Spectrum Connections Blog

Want to understand the Neurodiversity Spectrum, Anxiety, OCD, Trauma and/or Neurodivergent Relationships? Or simply to get advice, updates and reading recommendations? Welcome to Dr. G’s Blog!

ADHD

How Social Anxiety Takes a Toll on Neurodivergent Folks

Social anxiety casts a wide net. It’s a type of anxiety that can practically paralyze you in social situations or even make you fearful when you think about social settings. But, for people living with autism, ADHD, and/or another form of neurodivergence, social anxiety can feel even more overwhelming.  Unfortunately, anxiety is fairly common in

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Autism

How Does Trauma Affect Someone With Autism?

In a perfect world, no one would have to experience traumatic situations. However, they’re more common than we’d like to admit. Traumatic experiences can include everything from child or domestic abuse, to emotional abuse, witnessing a tragic event, or anything that essentially is too much, too fast, or too soon for our nervous system to

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A mother kisses her daughter on the head
Autism

Newly Diagnosed? A Beginner’s Guide to Raising a Child with Autism.

Raising a child on the autism spectrum can be a wonderful, educational, and incredible journey for a parent. But, there’s no denying it also comes with challenges.  No doubt, parenting in general, is difficult. When you’re raising a child with autism, there are even more potential obstacles to overcome. Some potential challenges may include managing

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Anxiety

How to Know the Difference Between an Autistic Meltdown Vs. Panic Attack

It’s often hard enough to understand the differences between an anxiety attack and a panic attack. But when you or someone you care for has autism, understanding the differences between an autism meltdown and a panic attack is a whole different ballgame. There’s no question that autism can often cause distress and dysregulation. Sometimes, it

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Autism

Eye Contact and Autism: What to Know for Affirming Care

When someone does not make eye contact with you, you’ll likely make some unhelpful and harmful assumptions. For starters, you might think they’re not interested in what you have to say or, at the very least, distracted. On another level, limiting eye contact might signal a lack of empathy to you. In fact, many neurotypical

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Autism

Helpful ERP Therapy Considerations for the Autism Spectrum & OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can often co-occur with the Autism Spectrum Condition. In fact, 17.4-37 % of autistic individuals also can have OCD at the same time (vanSteensal, et., al 2011; Zabowski & Storch, 2018). For the purpose of this blog post, I will refer to autism in identity first language. It’s important to remember to

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Autism

Is There a Link Between OCD and Autism Spectrum?

Aril is autism awareness and acceptance month. So in honor of this, and to highlight the neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed work we do at Spectrum Connections Therapy, we will share some more resources and blogs this month related to autism. At Spectrum Connections Therapy, we specialize in both Autism and OCD and this post will focus

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ADHD

What is Stimming and Why Do Neurodivergent People Do It?

Life as a neurotypical person can be hard to navigate and overwhelming at times. That’s for someone who has zero difficulties regulating their behavior, moods, or environment around them. When you have neurodivergent differences, such as Autism Spectrum and/or ADHD, it can be hard to navigate the day-to-day and feel regulated and calm. A diagnosis

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Autism

What is Interoception and Increasing Understanding with Neurodivergent Needs

You may have heard the term interoception before and know what it means, or maybe this is a completely new concept for you to understand. Many neurodivergent individuals with Autism and/or ADHD struggle with interoception skills which, as a result, can negatively impact mental and physical health. I didn’t really learn about interoception until years

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Autism

EMDR Therapy for Autism Spectrum Trauma Healing

Trauma-informed care is increasingly becoming the preferred standard when working with neurodivergent folks with autism spectrum differences. Autistic individuals tend to experience more trauma for a variety of reasons as they continue to try to adapt to living in a world with neurotypical standards. Individuals with developmental differences, such as autism spectrum, are more vulnerable

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