Neurodiversity is a unique way of experiencing and interacting with the world. The term neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in how human brains work—encompassing autism, ADHD, giftedness, and other ways of thinking and processing that fall outside "typical" range. An intentional nod to the concept of biodiversity, neurodiversity implies strength in differences. These differences can absolute be disabling, while in some context they are strengths.

You might be wondering if this way of being applies to you and what it could mean for your life.

If you’re a woman, or were assigned female at birth, many of your childhood struggles were probably explained away, minimized, or ignored by the adults around you. If you're a man or were assigned male at birth, it's more likely your symptoms were identified and led to testing and diagnosis, but the help you received may not have been adequate or even been harmful. If you were identified as gifted, you were supposed to do everything with ease because your grades were good.

You learned to hide your discomfort in crowds, bright lights, and noisy places, and mask your confusion with social expectations, your food preferences, and your intense emotional storms. You internalized what others told you - you just need try harder, focus more, and push through your discomfort to avoid being lazy.

You probably also have some health issues, such as digestion problems, migraines, or joint pain. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or an eating disorder. But then those treatments didn’t seem to help much. Medication might have made things worse, or only improved things for a short time. You might lean more on alcohol or cannabis than you’d like in order to manage daily life.

If you also grew up in poverty, in a dysfunctional family, a minority culture, and/or a high control religion, you might wonder if everything can be explained by complex trauma.  So you did trauma therapy, but you’re still struggling, and you’ve found yourself burnt out again, and your social media starts showing you autism or ADHD content.  

Assessment

I approach assessments for autism, ADHD, and giftedness with a focus on the big picture. The goal isn’t just to hand you a label. It’s to explore how your brain works, what patterns have shaped your life, and how to navigate the world in a way that supports you. Instead of just getting by, an assessment can empower you to create a custom-built life that nourishes you.  By understanding yourself and your differences more completely, you can accommodate yourself through your challenges, and work with your strengths. 

Who This Is For

Many of the adults I work with are high-masking—people who’ve become experts at blending in, often at the cost of their own well-being. You may have spent a lot of time and energy studying others, learning to communicate in expected patterns, use facial expressions and gestures “correctly” and suppressing behaviors like rocking or fidgeting. When friendships and relationships don’t go as expected, you wonder what you did wrong. 

You are a successful adult, having made it through school, even graduate school and professional training, but every assignment was completed at the last moment, under enormous stress and guilt, fighting your perfectionism.  Despite all the planners and study advice, you couldn’t break the cycle of procrastination. Your inner critic has become cruel and harsh, calling you lazy, irresponsible, with wasted potential.  It’s difficult to feel proud of your accomplishments, because you suspect you could have done better. 

Now, you’re wondering if there’s something deeper—like autism, ADHD, or giftedness—that ties it all together. If this resonates, you’re in the right place.

Who this is not for

People who are primarily interested in an ADHD diagnosis for the purposes of being prescribed stimulant medication. Dr. Tanya Johnson is not able to prescribe medication. 

People who are planning to apply for state or federal disability benefits. My qualifications as a licensed mental health counselor may not be acceptable for this type of application. You may need to seek a different type of assessment with a clinical psychology or neurologist.