- If you are in the UK, contact your local community centre (or go and have a look on their website) for possible ADHD/autism support groups. I attended an 8-week ADHD management course that was run by a local organisation which was incredibly informative and helpful. Plus, it was free! (If you have a social prescriber, they can help you find these kinds of groups/workshops)
- If you are in England and you are seeking an assessment, take a look into the Right To Choose pathway. NHS waiting lists are incredibly long (up to 8 years in some areas) and private assessments are super expensive. GP's don't seem to be forthright in telling you about RTC so it's something you have to research yourself. Right To Choose is essentially having your doctor refer you to one of the NHS-funded private ADHD/autism assessment providers. Waiting lists are much shorter, plus you don't need to fork out for them as they're funded by the NHS. This is how I was assessed and diagnosed so I can highly recommend it!
Here is a link to a comprehensive lists of private providers currently with an NHS/RTC contract: ADHD UK Right To Choose Providers
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Make sure to discuss it thoroughly with your GP and ensure your doctor will agree to shared-care if you are hoping to try ADHD medication.
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There is also a great Facebook group if you want to ask questions or hear other people's experiences: Adult Right To Choose Support Facebook Group.
They also have a sister group for those looking to use RTC to have their children assessed as the adult providers listed above will usually only assess those who are 18+: Children Right To Choose Support Facebook Group.
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- This is going to sound silly but hear me out; I have found ADHD/Autism/AuDHD SubReddits to be extremely helpful! I didn't really have anyone to ask questions of and I had a lot of questions before my diagnosis (and still do even now) and sometimes I feel like I don't want to "burden" the people I can talk to in real life, especially if they can't really relate to how I'm feeling or to my experiences. I have found a lot of support and validation using these subs on Reddit. It is nice to be able to connect with people who *get it*. Finding community, especially as someone who is neurodivergent that may perhaps not socialise much in the "real world", is something that I think is super important. Plus, getting advice and support from people who don't know you can sometimes be more helpful because you don't have the thoughts of "well, they have to say that/be nice to me because they're family/friends". Also an unbiased perspective can make you look at things a little differently.
- The Finch self-care app. I have tried countless tricks and apps to try and help me to start and complete tasks, manage a routine, and hold myself accountable and nothing ever seemed to work. I saw an advert for the Finch app and decided to give it a go and it has been a huge help. It's really good if you find gamifying helps you to get things done. You are given a baby bird to hatch, name, and look after. You can buy it clothing and furniture items from the shops within the app but there are no in-app purchases. You cannot buy the rainbow stones required to purchase the shop items, they have to be earned by completing daily tasks/goals. This has actually helped me with my impulsive spending as now I buy from the shops on the app which gives me the dopamine hit that I need without spending real-life money.
The app has also helped me to follow through on tasks instead of just saying I'll do them, helped with certain executive function/self-care issues, and I have managed to create and stick to a routine. I haven't quite got my routine down to a fine art but it's better than it was (which was non-existent!).
It is a little "child-like" with the graphics and "game-play" and it won't work for everyone. But here is the link if you'd like to try it out: Finch Self-Care App
- I'm not really a self-help book kinda person but I had seen a few people recommending "AuDHD: Blooming Differently" by Leanne Maskell (and I promise it is a total coincidence that my blog also has "blooming" in it!). She is an ADHD coach who is also a later-diagnosed AuDHD'er. She explains everything anyone could possibly need/want to know about ADHD and autism, along with some of her own experiences that I found very relatable and made me feel quite validated about certain things I am still struggling with.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who is late-diagnosed, self/undiagnosed, living with someone who is or might be autistic/ADHD, and even teachers and employers who may not really understand the AuDHD brain and how best to support those who have one!
I believe she also has other books available (mostly about ADHD I think) which I'm hoping to get round to reading. If you'd like to purchase the book yourself, here's the Amazon UK link: AuDHD: Blooming Differently by Leanne Maskell
- Not technically a resource but for those of you (like me) who struggle with sensory issues, Loop earplugs can be a Godsend. They are great at blocking out external noises that can often be overwhelming, without also blocking out the sounds you want/need to hear. They're also pretty comfortable (although I wear them for sleeping and as a side-sleeper, they're not the most comfortable). If you find "background noise" stressful such as multiple conversations in public, fans, ticking clocks, mouth noises like people eating etc, they can drown those out to make it easier to process your environment.
They can also be good for loud environments too. If you are somewhere like a music festival or concert, they can help mute the noise a little so it isn't overloading you. You can get different types depending on what your noise processing issues are. Here is the link to their website: Loop Earplugs*
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​​*​ This isn't a paid promo/sponsored ad thing; just a personal recommendation!
- Again, not technically a resource but FIDGET TOYS! I used to be too embarrassed to use a fidget toy because, well, they're toys and I'm 35. But after starting my ADHD medication, it was as if my autism was taking its turn in the spotlight and my stimming became almost debilitating. So, I bit the bullet and bought a tangle toy - one of those wiggly plastic toys that you can twist and turn. I found that I was able to concentrate a little more and also not feel quite as anxious when I was fiddling with it. I also found myself not picking at my skin as much (which is unfortunately one of my most common (and often painful) stims).
There are lots of different types of fidget toys and I would recommend investing in one if, like me, you stim a lot with your hands. They're pretty inexpensive which is good because I am not flush with cash and also, screw anyone who looks at you funny for using one in public. Here is the Amazon UK link to the one I bought (but you can buy them from lots of places, I was just being impatient and wanted it on next-day delivery): Tangle Fidget Toy
- If you are self/undiagnosed but you have considered that you could be neurodivergent, you can take some of the psychometric tests online. A lot of them are the same or similar to the questionnaires and tests that you complete during an actual assessment with a psychiatrist. They can maybe give you an indication of whether or not you're barking up the wrong tree.
When you do these kind of online tests please remember: these are NOT diagnostic tests. If your score indicates you could/do meet the criteria for neurodivergence, it doesn't mean you are neurodivergent. And if your score indicates you don't meet the criteria, it doesn't mean you aren't.
The ONLY way that you can know for sure is if you are assessed and diagnosed by a qualified psychiatrist. And while self-diagnosis is valid (at least in my opinion - waiting lists are long and assessments can be very expensive), you cannot use online tests as an official diagnostic tool.
You can access a variety of these tests here: ADHD/Autism Psychometric Tests*
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* Remember: they're for "fun" only!