As a psychologist, I work with neurodivergent clients diagnosed later in life with ADHD or autism. Burnout is often the driving force that brings them to my office, but then, once diagnosed, it leaves them asking the next question, "Am I in the wrong role for my neurotype?"
Accommodations are often touted as the solution to burnout, but I’m here to tell you that many skip a crucial step: self-reflection.

Burnout is not just a matter of being tired or overworked; it is a deep, systemic exhaustion, often experienced by neurodivergent people who’ve spent years or even decades trying to “fit” into a workplace never designed for them. Burnout for neurodivergent clients often comes not just from workload but from the emotional and cognitive labour of masking, suppressing one’s natural tendencies, and adapting to an environment that goes against how their brain functions.
Those diagnosed later in life often reflect on long histories of burnout. Chronic exhaustion is the body and mind’s way of signalling that something is fundamentally wrong, not with you but with the mismatch between your needs and your environment.
I’m not saying that post-diagnosis, you need to immediately leave your job or that some careers are inherently off-limits. What I am saying is that you need some time to ask yourself some critical questions:
What drains my energy? Are you constantly managing overstimulation, sensory overload, or endless social demands that make you feel depleted?
What brings me fulfilment? Are there aspects of your role where you excel, where your hyperfocus or attention to detail becomes an asset?
What would I change if I could?
Accommodations are absolutely necessary, but “you can put lipstick on a pig to disguise the fact that it’s a pig!” That is, no amount of superimposed accommodations will disguise fundamental problems. There’s just no point offering more frequent breaks or noise-cancelling headphones if the core of the job requires tasks that consistently go against your strengths and needs. That’s why self-reflection and honest conversations about career fit must precede accommodation requests.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be in a particular role just because you are neurodivergent. But without understanding your neurotype’s needs, sensory limits, cognitive strengths and social capacity, you risk continuing down a path of burnout, even if accommodations are granted. Hence, I always recommend a period of reflection before recommending accommodations so we can put together accommodations that will work in an environment you agree is worth working in. Accommodations thoughtfully aligned with self-reflection and self-awareness result in meaningful, lasting differences.
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