Spectrum Centre

20/10/2025

📢ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISTIC TEENS/ADULT CHILDREN

Date: Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm (1 hour) (CAT)
Topic: Dealing with your autistic teen/adult autistic child’s meltdown
Cost: R320.00 per session
Booking Email: hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

14/10/2025

📢IN-PERSON SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM
Autism and Managing Work Stress and Overload

Date: Saturday, 18th October, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 13:00pm (1 hour)
Topic: Autism and Managing Work Stress and Overload
Cost: R320.00 per person
Booking Email 📧: hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

An In-person Support Group for Autistic Adults (18 years +)

Are you feeling overwhelmed, misunderstood, or struggling with neurodiversity, anxiety, or life’s challenges? You don’t have to go through it alone.

Join our expert-led in-person support group designed for adults who seek connection, guidance, and practical tools to navigate life’s complexities. This is a safe, confidential, and structured space where you can share, learn, and grow under the facilitation of a highly experienced clinical psychologist specializing in adult Autism, ADHD, and mental well-being.

Why Join This Support Group?

✅ Professional Guidance – Unlike informal peer groups, you’ll receive expert insights and evidence-based strategies tailored to your needs.
✅ Structured & Supportive – Every session follows a thoughtfully designed framework to maximize personal growth.
✅ Safe & Confidential – Share openly in a non-judgmental environment where psychological safety is a priority.
✅ Community & Connection – Build relationships with others who truly understand your experiences.

What to Expect
📌 Limited spots to ensure personalized attention
📌 Guided discussions on key topics
📌 Opportunities to ask questions & receive professional insights
Investment in Yourself

🌐 http://spectrumcentre.co.za/in-person-support-group/

13/10/2025

An Autistic meltdown isn’t an emotional outburst, it’s a neurological overload.

For many autistic adults, meltdowns happen when sensory input, stress, or emotions build up beyond what the nervous system can handle. It can look like crying, shouting, pacing, or shutting down completely.

Here’s what helps:
– Find a quiet, safe space
– Lower sensory input (dim lights, reduce noise)
– Allow recovery time without judgment
– Focus on comfort and regulation, not control

Meltdowns aren’t failures. They’re signals, and with understanding, support, and self-awareness, recovery becomes easier and less overwhelming.

Awareness leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to peace.

🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/
📧 hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

We specialise in Adult Autism diagnosis and long term therapy. The Diagnosis is conducted over 2 sessions by one of our Autism (Neurodiversity) Specialist Psychologists. The diagnosis process consists of a Clinical Interview based on the diagnostic criteria of ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder as specifi...

09/10/2025

📢 ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP FOR AUTISTIC ADULTS: MANAGING WORK STRESS AND OVERLOAD- WED, 15 OCT 6PM

Our expert-led in-person support group is designed specifically for autistic adults (18+) who want to feel heard, supported, and equipped with practical tools to manage life’s challenges.

🗓 Next Session:
📅 WED, 15 OCTOBER 2025
🕛 6:00pm – 7:00pm (1 hour)
📍 ONLINE
💰 R320 per session, per person

Why Join?
✅ Professional guidance from a clinical psychologist specializing in adult Autism, ADHD, and mental health
✅ Evidence-based coping strategies & mindfulness techniques
✅ A safe, confidential space to share and connect
✅ Limited spots for a more personalized experience

🎥 Watch the video to hear more from Kevin Naidu for more details

📩 Book your spot now EMAIL: hello@spectrumcentre.co.za
🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/online-support-group/

07/10/2025

Why did the name change from Asperger's to Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Since 2013, the DSM-5 (the main diagnostic manual for mental health) merged Asperger’s with other autism-related diagnoses into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research showed there wasn’t a clear difference, it’s all part of one spectrum that varies in how much support someone might need.

Another reason for the change is that Hans Asperger, the doctor the term was named after, was later linked to Nazi eugenics programs, which made the name itself problematic.

Many people still identify with the word “Asperger’s,” and that’s completely valid, but in clinical terms, it’s now recognised as part of the autism spectrum. 💙

🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/
📧 hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

We specialise in Adult Autism diagnosis and long term therapy. The Diagnosis is conducted over 2 sessions by one of our Autism (Neurodiversity) Specialist Psychologists. The diagnosis process consists of a Clinical Interview based on the diagnostic criteria of ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder as specifi...

02/10/2025

How can you detect an autistic adult?

Detecting autism in adults can be more subtle than in children because many autistic adults have learned to mask or compensate for certain traits. There’s no single test for autism, but patterns of behavior, communication, and thinking can suggest it.

Here are some common indicators:

* Social Differences – Difficulty reading social cues, preferring direct communication, or struggling with small talk.

* Focused Interests – Intense passion for specific topics or hobbies.

* Routines & Predictability – Strong preference for structure; changes can feel overwhelming.

