Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for neurodiversity and provides direction when neurodiversity removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when neurodiversity has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult neurodiversity periods
- A basis for action independent of how neurodiversity makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Neurodiversity
Ask yourself: 'If my neurodiversity were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Neurodiversity
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when neurodiversity is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite neurodiversity, are more sustainable than waiting for neurodiversity to lift first.