Understanding Me

Empowering Neurodivergence:

Navigating diagnosis, thriving authentically

At Understanding Me, we are dedicated to helping your child understand and navigate their diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD. Our mission is to provide personalised strategies that integrate seamlessly into their daily life. We will support your child in identifying their strengths and challenges, gaining a deeper understanding of their emotional and social triggers, and empower them with strategies to thrive in the neurotypical world while embracing their unique qualities.

This support extends to adults with a diagnosis, as well as to children and adults who are on the waiting list for an assessment. We offer sessions for parents and extended family members to enable a holistic approach, ensuring comprehensive support for the individual.

Additionally, we offer support to businesses and schools in fostering a more inclusive environment through a variety of methods and approaches to support individuals with a diagnosis.

“Talking things through with Understanding Me, and realising I am Autistic at the age of 81, has explained how I feel and behave. This has helped me better understand myself and the way I am. It doesn't change the way I do things but I don't get as neurotic about it as I used to, as I am now much happier in myself. It does not worry me that I am autistic, and it validates how I have been all my life. Working with Understanding Me has helped me enormously and I didn't think it would”.

Ivan, retired Engineer and Business Owner

Our Vision

At Understanding Me, we envision a world where individuals, regardless of their neurodiversity, embrace self-discovery, find solace in self-acceptance, and unlock their full potential. Our commitment lies in providing a transformative journey that goes beyond mere diagnosis – it is about fostering a profound understanding of oneself.

We strive to provide clarity in the lives of those navigating their diagnosis; empowering them with the tools and knowledge to thrive unapologetically and authentically.

Our vision is rooted in the belief that validation is the foundation of personal growth, and through our support, individuals can shed the burden of masking.

We believe in a neurotypical world neurodivergent individuals can not only coexist but flourish, contributing their unique perspectives and strengths to create a richer, more inclusive society.

Together, let us embark on a journey of self-discovery, validation, and empowerment.

The Creation Of Understanding Me

Over the past 24 years, we have seen neurodivergent children struggle with understanding their diagnosis and its significant impact on their daily lives. Parents often felt frustrated, with little guidance after diagnosis. Many children knew they were 'different' but could not fully comprehend how it affected them.

After failing to find suitable resources, we created our own support sessions. These helped children understand their diagnosis, identify what overwhelmed them and why, develop self-regulation strategies and connect with others. They gained confidence in communicating their needs and felt empowered.

We expanded these sessions to adults, helping them understand their diagnosis and feel validated.

Subsequently, we have created “Understanding Me” to fully support neurodivergent people and their families. Our goal is to help them thrive in a neurotypical world, promoting true acceptance of their authentic selves.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”

-Aristotle

Meet the Team

In my 18-year career as a class teacher, I worked with children of all ages, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This fuelled my passion for unlocking each child's potential by enhancing their strengths and finding solutions to their challenges.

In my role as a SENCO, working closely with teachers and teaching assistants, I addressed the needs of children with SEND, regularly reviewing and adjusting targets. I also streamlined procedures to ensure our interventions were strategically aligned for maximum impact. I have effectively secured over 50 Education, Health and Care Plans, facilitated an equal number of Person-Centred Annual Reviews, and assisted numerous families with referrals to paediatricians and the school nursing team.

I led the growth of the Inclusion Team, from just myself and one Learning Mentor, to a team that included two SENCOs, four Learning Mentors, and a Family Liaison Officer. Each team member brought unique skills and specialisms, allowing us to enhance our support for both parents and children. This innovative approach extended to the collaboration with Educational Psychologists, Outreach Teams, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapists. Together, we introduced pioneering ideas previously unseen in our area, achieving successful pupil outcomes and significantly improving our school's services.

As SENCO, I noticed that Autistic and ADHD children often lacked understanding of their diagnosis and its impact, highlighting a need for greater self-awareness. Recognising this gap, Kerry and I have developed a bespoke intervention to address it.

Elizabeth Stevens

Meet the Team

As a Learning Mentor, I have supported many children with social, emotional, and mental health challenges. I worked closely with children and their parents to create personalised plans, helping those who struggled with school anxiety to improve attendance and enjoy coming to school.

I have been passionate about guiding neurodivergent children through their challenges, helping them better understand their diagnosis. Supporting them to thrive within a mainstream environment and equipping them with tools for lifelong success has been incredibly fulfilling. Each year, I eased their transition anxiety with tailored interventions, booklets, and videos to introduce new provisions while highlighting what would stay the same.

As an ELSA in mainstream education, I received ongoing specialist training from Educational Psychologists to support children's emotional development. I created tailored interventions for mental health, social skills, emotional literacy, and resilience, while also developing skills in therapeutic storytelling, motivational interviewing and active listening.

My journey with the children led to my own self-discovery, resulting in my ADHD diagnosis in 2022. Through reflection, research, and conversations with others, I've gained a deeper understanding of myself. It has been a life changing experience of understanding, growth and validation. Allowing me to fully support and relate to others on their journey.

Kerry Kirtley

Support for Individuals

Beginning to Understand Me

For individuals who are on the pathway towards a diagnosis.

