After the Diagnosis: Guiding Children Toward a Positive Neurodivergent Identity

Kick off Neurodiversity Celebration Week with REEL!

Child and adult psychiatrist Stacy Greeter, MD speaks from both the perspective of receiving a diagnosis of autism and ADHD herself and her ongoing clinical experience delivering new diagnoses of autism and ADHD to patients and their families. She offers practical strategies for explaining a diagnosis to children, as well as the need for medication.  We will explore how to cultivate a healthy neurodivergent identity post-diagnosis with family discussion questions and relatable fantasy characters.  A strength-based and neurodivergent-affirming model promotes positive self-identity, hope for the future, and self-compassion for children and their families. 

Stacy Greeter, MD (she/her) is double board certified in both child/adolescent and adult

psychiatry and owns a group psychiatric practice in Sarasota, FL. She speaks from both her

lived experience as an autistic, ADHD, and OCD individual and as a clinician. Dr. Greeter

graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University and went on to University of North

Carolina School of Medicine on a full scholarship.  Dr. Greeter completed her residency at

Northwestern Memorial Hospital and continued there to complete her subspecialty fellowship in

child/adolescent psychiatry. She believes in cross-pollination of knowledge between disciplines,

creating space for safe candid conversations on controversial mental health issues, and runs a

multi-disciplinary mental health professionals book club and co-hosts the podcast “Chronically

Real and Clinically Relevant.” Dr. Greeter teaches at Lake Erie College of Medicine and Florida State

University, is on the board of directors for Autism Career Pathways and NAMI-Sarasota/Manatee County, and

on the leadership team of Autistic Doctors International. Dr. Greeter uses metaphors from fantasy

universes such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and The Little Mermaid to make psychiatric concepts

accessible and engaging through her educational Psychiatry Bootcamp series.