In Tennessee, the number of children identified with autism has more than doubled over the past decade according to Vanderbilt Health. In 2014, approximately 1 in 68 children in the state were identified with autism. Today, that number is closer to 1 in 29. State officials estimate that roughly 11% of Tennessee children experience attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
As more children are identified as neurodivergent, the need for environments designed to support the way they experience the world has become critical. But developing a neurodivergent-affirming space means more than simply providing accommodation. It means recognizing that every adolescent may communicate, process emotions, respond to their environment, and participate in treatment differently. It means creating care around a child’s individual needs.
At Embrace U, that philosophy is being put into practice. Four of our six mental health clinics across Tennessee offer designated programming for neurodivergent adolescents that include intentional spaces where young people can receive mental health support without being asked to fit into a one-size-fits-all approach.
Neurodivergent-Affirming Care Starts with Understanding the Individual
Teens and pre-teens experience neurodivergence in unique ways; that’s why the care we provide is individualized. Some may have difficulty with attention, organization, impulse control, or managing emotions, while others may experience sensory sensitivities, differences in communication, challenges with social interaction, or unique approaches to learning and problem-solving. Neurodivergent young people may also demonstrate remarkable creativity, focus, memory, empathy, or specialized interests. Because these traits can look different from one child to another, it is important to approach each adolescent with curiosity, understanding, and support rather than relying on assumptions or stereotypes. So what does neurodivergent-affirming care look like at Embrace U?
“To me, neurodivergent-affirming means creating an environment where young people do not feel like they have to hide, suppress, or apologize for the way their brain works,” said Antonay Rodgers, program administrator at the Mt. Juliet location. “At Embrace U, we recognize that differences in communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, attention, and social interaction are not automatically problems that need to be ‘fixed.’ Our goal is to understand what each participant needs to feel supported and successful while also helping them build skills that improve their daily functioning.”
There isn’t one way a neurodivergent adolescent thinks, communicates, processes emotions, or experiences their environment, so there can’t be one way to provide care. The goal is to understand what helps the individual neurodivergent adolescent feel safe, communicate, regulate, participate, and ultimately, grow. Having different needs doesn’t mean having lesser expectations. Rather, it means finding different approaches to helping that adolescent succeed.
“Many neurodivergent young people enter mental health spaces after spending significant time feeling misunderstood, corrected, excluded, or labeled because their needs present differently,” said Rodgers. “Behaviors that may appear to be defiance, avoidance, or disengagement can sometimes reflect sensory overload, anxiety, difficulty communicating a need, or emotional dysregulation.”
The neurodivergent spaces at Embrace U’s mental health clinics are tailored around addressing the need for mental health support that looks beyond the behavior and asks, “What is this young person communicating, and what support might they need?”
Meeting Neurodivergent Adolescents Where They Are
No two adolescents experience the world the same way, and neurodivergent-affirming care recognizes that treatment shouldn’t look the same for everyone, either. At Embrace U, therapists and staff focus on understanding the individual in front of them and getting a grasp of their communication preferences, sensory needs, emotional regulation, comfort levels with social interaction, and the pace at which they’re ready to participate.
“We focus on consistency, validation, clear expectations, and giving young people opportunities to communicate what they need,” said Rodgers. “We also recognize that communication does not look the same for everyone. A participant may need additional processing time, a different way to express themselves, movement, a quieter environment, or simply reassurance that they are not being judged.”
Feeling understood and seen can make a significant difference in an adolescent’s willingness to engage in therapy. That engagement may look different from one adolescent to another. Avoiding eye contact, needing movement, becoming overwhelmed, struggling with transitions, or communicating differently can sometimes be mistaken for disrespect or an unwillingness to participate. But in neurodivergent-affirming environments, participation isn’t limited to one definition.
“We can maintain expectations while recognizing that an adolescent may need additional processing time, breaks, movement, reduced stimulation, or another way to communicate,” said Rodgers. “We want to engage, but we also want to understand what may be preventing engagement instead of assuming a lack of effort.”
Even among adolescents with the same diagnosis, individual needs can vary significantly. By remaining curious about what may be behind a behavior, therapists can adapt their approach while continuing to help participants develop the skills they need to communicate, regulate their emotions, and engage meaningfully in treatment.
Structured Care Without Rigidity
Individualized care doesn’t mean eliminating structure or expectations. For many neurodivergent adolescents, knowing what comes next can help create a greater sense of predictability and security.
“Structure creates predictability and safety, while flexibility allows us to respond to individual needs,” said Rodgers. “Young people generally benefit from knowing what to expect, so routines, boundaries, and expectations remain important.”
At Embrace U, flexibility exists within that structure. While the expectations may remain consistent, the support one adolescent needs may look different from the support another requires.
Creating Connection and a Sense of Belonging
For neurodivergent adolescents who may have spent years feeling misunderstood or different from their peers, finding a space where they feel accepted can be powerful. Embrace U’s neurodivergent programming not only creates opportunities for participants to better understand themselves, but also to build relationships with peers who may relate to some of their experiences.
“Many young people arrive feeling like they are the only person who struggles with certain experiences,” said Rodgers. “Being around peers who may understand anxiety, sensory overwhelm, social challenges, or emotional dysregulation can decrease that sense of isolation.”
Those connections also give adolescents opportunities to practice communication, boundaries, problem-solving, and relationship skills in real time within a supportive environment. With time, feeling safe enough to participate can translate into something even more important: feeling confident enough to advocate for themselves.
“One of the most meaningful changes is seeing young people become more comfortable advocating for themselves,” said Rodgers. “Over time, participants may become better able to identify what they are feeling, recognize when they are becoming overwhelmed, communicate their needs, use coping strategies, and ask for support before reaching a crisis point.”
Taking Neurodivergent-Affirming Care Home
Creating an affirming environment doesn’t stop when an adolescent leaves Embrace U. Families and caregivers can apply many of the same principles at home, beginning with a shift from immediately trying to correct a behavior to becoming curious about what may be driving it.
“I encourage families to become curious before becoming corrective,” said Rodgers. “Instead of immediately asking, ‘How do I stop this behavior?’ it can be helpful to ask, ‘What is my child communicating through this behavior?'”
Validation does not mean that every behavior is acceptable or that boundaries disappear. Instead, families can acknowledge their child’s experience while helping them develop safer, more effective ways to communicate and cope. Over time, that shift can help strengthen communication, trust, and emotional safety within the family.
Creating Spaces Where Adolescents Can Be Themselves
Ultimately, neurodivergent-affirming care isn’t about removing expectations or defining and adolescent by a diagnosis. It’s about recognizing that young people may need different environments, tools, communication styles, and approaches to access the same opportunities to participate, connect, heal, and grow.
“Inclusion is more than allowing someone into a space; it is creating a space where they can genuinely participate without feeling that they have to become someone else first,” said Rodgers.
Four of Embrace U’s six locations currently offer designated programming for neurodivergent adolescents. Contact Embrace U to learn more about neurodivergent programming at your nearest location and whether it may be the right fit for your child.
