, remembering, starting tasks and managing emotions).
Every person has their own unique profile of strengths and challenges. Some people mainly experience differences with attention and organisation, others with activity levels and impulsivity, and many experience a combination of both. These differences may be highly noticeable in some situations but much less apparent in others. Interest, motivation, emotional state, environment, tiredness and stress can all influence how easily someone can focus, regulate themselves or complete tasks. Many ADHDers can concentrate exceptionally well on activities they find interesting or rewarding (hyperfocus), while finding routine or less motivating tasks much harder to begin or sustain. Attention in ADHD is often influenced by interest, novelty, challenge and urgency.
ADHD is an internal experience; it is the way that a person’s brain processes information and understands and interacts with the world around them. ADHDers often develop strategies to hide or compensate for their differences in order to meet expectations at school, work or socially. This can involve masking, working much harder than others to stay organised, or relying heavily on reminders and routines. These strategies may help outwardly but can be exhausting and impact emotional wellbeing over time.
An ADHD identity is formally recognised when characteristics that are observed by the assessing team and reported by the individual and people familiar to them meet the criteria for autism defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSMV).
Diagnosis is given when these differences have been present from childhood (under 12 years of age) and impact on the individual’s everyday life.
Seeking a Diagnosis and Support
At Everything Autism, we celebrate diversity and the uniqueness of being Neurodivergent.
We are however aware of the important role diagnosis can play in helping Neurodivergent children, young people and adults feel supported in their day-to-day life.
We are also aware of how important a diagnosis can be in helping those around the person understand their unique profile of strengths and needs.
A formal identification of Autism, ADHD or AuDHD can often play a significant role in self-identity and self-recognition.
We recognise that some of the differences which are seen within a formal identification of Neurodivergence can result in the person and their family requiring specialist support to face challenges which may arise.
Following assessment (regardless of the outcome of the assessment), we will work with you to identify recommendations and signpost to appropriate specialist services.