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The ESSENCE of it all! Professor Christopher Gilberg

After attending an Autism conference on 5th November 2025, Autism and Hands on Approach, I felt compelled to share. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the speaker Professor Christopher Gillberg, he shared his work on ESSENCE, the concept is a brilliant, it is a common-sense shift in how we view early childhood neurodevelopmental issues. 🧠 What is ESSENCE? ESSENCE is an acronym for Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations. It's not a new diagnosis, but an umbrella concept for a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions that typically present with symptoms before age 5 or 6 and frequently overlap. The conditions under the ESSENCE umbrella include (but are not limited to): Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) Intellectual Disability Speech/Language Impairment Tic disorders (like Tourette syndrome) Early-onset mood disorder The central idea is that comorbidity is the rule, not the exception. It argues against highly specialised, "single-disorder" clinics (e.g., "Autism only" or "ADHD only") because focusing on one diagnosis almost always misses other significant, co-occurring challenges. Gillberg emphasizes that these conditions share many common genetic and environmental risk factors, and their symptoms often blur. A child might meet criteria for one disorder at age 3 and for several others—or a completely different one—by adolescence. This is clear in clients I have seen over the years. The concept forces clinicians to look at the whole child and the spectrum of their early symptoms (in areas like attention, motor skills, language, social skills, and sleep) rather than rushing to a single, neat diagnostic box. I was pleased to hear that Gillbergs research validates my comprehensive and fluid approach to therapy that I have used for the past 9 years. It challenges the single diagnosis that many of my clients struggled with over the years. Many of my clients with Autism also have significant, impairing ADHD symptoms (and vice versa). Supporting the Autism traits while ignoring the executive function deficits of ADHD is often ineffective because you're only addressing half the problem. The ESSENCE Takeaway is when working with an ASC client, routinely and explicitly, I also assess for and address their ADHD, anxiety, motor coordination, or sleep issues. I am treating a person with a neurodevelopmental profile, not a single disorder. I validate my client's experience. Clients often feel their experiences don't fit the textbook descriptions. ESSENCE validates the reality that their difficulties are a messy, interlinked profile of challenges (e.g., social anxiety driven by poor motor coordination and compounded by poor attention). I can normalise the complex overlap. "It makes perfect sense that your anxiety is so high. Your brain is dealing with the social demands of Autism and the challenges of organising and sustaining attention from ADHD." In short, ESSENCE is a helpful reminder that diagnostic labels are useful signposts, but the reality for most neurodivergent clients is that they have a multitude of differing traits. They all require attention in different ways for effective treatment. I am a therapist, not a single-track specialist, so we explore traits and their impacts on each individual in a person centred way. My clients are all individuals and as such I have always treated them that way. The sessions are an opportunity to explore and become more self aware and embrace their positive traits, build self esteem and confidence in those and have strategies that we can work out together for the ones that get in the way. Sources Autism a Hands on Approach conference 5.11.2025 Professor Christopher Gillberg is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and heads the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre (GNC).

April 2025 World Autism Acceptance Month

This month is a special month in terms of awareness and understanding for Neurodiversity. It is World Autism Awareness Month however many of my clients are both (AutyADHD - Autistic and ADHD). In the past it was thought you were one or the other, a dual diagnosis of both Autism and ADHD is much more […]