Are you an autistic individual who finds yourself rehearsing exactly what you want to say before you enter a social interaction, job interview, or phone call?  Do you sometimes watch your favourite TV show or movie and use some of the phrases in it to write a script so that you can navigate a conversation?  If this resonates with you, this mental rehearsing is known as autistic scripting. Because autism can impact social communication, processing speed, and the interpretation

You have likely heard of autism, as it is one of the most discussed and common neurodevelopmental differences. Globally, approximately 1 in 127 people are autistic . Yet despite growing awareness, autism remains widely misunderstood.  You may have heard statements such as “Autism is just a set of quirks” or “High‑functioning autistic people don’t need support.” While often well-intentioned, these comments erase the lived realities of autistic people and overlook systemic barr

Running a business is no easy feat, especially when you have ADHD.  The constant effort of monitoring how you’re perceived, anticipating feedback, and bracing for possible rejection can make even small interactions feel emotionally charged. Sometimes, even a brief critique or a delayed email reply can disrupt your momentum, or the fear of rejection can stop you from pitching your ideas or showing up authentically. If this experience resonates with you, you may be experiencing

Have you ever gone to a doctor with physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, dizziness, and gastrointestinal distress and left feeling dismissed or as if your symptoms weren’t taken seriously? Perhaps you were told that the physical symptoms were “just anxiety,” “just stress,” or “probably related to your ADHD or autism,” without the doctor investigating your symptoms any further. Experiences like these can feel confusing and destabilizing, especially when your body is clearl

Do you sometimes find yourself feeling as if you need to share every thought, feeling, or experience you have in great detail, even if other people are not expecting it? Perhaps you feel a strong urge to overexplain yourself and share as much information as possible because you feel like it will help others understand your situation more.  For some people, this could be the result of anxiety, trauma, or some other reason. But for others, it is a sign of the way their autistic

When you think of generalized anxiety disorder, what first comes to mind for you? For many people, generalized anxiety disorder may bring up an image of someone who is visibly stressed at all times. Maybe you see their fidgeting hands or sweaty palms, or perhaps you hear their shallowed breaths.  These images of anxiety generally result from media portrayals, which tend to emphasize the outward signs of anxiety. This creates a narrow picture of what anxiety should look like. 

Do you find yourself interrupting others during a conversation to blurt out a thought that may be unrelated?  Perhaps you notice yourself talking over others or struggling to wait your turn in a conversation.  While this can happen to everyone occasionally, interrupting others constantly is a frequent sign of ADHD known as impulsive communication.  Many people may misunderstand it as rudeness. When someone gets cut off in the middle of their speech, they may think that you ar

Does this sound like you?  After a day full of tasks, do you feel the urge to stay up? Do you find yourself staying up late to catch up on one more episode of a show or one more chapter of your book, even if you know that you need rest? Perhaps you feel exhausted, but you can’t seem to resist scrolling through social media or finishing “just one more task.” If this resonates with you, you may be engaging in revenge bedtime procrastination or sleep procrastination. You are ess

What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone tells you about premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)? If you are like most people, you likely thought of PMDD as just “really bad PMS” or just moodiness before someone gets their period.  This misunderstanding can lead to misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment outcomes, and reduced help-seeking.  People may also blame themselves for symptoms they cannot control. In reality, PMDD is a serious mental health condition that go

Do you ever have experiences, thoughts, or perceptions that don’t align with the reality of the situation?  Perhaps you hear voices that others tell you aren’t there, or that your beliefs about people or situations aren’t true.   If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may be experiencing one of the many mental illnesses known as schizophrenia. It affects how people think, feel, and behave. It can commonly occur alongside other mental health conditions and forms of neurod

Do thoughts, experiences, or scenarios replay over and over again in your mind? Perhaps you dwell on your negative feelings, and this causes you great distress.  If this resonates with you, you may be experiencing rumination. While rumination may provide comfort or structure, it can also contribute to stress and anxiety, making it important to understand and manage it effectively. For many individuals, autism and rumination are closely linked. Many autistic individuals experi

When you picture someone with ADHD, what is the first image that comes to mind?  It’s common for this picture of ADHD to be of a hyperactive boy bouncing off the walls or one who gets easily distracted in their math class.  But the reality is that it is far more nuanced than this.  We have made positive strides in ADHD awareness in the past decade. However, misunderstandings have led to stigma, underdiagnosis, and individuals missing out on support. For this reason, understan