Welcome!
As a Child and Youth Care Practitioner with ADHD, I have focused my career on supporting neurodivergent young people. Moving between Mississauga and Toronto for most of my life, I now call Hamilton, Ontario my home. For the past decade, I have worked in private family homes, group care settings, and most recently as an Itinerant Special Education and Behavioural Support in schools. Some of my most rewarding work has been the opportunity to develop / facilitate social-emotional education and affinity initiatives for staff and students alike. This work, in combination with lived experience has led me here.
My ADHD diagnosis as a young adult was met with skepticism and denial by those around me. This was based on society’s limited understanding of the different types and expressions of ADHD, especially in women. I am often high masking, which means that my challenges aren’t always apparent – but they’re there. I was given a label, but not the tools to be successful or an understanding of what it meant. This led to a fruitless endeavor to find a diagnosis that actually fit and explained why I felt as though I was living in a world where everyone was given an instruction manual except for me. I carried the shame of being ‘gifted’ yet incapable of succeeding under neurotypical expectations. It wasn’t until years later that my work, education, and independent research led me to explore the validity and reality of my diagnosis, and come to understand and accept myself.
I found my strength supporting and advocating for my AuDHD brother, Ben, and helping him to navigate a world that wasn’t meant for him. My mission has been researching and learning how best to support myself and my neurodivergent loved ones, and extending this support to neurodivergent or otherwise disabled students and families. I was discouraged by the ableism, misunderstandings, and over-simplification of ADHD /AuDHD perpetuated throughout ‘support’ systems. Seeing these systemic failures led to my decision to become the advocate that many of us needed.
Supporting Neurodiversity was created to promote neurodiversity inclusion and education, and to help others understand and support ADHD / AuDHD individuals. We provide personalized strategies that empower individuals and support the development of authentic confidence and relationships.
“What sets you apart can sometimes feel like a burden, and it’s not. And a lot of the time, it’s what makes you great.”
― Emma Stone
Meet Terra:
Co-Founder & Specialist
Meet Ben:
Co-Founder & Coach
(he/him)
Hello!
In the true nature of neurodivergence, learning about my AuDHD became a special interest. I am a well of information with an unending drive to understand all that can be understood. Despite my passion for learning, school and I did not get along – sound familiar? The education system is not designed to support diverse learners like myself. The ‘different’ are often shunned or forced to conform. Discovering my AuDHD meant that everything clicked into place and I felt the weight of maintaining a mask (that never quite fit) melt away. I wasn’t “difficult”, “lazy”, or “faking it”.
Through my own experiences and those around me, I know what it feels like to feel misunderstood and inadequate without your mask. This is why I strive to create a non-judgmental space, meeting people where they are at with patience, empathy, and life-tested strategies. I am great at breaking concepts and tasks into workable chunks and discussing the rationale behind them. My sessions are person-centered and follow your lead as you are the expert on your goals!
“In order to grow… you must betray their expectations.”
― Hayao Miyazaki