Neurodiversity
services and support
How our team of specialists can support you and your family through understanding, diagnosing and thriving with neurodiversity.
What is Neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is a term that is commonly used to describe different ways the brain can wire up throughout development.
It is typically used to describe people who have a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or a learning disorder.
Neurodiverse brains tend to take in and process information from the world in a slightly different way to the neurotypical brain. They experience the world through a different lens, which causes them to react and respond to situations a little differently too.
Neurodiversity is often associated with many strengths and talents, that when recognised and harnessed, can allow the person to excel in many areas of their life.
However, their brain differences can also lead to challenges navigating the world. Challenges typically arise within the academic, social and emotional domains, and when this occurs, it is important to put supports in place so the person can still life a happy and fulfilling life.
What to do if you think
your child is neurodivergent
These days we recognise that neurodiversity exists on a spectrum and presents in different ways. If your child or teen is experiencing certain strengths or challenges that seem out of step with their peers, you may wonder if your child is neurodivergent and what this means.
Getting your child assessed for a neurodevelopmental disorder can be a helpful place to start. The assessment process will help you gain a better understanding of your child and their brain - what they find easy and where they experience challenges. If these challenges are significantly getting in the way for them, then a diagnosis may be made.
At Brain & Mind Hub, our assessment process is shaped by an in-depth understanding of neurobiology and is designed to help each child and their family navigate through the pre- and post-diagnostic period with ease.
Emphasis is placed on working holistically across the home and school settings to gain a deeper understanding of how each child operates. This knowledge is then used to establish a tailored intervention approach to help scaffold a child’s environment so they can learn and function to their absolute capacity.
We also work therapeutically with children and their families to implement strategies post-diagnosis, which are always founded using the biopsychosocial model of health and wellbeing.
Identifying and diagnosing neurodiversity
At Brain & Mind Hub Sunshine Coast, we provide diagnostic assessments for the full spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Here are some of the most common types of assessment, and we may recommend one or more of these to help us understand your child and work with you to develop a treatment plan tailored to their individual needs.
This assessment helps to determine whether a child is able to navigate their social world in a developmentally appropriate way.
Difficulties may arise with social interaction or communication, sensory seeking/avoiding, and restricted/repetitive behaviours, interests, or activities.
This assessment helps to determine whether a child’s behaviours are appropriate for their developmental age.
Problematic behaviours may include inattention, executive dysfunction, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or defiance/aggression.
A behavioural assessment can help identify if a child meets criteria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or another similar disorder.
This assessment helps to determine whether a child’s ability to learn is appropriate for their developmental age.
Measured academic abilities include word reading, reading comprehension, spelling, written expression, numerical operations, and maths problem solving.
An educational assessment can help identify if a child meets criteria for a specific learning disorder such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
This assessment helps to determine a child’s intellectual capacity by profiling their cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
A cognitive assessment can help identify if a child meets criteria for intellectual disability or cognitive giftedness.
This assessment is much more detailed than a cognitive assessment. It provides a comprehensive profile of a child’s cognitive domains, such as attention, executive functioning, processing speed, memory, as well as their visual and verbal functioning.
A neuropsychological assessment can be used to formulate a tailored intervention plan to help a child learn and function to their absolute capacity.
