Support After Suicide has created a guide ‘Supporting People Bereaved by Suicide who are Neurodivergent’ for professionals working with adults and young adults who have been bereaved or affected by suicide and are, or might be, neurodivergent.
It highlights the importance of a personalised, understanding approach that respects the unique experiences and needs of neurodivergent individuals. By having a deeper understanding of neurodivergence, prioritising person-centred and tailored communication, and creating a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment, professionals can make a significant difference to neurodivergent individuals in such challenging times.
The guide was written by neurodivergent content writer, Maxine Roper, alongside experts by experience from National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA)’s lived experience network and specialist organisations: ADHD Foundation, Autistica, and Ambitious About Autism.
Who should use this guide?
• Anyone likely to come into contact professionally with someone who is neurodivergent who has been bereaved or affected by a suicide
• Anyone employed to support adults with a neurodivergent diagnosis
We know that for those who are neurodivergent, accessing support after a bereavement by suicide can be difficult.
Many people don’t know they are neurodivergent, and this means they often don’t have access to the right support.
Understanding neurodivergence
Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that encompasses conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette’s Syndrome.
Being neurodivergent can have a huge impact on people’s everyday lives. Recognising and understanding the differences and challenges they experience is crucial, especially when neurodivergent individuals face the added challenge of bereavement by suicide.
Challenges in accessing support
Neurodivergent individuals may face barriers in accessing appropriate support post-bereavement, often due to unrecognised neurodivergence, its nuances may also often be misunderstood or overlooked. The presence of concurrent health conditions can also make neurodivergence harder to recognise.
This guide addresses these concerns, and offers strategies to provide effective support.
What can you do to offer more personalised support to someone who is, or might be, neurodivergent following a bereavement by suicide?
Neurodivergent people may find their support needs, relationships, and reactions to various situations aren’t recognised by others, or react to events in ways that are less well understood, which can add to the impact of a bereavement.
The guide shares useful information that can help you offer support including:
• How people who are neurodivergent may react to bereavement following a suicide
• Key barriers being faced to accessing support
• Guidance for services, including practical and emotional support
Explore self-harm and suicidal thoughts, past, recent, and current:
• Support people to grieve in their own way
• Acknowledge that common coping mechanisms may not be suitable for everyone. Someone who is neurodivergent might take things that are said to them very literally, or they might react very intensely.
• Let people lead on what would help them - allow them to share their experiences and relevant information but know when to make suggestions.
• At times, giving direct advice may be appropriate to prevent harm to themselves or other people.
• Be mindful that a neurodivergent person might struggle to place themselves in a hypothetical situation, especially one that might make them more anxious.
• Consider relationship dynamics – understand that a neurodivergent person might be or have been in seemingly unhealthy or chaotic relationships. Take time to understand the complex nature of relationships the bereaved might have experienced.
Effective communication:
• Explore the ongoing communication needs of the person and adjust according to the ongoing needs of the neurodivergent individual.
• Expect that neurodivergent people might read from or take notes to help them during counselling or support session
• Be patient and understanding of the challenges they may face in communication.
Safety planning:
• If a bereaved neurodivergent person thinks or knows that the person who died was neurodivergent, let them explore this in a way which helps them.
• Look out for any signs of distress that could indicate a risk of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Explore their own thoughts of self-harm and suicide (past, recent, and current). This can give early warning signs of increasing distress and vulnerability to suicide (or accidental death).
• Support people to maintain relationships with others following the loss
• Work together to find the best possible plan for support that is specific to them (support pathways vary greatly). Develop a support plan that is personalised and comprehensive, utilising local services and networks, in particular ones that specialise in working with people who are neurodivergent.
• Be the person to open the door to support neurodivergent people who are bereaved, or affected, by a suicide. This means not turning a person away because they may have support elsewhere. Consider, if the support they have is meeting their needs. Everyone has a role to play and working collaboratively with other services is essential to person-centred support. Learn about local services and support networks that work with neurodivergent people. You could even sit with the person and search on your phone together if you’re not sure. But be careful not to take over and start problem-solving too quickly, instead work side-by-side with the person, checking with them what would be helpful for them.
Thank you
Storm Skills Training would like to thank everyone involved for creating such a useful resource for professionals committed to delivering empathetic and effective support to neurodivergent individuals who are navigating the challenges of bereavement through suicide.
