Information
Recognition of neurodivergent people is increasing, yet many still go without identified support needs. Each individual has their own unique traits, strengths, and support requirements.
Information about Neurodiversity
The prevalence of ADHD in adults is estimated to be 2.2–3.4%. Among children and adolescents, prevalence varies: for children aged 3-12 years, ADHD prevalence is estimated at 7.6% (6.1-9.4%), and for 12-18-year olds at 5.6% (4.8-7%), according to the Current Care Guidelines. A global review estimated the median prevalence of autism spectrum disorder at 1% (range 0.01-4.36%), with most studies in the review focusing on children and adolescents. Other common diagnoses associated with neurodivergence include developmental language disorder and Tourette syndrome.
Neurodivergence therefore affects at least one in ten Finns, and likely more. The exact number is unknown, and the phenomenon requires further research. The number of diagnoses has increased as awareness has grown, but many neurodivergent individuals remain undiagnosed and without support.
When a person experiences mental health challenges simultaneously, their neurodivergent traits may go unnoticed. For example, anxiety, depression, or eating disorders can mask these traits. Between 54.8% and 94% of autistic individuals have at least one co-occurring psychiatric disorder (source: Current Care Guidelines). Autistic individuals also have an increased risk of suicide (source: Autism Finland organization).
Currently, services are fragmented. Many do not receive appropriate, timely, or sufficient support. Care and educational pathways can be inconsistent and depend on the expertise of individual professionals or the region in which one lives. Obtaining a diagnosis can take years. Delayed recognition can cause additional strain and challenges. Expertise related to neurodivergence should be strengthened across education and service systems.
Current Solutions
Although there are various support services available for neurodivergent people, they are scattered and fragmented. Responsibility for organizing these services is unclear – they may involve, for example, family counseling centers, disability services, and specialized psychiatric care. There is significant regional and individual inequality in how these services are delivered.
Service coordination and guidance do not function effectively at present. Information about, for example, disability services and support, rehabilitation, therapies, and other forms of assistance is often left for individuals to figure out themselves. Many spend years determining which support they are entitled to and how to apply for it.
Even though some services are legally mandated, they often must be actively requested, and that is only possible if people are aware of their existence. There is no single entity taking overall responsibility – no single body supports the individual or family throughout the entire care or rehabilitation pathway.
Legally mandated services sometimes must be pursued through the courts, which places an unreasonable burden on families and individuals. Support offered to adults is often insufficient in many areas.
People and their families must invest enormous amounts of time and energy just to access the support they need. Many experience exhaustion even before receiving any help.
Future Solutions
It is important to support the development of a positive self-image. Therefore, neurodivergent traits and support needs should be identified early. Primary healthcare plays a key role in this: it should be responsible for recognizing the need for support, directing individuals to the appropriate services, ensuring smooth transitions between services, and making sure that support is provided.
Care and support pathways should be continuous, seamless, and timely – without individuals having to fight for the support they need. Achieving this requires increased expertise and sufficient resources across the entire service system.
An effective model would be to centralize services in one place, coordinated by a skilled team established at the regional (wellbeing services county) or municipal level. This way, support processes would not need to start from scratch each time, staff turnover would be minimized, and knowledge and understanding would accumulate among service providers and schools. Services would be equitable and consistent nationwide, not dependent on where a person lives.
Legally mandated, statutory support should be implemented in early childhood education and schools. Guidance in schooling should not be compromised. Early identification should begin already in maternal and child health clinics, and when concerns arise, diagnoses and support would be provided in a timely manner. Support would continue throughout the educational pathway and be implemented in the workplace through reasonable accommodations.
Strengthening Support is Essential
Legally mandated services must be provided to everyone who needs them. The challenges neurodivergent people face may be invisible, but their impact on everyday life can be significant. Left unaddressed, the difficulties, as well as society’s approach, can significantly limit a person’s daily functioning. Recognized risks include school absenteeism, mental health problems, and, in the worst cases, social exclusion.
It is important to understand the significance of early support. Even highly gifted children and adolescents may face substantial challenges in executive functioning, daily functioning, or sensitivity to stress and sensory overload. These challenges are not always learning difficulties. Support must be available in the local school and daily environment, integrated into the child’s or young person’s everyday life. Access to rehabilitation and therapy must also be ensured.
Staff expertise plays a central role. Health care and education professionals must be trained in matters related to neurodivergence. Municipalities or regional wellbeing services counties should establish centralized centers of expertise, such as neurodivergence teams, to provide expert support to families and professionals.
Multidisciplinary collaboration must be strengthened, and neurodiversity-related expertise deepened in teaching, teacher education, and social and health care training and services, so that skills and support meet everyday needs. People with lived experience of neurodivergence should be actively involved in development work, as they provide valuable insight. If a municipality or regional authority cannot provide the necessary services themselves, it is better to purchase them from competent providers than to keep those in need waiting. Long waiting times cause human suffering and increase future costs.
Attitudes, expertise, processes, and practices must be improved. Only then can neurodivergent people and their families receive the support they are entitled to.
