Amanda
Rawn-Alton

Clients Served

• Children, Teens, Youth and Young Adults (Ages 5 – 25)
• Parents and Families of ND children
• Support Groups (Parents/Guardians)
• Organizations

About Me

You planned a family, excited to do the things with your child that you used to do when you were young. You imagined family vacations, playing board games around the dinner table, and relaxing in the backyard. Then your precious baby entered the world and, gradually, you realized she or he wasn’t quite like the other toddlers at the mom’s playgroups or the children of your brothers, sisters, and close family friends. It’s often been harder for you to get your kiddo to eat, to sleep, to leave the house without screaming, to come home without screaming, to communicate using words, to make friends, to engage with you and the world in the way kids are supposed to. It breaks your heart and stops it completely for a moment when your doctor suggests testing—it could be Autism or ADHD.

The diagnosis finally gives you language to understand and explain why your child acts the way they do. But no one gives you a guidebook on ‘How to Raise a Happy, Well-Adjusted Neurodivergent Child’. In fact, you are confronted with messages everywhere telling you what’s wrong with your kiddo and what you need to do to fix him or her. But, deep down, you know your child isn’t broken: she’s perfect in her own neurodivergent way. Why can’t the world give a little? Make a little more space? Be flexible in the face of your son’s hardwired rigidity? Give him more time to develop without giving up on him? Protect her from the unknowing and uncaring insensitivities the world has for children who perceive and act a little differently. Now your beautiful baby has reached the age to know that they are out of step with their peers and school expectations. It hurts. And it hurts you to see them hurt.

I help children and adolescents who crave acceptance, connection, and growth, on their own terms, and parents who just want to have happy kiddos. I see the need underlying the behavior and work with your child or teen, with you present or not, to get those needs met. It is often said that children are resilient, and they can be, but only if it is fostered through connection, safety, and security. If more people knew how connection and understanding grow when we see the experiences of children and young people through a trauma lens, later in life we would be asking “what happened to Adrian” rather than “what is wrong with Adrian….”

With a neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed approach to therapy, I provide that safety. It can be an immense relief to have someone finally understand your family’s needs, whether your child was recently diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, FASD, or other neurodevelopmental differences, or you are in the process of seeking assessment. Your child might be receiving ABA therapy, or you may be looking for an alternative. Either way, if you are ready to meet with your first experienced, professional, neurodiversity-affirming guide on ‘How to Raise a Happy, Well-Adjusted Neurodivergent Child’, book a free consultation.