Free Minds Counseling

30/07/2025

Adult Autism...What exactly is it? Autism symptoms in adults tend to be most prominent in your communication skills, interests, emotional and behavioral patterns, and sensitivity to stimuli, such as noise and touch.

If you’re an adult with ASD, you might have a hard time reading social cues. You might find yourself dominating a conversation, not knowing when others become bored or uninterested.
Everyone has their own interests. But adults with ASD often focus on one or two subjects that they find highly fascinating. You may have an encyclopedic knowledge of a particular subject or interest.

While it’s often impressive to others, it may limit the amount you feel you can contribute to conversations beyond your favorite subjects. Trying to relate to people who don’t understand your interests may feel tedious or incredibly challenging. It might even lead you to avoid social interactions.

What would you add?

Infographic via Survival Tools

03/03/2025

This is the new video on Psychology Today. What do ya'll think?

28/09/2024

Saw this fantastic quote, attributed to Carson Tueller.

And yeah... calling marginalised people "inspiring" is a pretty convenient way for authority figures to sidestep accommodations whilst falsely making themselves sound compassionate.
Chris Bonnello - Autistic Author

[Black text on beige background, reading:
"Ableism looks like calling people 'inspiring' for navigating a system that is designed for exclusion, while doing nothing to hold the system accountable."]

28/09/2024

28/09/2024

🧠✨ Exercise Boosts Brain Power! ✨🧠

Did you know that just 20 minutes of movement can have a profound impact on your brain? 🤯💡

🚶‍♀️ In a recent study, 10 students who walked for 20 minutes performed better on a test compared to those who sat quietly. This shows how aerobic exercise like walking can boost cognitive control, improve attention, and enhance academic performance! 📚

In the above image:
- Blue areas typically represent lower levels of activity..
- Green and yellow areas indicate moderate levels of brain activity.
- Red areas generally represent the highest levels of brain activity.

🔗 How does it work?

- Movement stimulates growth and creates stronger connections between nerve cells. 🧠

- A single bout of moderately intense exercise can set the brain up to receive and retain new information! 🔥

💡 Whether you're in school or working, incorporating exercise into your day can enhance focus and brain function across the lifespan! 🌟

28/09/2024

See a child differently and you will see a different child.

❤️

28/09/2024

I gave this up for lent one year

Signs of people-pleasing🧡 //

28/09/2024

It's freeing when we shift from a disorder-based model to a strength-based model in education, mental health, and parenting. That's why I use the child's social-emotional development & not simply the DSM diagnosis to make treatment suggestions & decisions.
Alt text: Photo of a child dragging a stuffed animal with overlay text saying "when we begin to see children's behaviors as protective reactions rather than judging or pathologizing them, we help give our children a strong sense of self, grounded in a respect for their bodies' reactions, which is a buffer to becoming harsh self critics"

28/09/2024

Hey there! Just a little reminder to be kind to yourself today.

28/09/2024

So much goes into have healthy friendships!

If you're thinking about your friendship lessons, these are some skills to consider focusing on 💜

28/09/2024

Friendly reminder from this adorable rhino: You can’t be or do it all, and that’s perfectly okay. Please be kind to yourself, you’re doing the best you can.