The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD: Cultivate Self-Compassion, Live Authentically, and Be Your Own Advocate

by Jennifer Kemp

Written by neurodivergent psychologists for neurodivergent readers. This empowering workbook offers self-compassion skills to help you embrace who you are and thrive. As an autistic person or neurodivergent individual with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may sometimes feel as if you’re living in a world that wasn’t designed for you. You may have sensory sensitivities, social difficulties, struggles with executive functioning, sleep issues, depression, anxiety, burnout and meltdowns, and trauma from a lifetime of marginalization and microaggressions. If you are struggling with your neurodivergent identity, know that you aren’t alone. Whether you were diagnosed as a child or are just now realizing your difference, this workbook can help you move beyond the internalized message that there is something wrong with you, so you can embrace who you really are and manage stress before it leads to neurodivergent burnout. The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD offers acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and self-compassion skills tailored to the needs of neurodiverse people—especially those with ADHD and Autism—so you can live authentically, take pride in your identity, increase overall well-being, and build meaningful connections to thrive as a neurodivergent person in the modern world. This workbook will help   Most importantly, you’ll learn to take pride in your identity. Whether you’re autistic, ADHD, or both, this workbook can help you overcome self-critical thinking, advocate for yourself in effective ways, and learn practical skills to help you thrive as your authentic self.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Adhd, Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Disability

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2024

Reviews

[Krishel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently explored Jennifer Kemp and Monique Mitchelson's The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD and found it to be a great resource. This book serves as a guide for navigating neurodivergence, offering both support and practical tools.

📍 Self-Help - Psychology, Neurodiversity
📍 Practical Exercises
📍 Skill-Building
📍 Empowerment
📍 Accessible Language

A Warm Welcome to Authenticity
The workbook immediately made me feel understood. It celebrates our unique perspectives and strengths, reminding us that our differences are actually our superpowers. Each page reveals new insights, helping us not just cope, but thrive.

Practical Tools for Real-Life Struggles
What I love most is how practical this book is. It offers strategies for common challenges like sensory overload and executive functioning issues that you can use right away.

Self-Compassion: The Secret Ingredient
The focus on self-compassion is crucial. In a world that often misunderstands neurodivergence, this book teaches us to be our own advocates and allies. It's about celebrating our unique wiring, not trying to fit in.

Great for Every Neurodivergent Bookshelf
This workbook is a great tool for self-understanding and acceptance. Whether you're newly diagnosed or have known about your neurodivergence for years, you'll find value in these pages.

[Tammie Anne (Literary.Existentialism) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best I’ve read on late-diagnosed neurodivergency. Great for patients and therapists.

[Fang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for people who are neurodivergent or who would like to know more about it because you have people in your life (or yourself) who behave in this way.

I learned so much about my own thought patterns and potentially where I got them from. The coping strategies are also very clear and applicable. I'm so fortunate that my friend (who's a neurodivergent person) introduced me to this book.


Quotes / self reflection:
Rights to reasonable adjustment 

Instead of hearing the invalidating statement, tell them in a positive, confident, straightforward way that this is your preference, and you've been masking to get this far and it's difficult 

Goals should be 

Positively phrased, not chasing after external validation, and not running away from things u didn't want 

Feasible to complete 

Clearly defined 

Accountable (a body doubler helps)


Use the sweet moment exercise to find your value. Like what is the recent moment that brings you pure joy and you will love to go back to. For me That was sitting by the river reading books or drawing with J and Paopao and that tells me I value nature, connecting, learning and self-reflection. I love body mirroring with people that I trust with value, creativity and learning and personal growth and I appreciate self-reflective moments.

Start to do things that align with your own value, not other people's values. There are a lot of systematic issues that neurotypical people need to solve. You can't fix all the problems, but if you start to advocate for yourself, you become a role model for other people who are also struggling and asking themselves and be themselves to set a example to tell them that that you can thrive when you spend more time doing things that align with your own value and leave a purposeful and meaningful life in the society. 

Life of gentle returns. There are many times when we were asked or tasked to do things that are deviating from our own values, but we can always make a gentle return and come back to our values once we're done. It's more important to be aware that we're deviating from our values, then beating ourselves up and kicking ourselves when we are not doing so. Remember to always practice acceptance and compassion for yourself and also understand other people are going through similar struggles as well. Make sure to go through your own feelings. Understand your own needs, articularly this to others and their boundaries when they do not respect your needs, do it in a positive confidence. Straightforward and caring way. The intention is not to harm others but to stand up for yourself and make space for your happiness in this world. 

[Nella · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could translate this book to all languages and gift a copy to every neurodivergent person, I would. This is fantastic work! Exactly the right themes and shared experiences described in short and brilliant way combined with good practice for each theme. It truly shows that the writer has both lived experience and professional expertise on the topic.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to see if I should recommend it to my neurodiverse kids and I’m happy to report it is worth checking out. I thought the authors, both neurodiverse themselves, did a good job capturing both the positives and negatives of life as a ND person. Too often only the negatives are presented and over time that can really do a number on self-esteem. Being the proverbial square pegs that are being shoved into society’s round holes can be exhausting and disheartening. Instead of the round hole changing, it’s the peg told to do all the changing, and in an ideal world, both would make accommodations for the other. This workbook helps ND people advocate for themselves while at the same time giving gentle advice for ways to work around common concerns they face. If you know someone with ADHD or autism, consider buying this for them.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Always weary of New Harbinger Press books, as the expertise of the authors and editors vary widely from title to title. Attempted this one in good faith but didn’t make it past reading page 19 and skimming through page 37.

The contents are not presented in a neurodivergent friendly manner- the actual text is often interrupted by MLA style citations instead of footnotes, and the “workbook” aspects of it are inserted into middles of topic discussion, versus being in a separate, visually distinct area at the end of a topic.

Surely this workbook will be helpful for some, and the vast number of citations has the potential to lead curious and wanting minds down a rabbit-hole of other resources, but as an autistic person with ADHD, it was too difficult to navigate.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best autism and self help book i have read! I unfortunately only had it in audiobook subscription format and i had to rush through it, i would have loved to write down and delve deeper through the exercises. It is very validating to neurodivergent people and offered tips that i have not seen in any other book and (perhaps wrongly) never received in therapy. I liked the part of unmasking and self advocacy most and the exercises in self compassion made me really re-evaluate my relationship to myself and others.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book! It’s elucidated so much I feel but didn’t have words or education to express! I’m starting to explore aspects of myself that have been suppressed, repressed, or I just didn’t have language for , for my entire life until now. It’s helping me learn how to navigate in a world made for neurotypicals and offer myself more self compassion and advocacy

[Morgan Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook (7hours, 29minutes), 3.5 stars

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best AuDHD books out there, highly recommend!

[Erica Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book actually changed my life

[Worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.