Audhd Forward

10/05/2026

I have worked with children and families who find the effort to meet everday expectations of how they should be living so difficult, fluctuate between compliance out of fear,
Intimidation, exhaustion, lack of options and this often takes bravery and effort many never see. Sometimes there are also those who are brave in a different way and carve out their own unique path, resist expectations which causes others to judge, raise eyebrows, gossip, alienate them.

Today- the day I packed up the in person space I had created to try to reach these younger children - I wanted to highlight Martin Lewis’ BAFTA acceptance speech from tonight - it feels fitting - he spoke of how as a 12 year old his mom died suddenly and for 6 years, apart from school he hardly left the house- no clubs, no extra curricular activities, no socialising - just surviving. And now he has a bafta award recognising how he has has helped so many people, held government to account and has created real impact and change in the wider world.

We can’t always see the road ahead, the opportunities that will arise and it can be hard as a parent to resist the pressure. School and academic achievent was obviously a blessing for Martin Lewis but education can happen in many different ways and a different times in life.

If we’re lucky it’s lifelong ☺️

07/05/2026

The power of self acceptance I think is at the core of everything - the freedom to be creative, to connect with self and others, to grow - personally and professionally.

And by that I mean something much more fundamental than acceptance of a label.

‘I feel I’m more accepting of myself’ was the final take away today of a client as we concluded our final session together.

He started our work together looking for ‘solutions’ to his ‘problems’.

It’s true that over the past few months he has discovered strategies - but I have always known ‘solutions’ were not what my coaching offers.

Our brains are too adaptable, creative and lively to ever be governed by a solution and fixed response to a way of being the world.

I once thought there was a hierarchy I guided clients through- understanding, awareness leading to acceptance and ultimately self compassion and self love. But like the stages of grief I now understand these states do not exits as a hierarchical progression.

They’re more of a dance.

And they will be forever fluid because we are forever evolving. And what a blessing that is.

And I think once you get into the habit of being curious, giving yourself permission to go with your strengths and work differently with your challenges, catch that negative voice which no longer occupies a free space in your head and counteract it … those ways of being can’t be completely undone again.

Yes the strategies will change, yes you’ll face moments of overwhelm but self acceptance gives you permission to listen, honour and find peace within yourself.

And coming to that realisation didn’t happen through philosophical pondering.

It came through coaching conversations - identification of discomforts, voicing wishes of how things could be different, feelings, frustrations, fears and observations- the inner voice, work/life balance, relationships, communication, perfectionism, anxiety, connection and life purpose.

The day to day and the big stuff, with someone who is able to tease it all out of the shadows and into open.

Everything is less scary, less formidable when it’s brought out into the open.

24/04/2026

And often the impulsivity, chasing interest means we dream bigger…

It’s just that we may need to reach our destination in a different way - an ‘unconventional’ way, use different tools.

That’s what I believe.

It’s true it may take longer than expected to reach our goal, or the goal may change.

And that’s ok - it may be bottom up processing at work, it may be growth in self awareness, it may good old Alexithymia delaying our processing of how we actually feel in a situation.

And it could be quicker.

Sometimes the challenge is about pushing through when circumstances don’t feel aligned and that’s where we have to keep checking in with ourselves… is this actually ok?

Sometimes it’s about setting boundaries and saying no … also ok.

And sometimes it’s about not being afraid to shine and not forgetting to celebrate you.

This … all of this… happens in a coaching space where you commit to and are held account for and are partnered in focusing on you.

Despite and sometimes because of all the internalised voices, self critical monologue which can be soo subtle and so ingrained we don’t notice it, despite all the time spent ruminating we forget.

All of the above happens in my work - with late diagnosed adults, with university students and with me in my own life.

I have 3 weeks left in my in- person space. I had to try it and I learned from doing it. And I’ve gained clarity in my business focus.

A neurotypical person would have worked out it wouldn’t work out more quickly and with less expense. But here’s the final line I push in my sessions - self compassion- it really really matters.

Don’t ever miss it out 🫶

23/04/2026

And if really important send them to themselves on WhatsApp and maybe even ‘star’ them but never EVER look at them again 🥴😆

I know it’s a cliche but don’t even get me started on open tabs on my laptop… I have some sort of unprocessed fear that if I close a document I’ll never find it again, but can’t find it amongst all the open tabs anyway!! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Anyone relate?