* Sensory Sensitivities – Lights, sounds, textures, or smells may feel intense or uncomfortable.

* Repetitive Behaviors – Certain movements, phrases, or routines repeated regularly.

* Thinking Patterns – Detail-oriented, analytical, or highly logical thinking.

* Emotional Differences – Challenges expressing or interpreting emotions; anxiety or stress in social situations.

Remember: Not every autistic adult will show every trait, and each individual is unique. If these traits resonate and affect daily life, a formal assessment by a qualified professional can provide clarity.

So how do we test if there is no single medical or psychological “test” that can diagnose autism. A diagnosis is made based on:

* Clinical evaluation – Detailed history of developmental, social, and behavioral patterns.

* Observation of behaviors – How the person communicates, interacts, and responds to sensory input.

* Standardized assessments and questionnaires

* Psychologists who specialize in Neurodiversity

Autism is a spectrum – understanding yourself better is always valuable. 💙

🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/
📧 hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

We specialise in Adult Autism diagnosis and long term therapy. The Diagnosis is conducted over 2 sessions by one of our Autism (Neurodiversity) Specialist Psychologists. The diagnosis process consists of a Clinical Interview based on the diagnostic criteria of ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder as specifi...

01/10/2025

Are your frustrations piling up? It could be burnout.

Do you feel like the little things are getting harder to cope with lately? Do small frustrations quickly turn into big arguments?

In this video, Chael Nel, Clinical Psychologist at The Spectrum Centre, explains how what feels like “growing frustrations” may actually be a sign of autistic burnout. You will learn why your ability to regulate emotions depends on mental energy, how burnout drains that energy, and what you can do to start restoring balance.

👉 Watch now to understand why your frustrations feel overwhelming and what steps you can take to regain control.

Caring for yourself is the most important investment you can make, book an appointment and give yourself that care.

🌐http://spectrumcentre.co.za/
📧 hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

29/09/2025

It's not about fixing it's about healing

25/09/2025

WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF HIDING AUTISTIC TRAITS?

Important conversations with Clinical Psychologist Kevin Naidu and
MyHealth360

➡️https://spectrumcentre.co.za/

23/09/2025

📢 ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP FOR AUTISTIC ADULTS: COPING WITH DEPRESSION- TUE, 30 SEP 6PM

As Kevin Naidu, Clinical Psychologist, shares in this video, September and October can be a particularly depressive time for many autistic adults. Increased social demands, sensory overload, masking, and work pressures can all heighten stress, depression, and burnout.

Our expert-led in-person support group is designed specifically for autistic adults (18+) who want to feel heard, supported, and equipped with practical tools to manage life’s challenges.

🗓 Next Session:
📅 TUESDAY, 30 September 2025
🕛 6:00pm – 7:00pm (1 hour)
📍 ONLINE
💰 R320 per session, per person

Why Join?
✅ Professional guidance from a clinical psychologist specializing in adult Autism, ADHD, and mental health
✅ Evidence-based coping strategies & mindfulness techniques
✅ A safe, confidential space to share and connect
✅ Limited spots for a more personalized experience

🎥 Watch the video to hear more from Kevin Naidu about why this time of year can be especially challenging and how support can make a difference.

📩 Book your spot now: hello@spectrumcentre.co.za
🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/online-support-group/

22/09/2025

Ever wonder why two people can go through the same event but experience it totally differently?

Our brains don’t show us reality directly. They process sights, sounds and feelings, fill in the blanks and predict what’s happening. Because each brain is wired a little differently, we all create our own “movie” of the world, shaped by our unique history, beliefs and emotions.

✦ We don’t experience light or sound directly; our brains turn them into colors, shapes and sensations.
✦ We weave fragments into stories and assumptions (“They’re ignoring me” vs. “They’re just busy”).
✦ We’re always slightly behind the present moment; the brain predicts to keep us up to speed.

Understanding this is about realizing that we see a filtered version of reality, and that awareness can give us more freedom in how we interpret events.

Have you caught your mind making up a story about something recently or disagreeing with someone with a different perspective? Let's discuss the differences, book a session with us today and start exploring how to shift these patterns for clearer thinking and calmer relationships.

🌐 https://spectrumcentre.co.za/
📧 hello@spectrumcentre.co.za

We specialise in Adult Autism diagnosis and long term therapy. The Diagnosis is conducted over 2 sessions by one of our Autism (Neurodiversity) Specialist Psychologists. The diagnosis process consists of a Clinical Interview based on the diagnostic criteria of ASD Autism Spectrum Disorder as specifi...

18/09/2025

DO FUNCTIONING LABELS WORSEN SUFFERING FOR AUTISTIC PEOPLE?

Important conversations with Clinical Psychologist Kevin Naidu and
MyHealth360

➡️https://spectrumcentre.co.za/