Adult ADHD & AUtism

Support for adults navigating ADHD and Autism in Council Bluffs, IA

Could You Have Adult ADHD or Autism?

Children with ADHD, Autism, and other learning disorders become adults with the same struggles. Even though how we manage our symptoms may change, the symptoms rarely go away all together.

If you have any of the following symptoms and struggles, you may have a neurological condition that could be ADHD or Autism. Below is a list of common frustrations adults with ADHD and Autism experience:

It’s difficult to concentrate on what people say to you
Sitting still is difficult, you feel restless, and need to fidget
You feel unable to unwind or relax when you have time alone
You are a night owl and have a difficult time sleeping
Loud sounds, strong smells, and crowds are unnerving to you
You avoid specific textures, food, or other sensory aggravating experiences
You interrupt conversations to share what comes to mind or finish other people’s sentences
Procrastination prevents you from accomplishing things in a timely manner
You get lost in time, struggle to manage time, or find it difficult to guess how much time a task will take
Your emotions are usually hypersensitive and you struggle with feelings and thoughts of rejection from others
You are able to hyper focus on things that bring you joy or are a special interest
You struggle with balancing your bank account, keeping a budget, and maintaining the same job

Adult ADHD looks different from the traditionally understood symptoms found in children who climb on things and lose their homework. Adults with ADHD are bright and clever problem solvers who have found ways to mask their difficulties. For these reasons, it’s easy for adults to be misdiagnosed or untreated.

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What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that can impair daily functioning, emotion regulation, and maintaining daily activities. This can include comfort and knowledge in socializing, the ability to stay on task, handling distress, and completing tasks even when distracted by something else. There are three different levels of Autism, broken out by the level of support that someone has, not their intelligence. Staff at Unity are trained to be able to support Level 1 and Level 2 Autism. Click the slider to learn more about each level.

Autism, Level 1

Autism, Level 1 means that the person can handle basic life skills and live independently. This level of Autism is often diagnosed as or with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Signs or symptoms include:

Social interactions are overwhelming and avoided
Social ques are missed, making it difficult to find friends
Misunderstandings make communicating difficult
Emotions feel big and can be hard to understand
Routines and rule following prevent anxiety
Problems with organization and planning

Autism, Level 2

Autism, Level 2 means that the person requires substantial support in most aspects of life. Socializing, communication, and independent living skills require more specialized and intensive support. This level of Autism includes:

Abnormal or flat emotive responses
Limited verbal communication
Obvious behaviors of repetition
More complicated inflexibility in routines
Required oversight to ensure self care activities are completed

Autism, Level 3

Autism, Level 3 means that the individual requires intensive and very substantial support for functioning in all areas of life. Individuals on the 3rd level of Autism require the highest level of support as they may be nonverbal or have minimal responses to others, repetitive behaviors may include:

Unintentional harm to self or others
Decreased tolerance to change that may result in aggression
Severe difficulty managing and articulating emotions
Requirement for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team supporting a highly structured environment with constant oversight and support

Let’s Work Together

As an adult with a neurodiverse brain, whether its ADHD or Autism, it’s a daily struggle to hear things like “just get a planner,” or “you need to try harder.” It’s painful to feel like a failure, which can result in a withdrawal of love, approval and respect. Therapy can help put an end to low frustration tolerance, instability, impulsive behaviors, and poor relationships.

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Let's Work Together

As an adult with a neurodiverse brain, whether its ADHD or Autism, it’s a daily struggle to hear things like “just get a planner,” or “you need to try harder.” It’s painful to feel like a failure, which can result in a withdrawal of love, approval and respect. Therapy can help put an end to low frustration tolerance, instability, impulsive behaviors, and poor relationships.

Billing & Insurance

We are Here to Help

Let’s work togetther to reduce the difficulty of feeling different. Click below to learn more or schedule with us.