Neurodiversity-Affirming Parent Support

Secure attachment relationships in infancy hard-wire children's brains for connectedness, curiosity and compassion. Attachment parenting involves establishing a relational foundation that is consistent, co-regulated, and deeply loving; that changes dynamically as child and parent continue to grow; and that becomes a template for all future relationships in a child’s life.

Frequent or intense parent-child conflict squeezes the joy out of childhood, and out of parenting. Seeking help in their relationship with their child is a brave step for parents, because authentic relational repair requires change in both adults and kids - and everybody benefits as a result!

Whether there are current relational issues or not, trained and resourced parents are equipped to raise competent, clear-thinking kids who lean into life with confidence and kindness. Learning how to provide kids with models and methods for robust mental health and resilience is foundational to family and individual wellbeing. At Ruth Strunz Psychotherapy, Neurodiversity-Affirming Parent Training is provided in groups, or with individual/coupled parents.

Does your neurodivergent family need consultation, or parent training? Use the Contact page to share your needs or for more information.

NEURODIVERSITY-AFFIRMING Parent CONSULTATION

Parenting neurodivergent kids can be very challenging. When things pile up, it can be difficult for parents/caregivers to decide whether to put on their cheerleader hat, their advocate hat, their open-and-curious hat, or to get busy (again) designing a new hat… At complicated or stressful times, it can be helpful to unpack the load with a neurodiversity-affirming clinician, and work together to understand what is happening with you, your child, your family, the school etc, and help you to get things back on track.

Ruth provides two-session consultations for adults who are raising neurodivergent kids. You set the agenda based on your family’s specific needs, and we lean in together to prioritize and address your needs, on a short-term basis. Parents/foster-parents/grandparents/kinship parents are welcome reach out for more information or to book a parent consultation .

NEURODIVERSITY-affirming Parent Training

Neurodivergent kids need secure attachment relationships like all kids; their mental health and social/emotional development depends on it. Neurodiversity-Affirming Parent Training helps parents of autistic/neurodivergent kids learn to adapt established Adlerian parenting techniques to make them accessible and helpful within their own family.

Participants have shared that Neurodiversity-Affirming Parent Training quickly improves their understanding of their child’s needs, behaviour and motivation, without using Acquired Behaviour Analysis (ABA) techniques. This six-session training supports secure attachment, promotes developmental gains in autistic/neurodivergent kids, and allows neurotypical and neurodivergent parents to reclaim the delights of parenting, from the heart!

Neurodiversity-Affirming Parent Training is available in-person or virtually. Parents, grandparents and parent groups (E.g. ASD Parent Support groups) are welcome to contact us with specific requests.