14/04/2026

This won’t mean much to many of you - it didn’t to me 12 months ago - so apologies for the jargon and acronyms but to those of you who are DSA assessors :

Yes, I am an approved Student Finance England (SFE) Non Medical Helper (NMH) provider as AuDHD Forward Ltd on the relevant database.

I started this role at the start of this academic year and have loved the variety of the role and the students I support and so am making more space in my schedule to increase the hours I have available to support more students.

I work with students across faculties, ages, levels - undergraduate, post graduate, doctorate and realise how fortunate I am to meet such a broad range of individuals. Some are diagnosed ADHD, Autistic, dyslexic, some have multiple diagnoses.

My ‘niche’ has always been specialist generalist so this suits me perfectly.

If you would like to chat with me to see if I am a fit for those you are assessing please get in touch. At the moment I’m offering online only unless a student is happy to work in block sessions in person.

I forget to use social media as an actual business tool sometimes rather than simply a networking tool so here I am.

The next post I write needs to be aimed at colleges to raise awareness and encourages them to inform students about the support they may be entitled to at uni.

05/04/2026

Maybe I am hyperactive …

Maybe this is obvious to others but it’s new for me and I’m wondering if my self awareness was stunted before my adhd diagnosis and the rest of my life is going to be spent catching up!

I am sharing these thoughts because I think they relate to the parameters we set for ourselves, society sets for us growing up as girls snd as women. Recognising the value and importance of movement just for the sake of it without needing to be the best or achieve specific goals to justify movement.

My adhd diagnosis is combined, so I understood my ‘hyperactivity’ as being internalised accompanied by low level fidgeting and wiggling in my seat, tugging at my hair, jewellery etc.

I thought that was my natural way of being but now I’m starting to wonder…

On Friday my watch measured 40k steps- a combination of walking, running and dancing over the course of 15 hours. And I loved it!

As I walked home from an evening spent line dancing, after an 18km run in the morning, it occurred to me that maybe there was a reason my parents fixed me up with an activity after school every evening and at the weekend : swimming, ballet, tap, disco, brownies/guides, gymnastics, marching, tennis, badminton, piano, clarinet…

I realise I was privileged. At the time I had an awareness this wasn’t ’normal’ but I’d always put this down to my working class parents wanting to give me the best opportunities in life.

I wasn’t talented at anything- my piano teacher unwittingly diagnosed my adhd declaring I was a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ at 11.

But now I wonder whether there was an element of my parents instinctively knowing I needed to be kept occupied and busy 🤔

I actually never saw my possible hyperactivity until Friday night. It’s 5 years and 2 months since I was diagnosed with ADHD. I’ve understood my adhd as my dysregulated ‘noise’ and my autism as the true me. I’ve never understood myself as ‘hyperactive’ but now I’m thinking maybe I am.

My autism is a constant and impacts my communication, bottom up processing, need for clarity and emotional connection to anything and everything. Yes my adhd is louder when life has become too much but now I think maybe my hyperactivity may also be a constant, like my autism.

And maybe that explains as I progress on my inner journey the increasing need and pull I feel to connect more with my body.

Even though anything involving sitting at a desk, being in my head, (which I thought was my happy place) - physically drains me, like keyptonite, like a balloon with a slow and steady puncture - resulting in me struggling to stay awake… I’ve persisted with this line of work and activity - so much study, so many post grad certificates so much time spent sitting.

But because I was academically able I never questioned this choice, this direction. I never saw myself as someone who was happy moving, never valued or recognised that need.

It’s a funny world.

When I was younger what was important to me was being good at whatever I did. Now I don’t want to be the best, I just want to feel as alive as possible and right now for me - I think that means moving. A lot. And that reflection has the potential to change everything … 🤔

Now I love running - it’s hard but I love the grind - average 20k over 2 runs a week, I love Zumba and energetic line dancing (Latin fusion) with Dance Yourself Fit with Emma Blackmore. … Zumba has been with me as a fluctuating constant over the past 4 years … am I co-ordinated … a natural? No but I love the music and the wiggles! I dabble in yoga and Pilates, walk with my dog over 10k steps every day and now I’m giving myself permission to move more without feeling a need to prove anything, not even to myself but because my body and mind enjoys it.

But I do have a dream - and I’ve said in other posts I believe you have to dream it to have any chance of it coming true so I’m not apologising got it no matter how wild and whacky it sounds … but maybe I’ll be able to help other women like me move more too …in the future.

Pictures evidencing my day - steps, run by the river no pictures of me line dancing unfortunately 😆

24/03/2026

Heading for VO2 ‘superior’.

