About
Who I am
My name is Adriana (she/they). I am an independent practitioner with a decade of experience in the NHS, specialising in neurodevelopmental assessment and formulation. I identify as disabled, queer, and neurodivergent, and my work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience, including caregiving experience. My practice is supervised by a Psychologist who also identifies as disabled, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent.
I was raised multilingual in Germany at a time when professionals discouraged neurodivergent children from using several languages. My experiences have sparked a longstanding interest in how people grow, communicate, and make sense of themselves in contexts that may not fully understand them and a strong wish to support fairness and equity.
My values
My practice is grounded in:
Neurodiversity-affirming principles – a deep respect for neurodivergence, recognising the legitimacy of different neurotypes and communication styles. While acknowledging difficulties can arise from being neurodivergent, not losing sight of the beauty in this uniqueness.
Accessibility – reducing barriers, offering clarity, and adapting the process to individual needs wherever possible.
Collaboration and transparency – working with clients, sharing understanding, and empowering people to use assessment outcomes in ways that genuinely support them.
Lived-experience-informed practice – acknowledging the value of perspectives shaped by disability and neurodivergence and ensuring that my practice welcomes lived-experience from both clients and our work-force.
These values guide how I engage with clients, communicate, make recommendations, and shape the environment in which I work.
Academic background
I hold a BA (Hons) in Psychology and Studio Art from the University of Miami. This degree has been approved by the British Psychological Society as meeting the criteria for graduate membership. I also hold an MSc (Hons) in Criminal Psychology from the University of Nottingham. My professional experience has included extensive work in neurodevelopmental assessments, formulation, and multidisciplinary practice across NHS settings, including specialist neurodevelopmental settings and training.
Research involvement
I contributed to the publications “My child is autistic, should they learn more than one language?” and “Bilingualism in autism: Evidence and recommendations for clinical practice”. My involvement brought together clinical knowledge and lived experience of growing up multilingual against the odds. I am committed to challenging outdated assumptions. These projects focus on ensuring that autistic individuals, their families, and professionals receive accessible and evidence-based guidance.
I am involved in research looking into the lived experiences of people with generalised joint hypermobility, in particular hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD). These are rarely-diagnosed connective tissue disorders which commonly co-occur with ADHD and/or Autism and can have widespread physical and psychological implications. My involvement in this is from both an academic and a lived-experience perspective. As I am not a medical professional, I recommend speaking with your GP if hypermobility is a relevant concern for you.