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Your needs come
with you.

At school, at work, in care or on the field. Explore how different places can affect what you feel, and the support you can ask for.

Woman shaping clay at a worktable in a daylight pottery studio.
Two women reviewing creative work together beside a large window.
Runner crouching to tie her shoes on a cobbled path beside a brick building.

Examples below apply general research to everyday situations. They are not estimates of prevalence, ability or recovery time in each profession.

Getting help between visits

Hard feelings and worries can affect life between appointments. Cost, travel and finding the right person can make getting help harder.

For neurotypical people

Mental health can be hard even when common ways of talking and the setting work well for you.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

A loud room or fast, unclear questions can make it harder to explain how you feel. Ask for a slower pace or a different way to talk.

Support you can ask about

You can ask for time to think, clear steps or another way to explain things. If things stay hard, talk with a trained health professional.

Stress and anxietyNeurodiversity-informed medical education

Being heard during care

Tests, waiting and not knowing what comes next can make care stressful. Staff can feel pressure from too much work, too.

For neurotypical people

Pain, worry and a lack of control can make it harder to take in what you are told.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

Noise, bright lights or unclear words can make a visit harder. Needing a change does not mean someone is being difficult.

Support you can ask about

Ask what will happen next or for notes to take home. Explain which sounds, lights or words are hard for you. If you join a study, ask how the team will meet your needs.

Neurodiversity-informed medical educationStress and anxiety

Room to learn

Noise, tests, friendships and new routines can be a lot to handle. Young people are still learning how to manage feelings, too.

For neurotypical learners

Bullying, poor sleep, pressure or unclear work can make school hard.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

It may take more effort to block out noise, change tasks or remember several steps. Good grades do not show how tired a person feels.

Support you can ask about

Ask about written steps, early notice of changes, room to move or a trusted adult. What helps should fit the student.

Co-regulation from birth through young adulthoodUnderstanding neurodiversityUnderstanding autistic burnout

Rest after being on alert

Military and emergency work can involve danger, painful events, lost sleep and quick choices.

For neurotypical personnel

Hard events and lost sleep can affect health and work. Training does not remove the need for help.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

Noise, change or hiding natural responses may take more effort. These studies do not tell us how many people in these jobs are neurodivergent or how fast each person recovers.

Support you can ask about

Make time for sleep and rest after duty when you can. Ask about private mental health support. Save focused listening and reflection for times when you are not driving or responding to an emergency.

Emergency responder health and safetyCoping with traumatic eventsUnderstanding autistic burnout

Making work easier to manage

Too much work, little control, unfair treatment and a lack of support can harm mental health.

For neurotypical workers

Being pulled away from a task, having too much to do or lacking help from a manager can cause stress.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

Office noise, switching tasks or unclear social rules may take extra effort. A person can do good work and still feel worn out.

Support you can ask about

Ask for clear goals, fewer interruptions, other ways to talk or a quiet space. If there is too much work, the workload needs to change, too.

Mental health at workUnderstanding autistic burnoutEmotion regulation in adults with ADHD

Pressure during and after sport

Competing, injury, travel and the pressure to do well can affect mental health. Athletes need rest and access to care.

For neurotypical athletes

Pressure in sport and daily life can affect focus, sleep and mood.

What may add strain for neurodivergent people

A loud crowd, sudden changes or unclear coaching can make things harder. A diagnosis alone cannot tell you what an athlete is good at or needs.

Support you can ask about

Talk with a coach or someone you trust about clear steps, a steady routine and time to rest. Your needs may differ from a teammate’s.

Mental health in elite athletesEmotion regulation in adults with ADHDUnderstanding autistic burnout
Doctor discussing a clipboard with a patient in a bright consultation room.

What would make
this easier for you?

You can ask for clearer information, time to process or a less demanding environment. A trusted person can help you describe what you need.

Your needs can change from one day to the next. Needing support does not tell someone how capable you are or what you can contribute.

Learn about co-regulation