Helping Young People Find the Words: Exploring the Impact of Psychoeducational Materials for Neurodivergent Young People

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Powell, L. & Bradley, S. (2025). Helping Young People Find the Words: Exploring the Impact of Psychoeducational Materials for Neurodivergent Young People. Neurodiversity, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251376508

Journal or book title
Neurodiversity
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Volume
3
Article number
27546330251376508
Publication date: 1 Jul 2025 Added to AutiHub: 9 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. L. Powell *
  2. Sarah Bradley

Abstract

Neurodivergent individuals often struggle with self-understanding due to a lack of accessible, affirming psychoeducational materials. Grounded in the neurodiversity approach – which views neurodivergence as difference, not deficit – this study explored the impact of co-produced resources for ADHD and/or autistic young people. Drawing on lived experience, surveys with neurodivergent adults (n = 71) revealed that 95.7% believed these resources would have been beneficial in childhood. Content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis identified key benefits, including increased self-acceptance, improved communication, and greater confidence in self-advocacy. Parent/carer surveys (n = 8) and interviews further indicated support for emotional well-being, independence, and communication skills. Findings highlight the importance of neurodivergent-led development, with careful attention to language and accessibility. This study reinforces the role of affirming psychoeducation in reducing confusion, stigma, and emotional distress. Future research should examine long-term outcomes and adapt materials across developmental stages. By supporting recognition of both strengths and challenges, these resources can mitigate stigma and foster more inclusive environments – ultimately contributing to improved outcomes for neurodivergent young people.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 17:07.

Cited references
53
With a DOI
36
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
17
17 / 53 (32.1%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
14 / 53 (26.4%)
References with detected author names
39 / 53 (73.6%)
Without detected author names
14
Without a structured title
14
Without a stable identifier
17
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
141
From DOI or external metadata
141
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
16
77 / 141 (54.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 64 / 141 (45.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
24 / 141 (17.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 24 / 77 (31.2%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 14 / 120 (11.7%).
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