Of course I wonder if I’ve tricked the app … maybe I have but I also know I wouldn’t want to go back to where I was 12 months ago 1.5 stone heavier and more tired. So something is working out.

I’m also a nudge towards my first step target weight which was planned for Christmas, then my birthday , now a beach holiday end of April and feeling pretty confident of third time lucky.

This isn’t about how I look - though I want to look in the mirror and see a strong body, it’s about gifting myself my best life and feeling I deserve it.

I will have competed 3 runs and a Zumba session by the end of this week and next week I’ll add line dancing to that too. That rill be my new routine.

My daily steps were stuck at 5k this time last year - I changed my routine and effort snd increased them to 7k, then 10k and now 13k basically because of the increase in running.

I’m making conscious choices when eating. There’s nothing I’ve cut out - still eating fats, carbs, sugar but more fibre, protein, veg and fruit.

I’m pretty good now with ultra processed foods and the cravings have gone - I’d say bread and cream are my weaknesses.

White rice I’ve swapped for wholemeal.

It’s all so much effort compared to when I was younger and that’s ok. I put a lot of rubbish in my body until this past 12 months and now I choose not to. I move when I don’t always feel like it but prioritise the fun stuff .

You’re told not to weigh yourself regularly but I do - I like the information and I no longer get demotivated by weight gain - I understand it’s a bigger picture.

Next steps - more steps (running) and weights and more dancing - looking forward to the longer days which will make it all easier.

And as always it’s self compassion that makes the difference. I need to remind myself sometimes but that part of the equation is getting easier. 🫶

16/03/2026

Do you dare to dream?

It’s recent to occurred to me how significant daring to dream is. If we can’t dream it how can it ever happen?

I have an easy day today … time for gentle admin after particularly (self inflicted) busy week last week and clients rearranging today.

That leaves me plenty of time for day dreaming but let’s call it manifesting … somewhere warm, by the sea working with women to love and celebrate their bodies, hearts and minds- working on embodying all that practice myself and I when I’m ready to claim that for me it will happen.

And it will.

Every day is one tiny step forward as I work on myself. Today taking supplements cortisol, creatine and drinking water seriously; taking accountability for monitoring the choices I’m making when I put food into my body.

When I was identified as at risk of type 2 diabetes I was given an app through nhs which has waited patiently for almost a year to take pictures of what I ate. I refused - or I only selected the ‘healthy’ meals. I didn’t want to face up to bad habits. Too much sugar, more carbs than my body needs, late night snacking. I know my disorganised eating was exactly that.

So now I’m saying I’m worth feeding properly.

I’m not dieting, I’m not restricting I’m just looking at what benefits the food that goes in my mouth has. No more ultra processed food, no more empty carbs. No alcohol - that’s been consistent since Christmas.

Strength training every day even if it’s 5 mins. No more walking past the weights on the landing without picking one up.

10k steps every day minimum plus 3 x hours intensive movement a week.

Feel like I’m ready to choose me.

Still a long way to go - stepping back from doom scrolling and binge watching tv not that I do much of that but still it takes time from reading, meditating, connection with people I love.

Time is precious. Life is precious.

Thing is I’ve always achieved the dreams I’ve consciously committed to. It’s the daring to commit that’s the hardest and crucial step.

We have to allow ourselves see, feel, connect with our dreams and yes it’s scary but if we can’t dream it - it will never happen.

It means change. It will probably mean with dealing with stress, fear, disappointment along the way but embracing all that as a means to the end- our lessons, our purpose, awareness, understanding. I’ve always learnt through doing- so there’s no other way.

Time to learn 🇪🇸 🫶

13/03/2026

Sharing incase any young people you know might be interested in the paid for opportunity - sounds exciting and a wonderful experience 🫶

06/03/2026

Free coaching for family members of someone who is autistic … maybe for educators too if you’re working closely with a child with autism.

Do you work with family members of autistic people?

Or do you need personalised guidance for your own family?

We’re commissioned by the NHS to offer free, online coaching sessions through Autism Central.

These sessions are delivered by our trained and supervised peer guides with lived or family experience.

The sessions offer a safe space to reflect on autistic wellbeing, family life and practical guidance, helping you feel heard, connected and navigate services.

Anyone living in England and supporting an autistic person of any age is eligible. 4, 8 or 10 consecutive sessions can be booked.

Find out more and get booked in: https://orlo.uk/9MhkS

NHS England Workforce, Training and Education