Sarah, Helping Solutions Client Engagement Officer, spoke today at our Neurodiversi-TEA networking event about the experience of going through life with undiagnosed ADHD until the age of 24, when she was officially diagnosed. She also had a child at this stage in life and upon receiving the diagnosis, felt a myriad of her experiences throughout her life finally click into place and she felt like she could now pin-point the various traits, there was actually a neurological reason behind it all.
Event highlights:
Neurodiversi-tea BINGO:
Attendees played bingo crossing off boxes with different relatable experiences such as:
- “noticed your car is making expensive noises only to realise your handbrake is still on, whoops!”
- “blurting out a random thought or story before realising it wasn’t a share-at-work story.”
DOWNLOAD the resource to play this game yourself!
Guess the sugar-free soft drink can
Watch as some of the attendees attempt to guess the order of the cans, who was fastest? It was a close call between Ayaz, from LivEasy Care and Megan, Helping Solutions Registered Nurse who got the fastest solve, but Ayaz took it away with the fastest time of the day, solving in less than 40 seconds!
“TED-style” Mini Chat on the ADHD Experience with Sarah:
Sarah shared some nuggets of wisdom and interesting insights into ADHD:
- “ADHD is like having a superpower. Find and promote your superpower, the strengths of having a neurospicy brain!”
- “I’m supposed to remind you all to eat well, sleep well, and drink lots of water, but let’s stick to talking about realistic things.” (Everyone had a giggle at this.)
- “Positive [ADHD] traits are your superpower,” such as the ability to think quickly in a crisis, solve complex problems rapidly, and juggle multiple tasks at once.
- “Negative [ADHD] traits are your kryptonite,” like needing reminders or checklists to remember things, being blind to external things not right in front of you, interrupting conversations, overexplaining, or having many thoughts at once but struggling to communicate them coherently.
She also emphasised the importance of having a supportive network:
- “If you have the right support network around you, it can make all the difference in the world. With systems in place to help you stay on track, you can be set up for success.”
- “My desk looks like a modern art project [bright and colourful, bits and bobs, decorations].”
- “Be kind to yourself and be your own advocate. Only you can know what’s truly going on inside, and sometimes you need to break down what you need to feel supported.”
Sarah highlighted that neurodiversity encompasses more than just ADHD, including many different neurological conditions. She noted that everyone might sit somewhere on the spectrum in one way or another.
Particular thanks go to Renee Koellner from bcognitive who showed us her beautiful icommunity van. This van supports participants to access transport on community outings.
Helping Solutions offers a range of supports tailored to meet the needs of our neurospicy participants. Many of our staff members are also on the spectrum and identify with both the challenges and the celebrations of life on the spectrum.
Don’t ever feel like you can’t reach out for help. Together, we can lift each other up and make life brighter, spicier, and more fun!
Thank you to everyone who attended our event today. If you’re looking for more networking opportunities like this one, please contact Sarah at [email protected] or complete the form below to provide feedback or suggest topics for our next event.
