Cost of Neurodivergence

Oct 16

3 min read

This post likely could have been a dissertation…so know its but a slice of the whole pie and just some things to consider.

There are hidden costs to being, parenting, and navigating neurodivergence…and that’s all types (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Tourette Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder and some others). Not only is the external environment not suited to your needs and requiring of modifications and adjustments to maintain regulation, but the actual resources add up quickly and to staggering amounts. For parents raising neurodivergent kiddos, costs amount to 3 to 5 times that of neurotypical kiddos. There are direct medical and educational costs, hidden additional costs pending developmental needs and variances, income loss to attend more meetings, appointments, and approach advocacy needs, emotional and metal load considerations, and resource shortages. Financial, emotional, mental, and physical resources can become strained quickly. It is nearly impossible to engage in all of these things at the same time; prioritizing what is most important and then moving forward and through the list based on what makes sense according to needs can make a big difference.

Some additional things you may spend resources on include:

· Therapy

o Behavioral/Mental Health

o Occupational

o Physical

o Speech

o Vision

· Managing public meltdowns and creating exit strategies

· Additional medical concerns…managing comorbidities and variances in physical health

· Attending and engaging in more school or work meetings to work on accommodations and modifications to be successful

· Filling out insurance paperwork and sourcing other resources and benefits

· Finding or using respite care, caregivers, or others to reduce the workload associated with caring for a home or caregiving others

· Working on how to advocate, what that looks like, and approaching roadblocks that happen when you do advocate

· Prepping and ensuring safe foods are available that fit the profile needed, having a bandwidth to explore additional foods if that is a goal

· Dealing with organization, doom piles, and tasking that requires internal motivation

· Sleep…actually getting sleep, ensuring others sleep, and adjusting schedules because you may not fit the typical circadian rhythm our society holds

· Worrying about, approaching, and handling external judgment…wherever that comes from

· Dealing with overwhelm and preventing it…see below

Overwhelm is a reality for neurodivergent individuals, whether its keeping it at bay as best as you can or in dealing with it when it arises. This is also akin to burnout, which is a larger topic and completely different from that which is experienced by a neurotypical person. Overwhelm can be exhausting, like a wildfire that keeps on burning and continues to claim more structures over time. When you are neurodivergent, the difficulty in readjusting and regulating once overwhelm hits is an entirely different story. It’s a layered and lengthy journey to get back to baseline and then it’s even learning what baseline actually is. It takes scaffolding, support, grace, and time to navigate. Generally speaking, approaching the following is often part of the process:

· Reducing cognitive load

· Setting boundaries

· Understanding yourself...like deeply

· Adjusting masking

· Overall regulation of reactivity

· Shifting environmental strains

· Exploring identity

· Seeing loops...working to close them

· Finding safe relationships

· Understanding comorbidities

· Using momentum without burning out

Bottom line…we see you in the middle of all of this. Whether you are neurodivergent, neurotypical, or navigating overwhelm, you are not alone, support is out there either with us at Neuro-Roots LLC or other qualified professionals, and we encourage you to engage in challenging and safe support to damper the flames and rebuild.