We will start on the journey of self-discovery, identifying your strengths and addressing challenges that may affect you emotionally, socially, and mentally. We will discuss strategies and explore self-help techniques to assist you in meeting your needs, additionally, we will acknowledge and cultivate your strengths.

Understanding My Diagnosis

For individuals with a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD.

We will examine your strengths and challenges, analysing traits of your diagnosis to explain behaviours and explore self-help techniques to assist you in navigating daily life. Our aim is to help you validate and ultimately empower yourself.

Understanding Social Skills/Friendships:

For individuals with a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD.

We will examine how social demands impact your social energy, analyse different levels of friendships, and delve into social cues, skills and explore the consequences of masking

Understanding My Emotions/Emotional Awareness

For individuals with a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD.

By delving into a spectrum of emotions, we will guide you in navigating your feelings and gaining insight into your triggers and appropriate responses. We will validate your emotions and examine their influence on your daily experiences, including the fluctuations you encounter. Additionally, we will explore self-regulation strategies and recognising when you have reached your limit.

Understanding My Anxiety

We will explore the factors that trigger your anxiety, observe how your body responds, and understand the underlying reasons for these reactions. We will explain the potential causes of your anxiety and how they are connected to your diagnosis. Additionally, we will offer strategies to help you manage your anxiety and support you in building resilience.

Understanding My Inner Turmoil

We will create a safe space to explore your inner turmoil, identify its sources and understand the emotions driving it. Together, we will uncover patterns and triggers, discuss tailored coping strategies and focus on building resilience to foster inner peace and balance.

Support for Parent/Carers/Partners/Wider Family:

Understanding Neurodivergence:

Parents, carers, partners, and extended family members will receive training on autism and ADHD, including how behaviours manifest and vary across settings. They will learn about the potential reasons behind specific behaviours. Ultimately, this training aims to foster a deeper understanding of the characteristics of autism and ADHD.

Understanding How a Diagnosis Can Impact a Neurodivergent Individual:

Parents, carers, partners, and other family members will collaborate with an Understanding Me Practitioner to explore the needs of their neurodivergent family member. With guidance, the individual will articulate their strengths and challenges. Together, we will review implemented strategies for support explaining how to use them and their effectiveness. This inclusive approach fosters understanding of individual behaviours, facilitating supportive measures for everyone's well-being and growth.

Understanding How a Diagnosis Can Impact a Family Member/Partner:

A parent, carer, or partner can also arrange one-on-one sessions with an Understanding Me Practitioner, providing a confidential environment to share their thoughts and emotions. These sessions offer an opportunity to explore the personal impact of supporting a neurodivergent individual, allowing for catharsis and clarity. This support enhances their ability to be understanding and patient caregivers.

Supporting Parents/Carers with the School Environment:

Parent Support Groups:

In group sessions, we will facilitate discussions about your child's strengths and challenges, offering strategies, and encouraging the exchange of experiences and ideas among parents. All this in a relaxed atmosphere with refreshments.

Support for schools:

Understanding Neurodivergence:

Training for Staff:

Expanding upon existing knowledge and further exploring the specific factors influencing a child's behaviour, we will offer strategies tailored for application within the school setting. Our approach extends beyond conventional training, surpassing the basics typically provided by other training providers. Ahead of the training sessions, we will review current best practices and collaboratively design a bespoke training programme for schools, focusing on autism and ADHD. This ensures targeted and effective training.

Child Voice:

We administer questionnaires, based around neurodivergence, to children to hear their perspective on the school environment, identifying what they enjoy and the challenges they encounter. This collaborative effort allows us to work with the school to adjust support measures and foster the child's success. With the parent and child’s consent, we can also assist the child in crafting an explanation of their needs to share with their peers, promoting mutual understanding and support for the neurodivergent individual.

Observations on Children:

Understanding Me Practitioners will conduct child observations and produce written reports. Subsequently, we will collaborate with staff to support the child, to model, coach and discuss strategies and recommendations. Finally, a follow-up review meeting will be scheduled to evaluate progress and determine next steps.

SENCO Consultations and Support:

An Understanding Me Practitioner will work in collaboration with the school SENCO to build on strengths of the school and determine next steps to continue to develop provision for children with SEND.

Parent Support Groups:

Support for Businesses:

Individual sessions:

Understanding Your Diagnosis:

Understanding Me will conduct one-on-one sessions with neurodivergent employees, offering them opportunities for reflection and open dialogue. We will assist them in delving deeper into their diagnosis, focusing on their strengths and challenges, providing actionable strategies, and aiding in understanding aspects such as emotional resilience and social energy. Moreover, we will validate their thoughts and feelings throughout the process.

Beginning to Understand Me:

We are available to meet with employees who suspect they may be neurodivergent, providing a space for open discussion about their thoughts and feelings, as well as exploring potential next steps.

