Listen.

Listen to your child and acknowledge their feelings, while still being encouraging.

For example, if a child says they can't do something because of their neurodiversity, it could be tempting to just tell them not to use this as an excuse.

However, the reality is a task may really feel like something they can't do, even if you know that's not the case. 

Instead, you could acknowledge how they feel by saying:

 

I know this is difficult for you and we might need to find a different way to do this, but that's alright. I'm not expecting you to be good at it right away. I just want you to try your best.

Rather than just telling your child they are smart, or brave (traits they might feel people either just have or they don't), you can also focus on what they did to achieve a positive result:

 

Wow! You found a great way to work around that.

 

or

 

I know that wasn't easy, but I'm so proud of how you pushed yourself to try it anyway.

This can help your child feel encouraged, seen or heard.