Reflections on Neurodiversity: What I’ve Learned

Neurodiversity Celebration Week feels like the perfect time to pause and reflect on this journey both personally and professionally. It’s a week to embrace the strengths, challenges, and unique experiences of neurodivergent folks. For me, it’s a chance to appreciate how my own neurodivergence has shaped my life in ways I never fully understood until adulthood.  

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019, but honestly, the signs were always there. I wasn’t the hyperactive, bouncing-off-the-walls kid people often associate with ADHD. Instead, I was the one always asking for bathroom breaks, misplacing every pencil I borrowed, and zoning out so deeply in daydreams about Pokémon that I’d miss entire conversations. I had no mental filter and would blurt out blunt truths that got me in trouble more often than I’d like to admit.

Growing up in a Sri Lankan and South Asian community, ADHD, Autism, or learning differences weren’t really talked about they were often misunderstood as laziness, a lack of discipline, or even low intelligence. School felt like an uphill battle, and if it weren’t for my family reteaching me lessons after school (without even realising they were providing my first real accommodations), I would’ve struggled even more.

Outside of home, things weren’t any easier. I lost multiple casual jobs in fast food and hospitality because my brain just wouldn’t cooperate. To this day, I maintain that Hungry Jack’s was the most stressful job I ever had. I still have no idea how to make a Whopper, so please don’t ask. Every parent-teacher meeting was the same: “You need to apply yourself more,” or “You should participate in discussions.” But how could I contribute to conversations I wasn’t even mentally present for?

In high school, my therapist told me, “We can all reach where we want to go with the right support.” It wasn’t a groundbreaking intervention, but that simple moment of human connection stuck with me. It made me want to help others navigate their own journeys, especially those who, like me, grew up feeling out of place in a neurotypical world.  

Embracing Neurodiversity in Practice  

That sense of belonging and authenticity became the foundation for Ascension Psychology. I still remember sitting in a 7/11 car park during a COVID lockdown, venting to a friend about how therapy and assessments felt inauthentic and rigid for divergent individuals. I was sick of teaching ‘social skills’ that just masked neurodivergence rather than celebrating it.

I wanted to build a space where neurodivergent people could feel understood without constantly having to explain themselves. Ascension started small just me, working two hours a week, running telehealth assessments from my tiny apartment. But the demand for neuroaffirming therapy was huge. Within months, we outgrew my little home office, moved into a shared space, and built a team of passionate professionals who believe in supporting neurodivergent clients the way we wish we’d been supported growing up.  

Now, as Ascension keeps growing, I think a lot about what neurodiversity truly means to me not just as a psychologist, but as someone who’s lived it. It’s a big question, and I don’t think I can summarise it in a single blog post. To me, neurodiversity is about celebrating the many ways people learn, think, and experience the world while also acknowledging that life can be extremely tough for neurodivergent individuals. Neuroaffirming practice means we have a responsibility to keep learning about different brain styles to ensure that no neurodivergent kiddo grows up in a world where they are shamed for being different.  

A Thank You

To my friends, family, colleagues, and mentors—thank you for seeing me, supporting me, and believing in me. To my partner—thank you for putting up with my endless business ideas, even when they interrupt date nights!  

And to my clients, you inspire me every day. Your resilience, honesty, and willingness to embrace your neurodivergence make this work deeply meaningful.  

Neurodiversity isn’t a limitation; it’s a different, beautiful way of experiencing the world. This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, let’s take a moment to honour our unique journeys—because every brain deserves to be celebrated!

By Sheyan Gunapala (Psychologist and Founder of Ascension Psychology)