Evidence-Based Resources to Prevent Burnout & Support Capacity
Developed by David Gray-Hammond, BSc (Hons), MCMA, AP APM | Neurodivergent Consultancy Expert
Why This Toolkit Exists
Neurodivergent professionals doing advocacy work face a unique challenge: your expertise is inseparable from your lived experience. You’re expected to translate pain into policy, trauma into training, and survival into strategy—while navigating sensory overload, fatigue, and bodies that don’t regenerate energy on neurotypical timelines.
Burnout is not a personal failure. It is an access issue.
What You’ll Get
1. Sustainable Advocacy Toolkit for Neurodivergent Professionals
A rights-based resource for staying human while changing systems
- Energy accounting framework (not time management)
- Boundaries as disability access needs
- Domain-specific sustainability strategies
- Burnout recovery without shame
- Professional boundary scripts you can use immediately
2. Capacity & Boundaries Toolkit
Practical worksheets for sustainable advocacy
- Baseline capacity assessment
- Energy mapping exercises
- Early warning signal identification
- Capacity-aligned decision filters
- Recovery planning templates
3. Facilitator Guide: Supporting Neurodivergent Professionals
For mentors, managers, and organizational leaders
- Reframing capacity as an access issue
- Recognizing neurodivergent burnout patterns
- Language that supports vs. harms
- Structural adjustments that prevent burnout
- Ethical mentoring practices
Who These Toolkits Are For
Neurodivergent Professionals & Advocates
- Autistic professionals doing advocacy work
- ADHD consultants and trainers
- Multiply neurodivergent researchers
- Anyone whose professional work intersects with lived experience
- Disabled professionals navigating extractive systems
Managers & Mentors
- Supervisors of neurodivergent staff
- Organizational leaders committed to inclusion
- HR professionals developing neurodiversity policies
- Anyone supporting neurodivergent professionals
Why Standard Burnout Advice Fails Neurodivergent Advocates
Most burnout prevention assumes: – Stable energy levels – Interchangeable bodies and brains – Clear separation between work and identity – Systems that basically work if you “manage yourself better”
None of these assumptions hold for neurodivergent professionals.
When the systems you’re trying to change are the same systems that deny you care, safety, or legitimacy, there is no safe distance. This is why neurodivergent advocate burnout is not just exhaustion—it is existential depletion.
What Makes These Toolkits Different
Evidence-Based & Lived Experience-Informed
Created by David Gray-Hammond, an Autistic, ADHD professional with: – BSc (Hons) Forensic and Archaeological Science – Published academic research on neurodivergence – 9 years of sobriety from addiction – Co-founder of Autistic Substance Use Network (ASUN) – Lead advisor for Autistic and Neurodivergent rights
Rights-Based, Not Resilience-Focused
We explicitly reject resilience narratives that tell disabled people to absorb harm more efficiently. Sustainable advocacy reduces exposure to harm.
Practical & Immediately Usable
- Ready-to-use boundary scripts
- Energy accounting worksheets
- Capacity assessment tools
- Facilitator language guides
- Recovery planning templates
Key Concepts You’ll Learn
Energy Accounting (Not Time Management)
Neurodivergent professionals don’t run out of time—we run out of capacity. Learn to: – Identify energy-expensive tasks – Plan recovery as deliberately as delivery – Build decompression into workflows – Assume variability rather than stability
Boundaries as Disability Access
Reframe boundaries as: – Sensory accommodations – Executive function protection – Emotional labour regulation – Recovery protection
Saying no is not unprofessional. It’s how disabled professionals remain able to work at all.
Community Care Over Isolated Self-Care
Individualized self-care advice collapses under systemic pressure. Build: – Peer support networks – Shared scripts and boundary language – Collective sustainability practices – Systems that don’t punish stepping back
What People Are Saying
“This toolkit gave me language for boundaries I didn’t know I was allowed to have.”
“Finally, burnout prevention that doesn’t blame me for being disabled.”
“Essential reading for any organization employing neurodivergent professionals.”
Download Your Toolkits
Three comprehensive PDF resources: 1. Sustainable Advocacy Toolkit (7 pages) / Capacity & Boundaries Toolkit (13 pages) (All in one document) 3. Facilitator Guide (4 pages)
Total Cost: £15
Pay To Get Access
Pay To Download The Toolkit For £15.00
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who created these toolkits? A: David Gray-Hammond, founder of DGH Neurodivergent Consultancy, with expertise in neurodiversity training, research, and advocacy. Published author and independent academic specialising in autism and substance use.
Q: Are these toolkits only for Autistic people? A: While grounded in Autistic experience, these resources support all neurodivergent professionals including those with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological differences.
Q: Can organizations use these with staff? A: Absolutely. The Facilitator Guide is specifically designed for managers, mentors, and organizational leaders.
Q: Is this about working less? A: No. It’s about working sustainably. The most radical thing a neurodivergent advocate can do is remain resourced enough to continue.
Q: What if I’m already burned out? A: The toolkit includes a dedicated section on burnout recovery without shame, including stepping back without narrative collapse and rebuilding capacity non-linearly.
About DGH Neurodivergent Consultancy
We provide professional consultancy, training, and public speaking on neurodiversity, grounded in academic knowledge and lived experience. Our work bridges research, professional expertise, and authentic community connection.
Services include: – Neurodiversity training for organizations – Consultancy and policy review – Wellbeing mentoring for Autistic individuals – Research services – Public speaking
Specializations: – Intersection of autism and substance use – Rights-based advocacy – Systemic change over individual compliance – Underserved neurodivergent populations
Ready to Build Sustainable Advocacy Practice?
Download your toolkits and start building conditions where advocacy doesn’t require self-erasure.
Sustainable advocacy is not about doing less good. It’s about making sure the people doing the good are still here.
Further Training
For further training on neurodiversity and sustainable advocacy, use t he contact methods below to make contact and connect with David.
Office Phone Number (UK Only): 01903 495988
Keywords: neurodivergent burnout, Autistic professional burnout, ADHD workplace sustainability, neurodiversity advocacy, disabled professional support, autism workplace accommodations, neurodivergent capacity, sustainable advocacy, neurodiversity training UK, Autistic burnout prevention