Support and Work Based Plans:

We will collaborate with neurodivergent employees to optimise their strengths in the workplace. We will address any challenges they face, investigate potential underlying reasons, and examine adaptations and strategies that can be put into place. We will develop a workplace plan for employees in collaboration with their employer, detailing reasonable accommodations and any necessary individual support. Subsequently, additional review meetings will be scheduled to assess the effectiveness of the accommodations and make any necessary adjustments.

Training: For Employers and Employees

We will provide training sessions for employers and employees, aiming to clarify neurodivergence, with a specific focus on autism and ADHD. This training will delve into the daily impact of neurodivergence on individuals and explore potential barriers they may encounter, including how these factors translate to the workplace. We will offer strategies and accommodations that can be implemented in the workplace to assist employees.

Inclusive Environment

We will collaborate with employers to improve workplace support for neurodivergent employees, fostering an environment where they can thrive. Through meetings, we will refine support strategies and discuss adjustments to benefit all staff. We will also explore how resources and equipment can boost well-being and productivity. Our goal is to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels empowered, boosting confidence and engagement for all.

“Elizabeth and Kerry are truly exceptional. I've had the opportunity to see them work with both young people and adults with ADHD and autism. They listen attentively, addressing concerns in a way that makes individuals feel heard and understood. They provide support by breaking down what’s happening, explaining it at a level that’s easy to grasp, and answering any questions that arise.

They have experience working with individuals in heightened states of anxiety or feeling overwhelmed, effectively managing their emotional distress and helping them calm down. Additionally, they explain to the supporting adults why these issues may have occurred and provide strategies to support the individual before reaching these points of crisis again.

They effectively guide parents and professionals to help each individual reach their full potential”.

Michelle Kagan, Family Liaison Officer.

Criteria

To achieve their maximum potential and gain full advantage from Understanding Me sessions,

clients must meet the following criteria:

★ Clients must be aged 8 years and onwards.

★ Clients must have a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD or be waiting for an assessment

to access our services. Unless you want to complete, Understanding My Inner Turmoil: this block of sessions can be completed at any time, as an isolated block; you don't need to have a diagnosis or be on the pathway.

★ Clients must be able to engage in conversations and, with support, reflect on the content

in sessions, actively participating in their personal development journey.

★ During the sessions, clients and practitioners will have the option to participate in mutual exchanges of thoughts and ideas. Where they must be able to reflect on life experiences to contextualise the information, facilitating meaningful discussions and insights.

★ Clients should demonstrate the ability to understand questions posed to them during

sessions, or be able to ask/indicate for clarification, if necessary.

★ With support, clients should be able to retain, retrieve and build on their knowledge from

previous sessions.

★ With support, clients should be able to broaden their understanding, perspectives, and skills, embarking on an ongoing journey of learning and growth.

★ Using their preferred methods, clients should be able to interact and engage in sessions.

If you have any queries concerning the eligibility criteria for accessing our support, please feel

free to contact us via email at: enquiries.understandingme@gmail.com

Testimonials

“Through my sessions with ‘Understanding Me’, I am no longer looking for validation from others as I understand myself more now, it has been life changing”.

Holly 29, Accountant

“Understanding Me has really helped. I now have more confidence and know more about how and why my brain works differently”.

Hattie, 12.

“I could see how anxious,

frustrated and withdrawn my child was. She struggled to concentrate, complete her school work and stay motivated. I wanted to find help and support for her. This is when I found Understanding Me, it helped my child to understand her needs and the difference in her confidence and knowledge about herself is indescribable”. Caroline, parent to Olivia; aged 14.

“Liz and Kerry excel in their expertise on neurodivergence and their commitment to supporting Autistic and ADHD children. Their deep understanding of each child’s strengths and challenges allows them to empower young people to grasp their diagnosis and connect with their unique perspective on the world and their journey through it”.

Mrs Bell, retired Headteacher.

“We can’t thank ‘Understanding Me’ enough. Our daughter learnt so much about what it means to be autistic and how this makes her feel. From these sessions she has taken away the knowledge that it is ok to be different and we have seen a change in her day to day confidence. She has also been given strategies which she uses on a daily basis to help her to cope with everyday demands and we have seen a reduction in her meltdowns. An amazing course and we would highly recommend it. Kerry and Liz definitely gave our daughter the confidence to fit in, when she felt like she didn’t”.

Clare Parent to Hattie aged 12

“Understanding Me has been invaluable for our family. Elizabeth and Kerry helped my child with ADHD grasp their diagnosis and manage their emotions effectively. Their personalised support and clear communication have made a huge difference, and we now feel more confident and informed. I highly recommend their services."

Becky, parent of Joey, aged 9

If you have any questions or would like to chat to us to gather further information please contact us.

enquiries.understandingme@gmail.com

“i Think what you are both doing Is amazing and very much needed”.

“I have worked closely with Liz and Kerry for many years,

as a visiting professional to the school. They have worked with many children during that time, adjusting and refining their programme of sessions. Parents and teachers have told me how much difference it has made to the children, both in terms of their understanding of themselves and their coping strategies”.

Telephone number coming soon! Please send us an email

if you would like us to give you a call to discuss anything any further.

enquiries.understandingme@gmail.com

Safeguarding trained