13. Helping Your Neurodivergent Child Become More Independent

If you are raising a child diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or anxiety, the uncertainty of their future can feel very anxiety-provoking. Will they learn to drive? Will they be able to live on their own? Will they be happy?

One gift of parenting a child developing on their own path and timetable is that you learn quickly to let go of any plans beyond about a school year’s span of time. You learn to remain present in solving the problems and celebrating the wins of today. You appreciate even a small milestone because you have watched your child struggle to do things and you notice the relief and pride on their face when they are finally able to do it. The flip side of this experience, of course, is not knowing if and when your child will become independent with various skills.

Honestly, no parent knows for sure what the future holds for their child, but when your child struggles developmentally, making predictions for tomorrow based on your child’s skills today is very hard to do. What we can do is financially plan for the future and focus on nurturing skills today. In today’s episode, I’m sharing tips on how to motivate neurodivergent kids who might have a short attention span, narrow (but deep) interests, and are not motivated by what other people think of them.

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