Navigating Neurodiversity at Covenant House Vancouver

by Guest Author Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 — 12:08pm PDT

The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver, written by the CHV team. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV.

Neurodivergence in Vulnerable Young People

Neurodivergence describes when a person’s neurological development differs from a “neurotypical” person and is often used to refer to people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences.

The challenges faced by neurodivergent people is significant. But what about the neurodivergent young people who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness? Covenant House Vancouver (CHV) shared what they are seeing, and how they are supporting neurodivergent youth.

Navigating Neurodiversity at Covenant House Vancouver

CHV is seeing an increase in youth who show signs of neurodivergence, such as autism and ADHD. This increase is substantiated by what society at large is seeing.

Neurodivergence can present itself in a number of ways, at CHV, including the avoidance of group or communal situations, struggling with time-related situations, like appointments, and struggles around verbal participation.

Beyond that, long wait times, cost, a lack of information for doctors, instability in the home, or a lack of a fixed address, make getting a diagnosis extremely difficult.

How CHV Supports Neurodivergent Youth

Since neurodivergence can be expressed differently in every young person, supporting neurodivergent youth can be a challenge, especially if they haven’t been assessed.

Acknowledging this, CHV has a variety of resources that they can access to customize support for every young person, such as:

Quiet spaces where youth can go when they’re overstimulated
Tactile aids that help regulate the nervous system or block out sound, like fidget spinners and headphones
Teaching life skills and creating plans workshops that teach cooking or cleaning that support independence
Social workers who advocate for shorter assessment wait times, connect to families and schools for information, and who create the case files that are submitted to receive an assessment
External supports working with organizations, like the Pacific Autism Family Network, who help youth learn job-related skills and help them find employment

How You Can Help

There is a need for supports and resources to empower neurodivergent individuals to reach their full potential and to live full lives. Currently, there is a large percentage of neurodivergent individuals who are unemployed (80%, which is the highest rate of all disabilities), due to a lack of accessibility and support.

When you support organizations who work with neurodivergent individuals, you help raise community awareness and advocacy.

Find out more about our work and how we support youth and follow Covenant House Vancouver on Facebook and Instagram for updates.