When to Accept Support

What This Is. What This Is Not.

A note about the ND Teacher's Summer Recovery Series and the boundaries of wellness coaching


What This Series Is

The ND Teacher's Summer Recovery Series is a free, eight-week wellness content series designed specifically for neurodivergent educators. It is built on an evidence-informed framework and developed by a neurodivergent educator and certified neurodiversity coach with a doctoral background in education.

Each week's content includes a blog post, a journal page, and structured self-reflection prompts. The Week 1 assessment suite is a self-reflection instrument — not a clinical screener — designed to help you locate yourself on a nervous system continuum and establish a personal baseline to track across the summer.

This series is designed to:

  • Offer a structured, ND-affirming framework for summer recovery and self-reflection

  • Provide evidence-informed education about neurodivergent nervous system experiences

  • Support the development of personalized wellness practices grounded in self-knowledge

  • Build self-advocacy skills through data-informed self-discovery

  • Create a bridge toward professional support for those who need it

What This Series Is Not

This series is not therapy. It is not clinical treatment. It is not a diagnostic process and it does not produce clinical results. The content shared here (including the Snapshot Screener and Full Inventory, the continuum descriptors, and all reflection prompt) is wellness and coaching content, not mental health treatment.

Participating in this series does not establish a therapeutic or clinical relationship of any kind. The series facilitator is not acting in a clinical capacity.

This series is not designed to replace or substitute for:

  • Licensed mental health therapy or counseling

  • Psychiatric evaluation or medication management

  • Crisis intervention or emergency mental health support

  • Any other professional clinical service

How to Know When You Need More Than This Series Can Offer

Wellness content can do meaningful work. It also has limits. Recognizing those limits is itself an act of self-advocacy.

Consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional if you are experiencing any of the following:

  • Difficulty maintaining basic daily functioning (eating, sleeping, hygiene, or safety)

  • Persistent thoughts of self-harm or suicide

  • Significant distress that has not improved with rest, reduced demands, or other self-care strategies

  • Symptoms that are escalating rather than stabilizing

  • A sense that something is seriously wrong that goes beyond depletion or burnout

  • Any experience that feels beyond what self-reflection and wellness support can reach

This is not an exhaustive list. You know yourself. If something feels like more than this series can hold, trust that signal.

Evidence-Based Resources for Further Exploration

The following published tools and resources are offered for informational purposes. They are not endorsements and are not substitutes for professional evaluation. If any of these resonate, consider bringing them to a conversation with a qualified professional who can support you further.

  • Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) — A validated, non-proprietary burnout self-report questionnaire developed at KU Leuven. Free to access. burnoutassessmenttool.be

  • ADHD Burnout Screening Tool (ABST) — A free self-assessment for neurodivergent adults developed by ND by Design, designed to support self-reflection and compassionate conversation. ndbydesign.org

  • Autistic Burnout Resources — Dr. Megan Anna Neff — Practical, affirming resources for recognizing and recovering from autistic burnout, including free downloads. neurodivergentinsights.com

  • Maslach Burnout Inventory — Educators Survey (MBI-ES) — The most widely validated burnout measure for educators. Referenced here as a research foundation; access requires a license through Mind Garden. mindgarden.com

Finding Professional Support

If you are ready to connect with a mental health professional and are not sure where to start, the following directories may help:

  • Psychology Today Therapist Finder — Search by location, insurance, specialty, and identity-affirming filters: psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

  • Inclusive Therapists — A directory centered on marginalized identities including neurodivergent affirming providers: inclusivetherapists.com

  • Neurodivergent Therapist Directory — A searchable directory of therapists with neurodivergent affirming practices: ndtherapist.com

A Direct Line

If you are not sure what kind of support you need or where to begin, you are welcome to reach out directly at ginger@ComprehensiveLiteracySolutions.com.