Strengths‑Based Approach in Assessment & Care Planning

Purpose of This Page ​

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This page is one of the pages within the Social Care Assessments section, which are designed to support people with social care needs — including adults who require care and support due to physical, mental, sensory, learning, or cognitive disabilities or illnesses, as well as those affected by substance misuse or brain injury. These pages also support young people with special educational needs (SEN) who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan under the Children and Families Act 2014, along with their families and carers.

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Their purpose is to help you prepare for assessments under the Care Act 2014 or other legal frameworks, and to strengthen your understanding of your rights at every stage of the process.

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This resource can be used to:​

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• Prepare before an assessment and reflect on strengths, needs, preferences, and the assessment itself.

• Support the assessment process, promote shared understanding, and ensure the experience is trauma‑informed, neurodivergence‑friendly, and accessible.

• Guide meaningful conversations and help practitioners, families, and individuals co‑produce personalised, inclusive, rights-based care and support plans.

• Build confidence and empowerment. Explore the principles and strategies outlined below to feel more informed, prepared, and actively involved in planning for care and support.​

• They are created to support families and young people with SEND, offering clear, practical guidance to help you prepare for assessments under the Care Act 2014 or other legal frameworks, and to help you understand your rights at every stage of the process.

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Through my professional practice and development, I have developed a range of tools that support Strengths‑Based, Relationship‑Based Practice, using Trauma‑Informed and Neurodivergence‑Friendly approaches. These tools are designed to make assessments and care planning clearer, safer, and more accessible for people with different communication styles, sensory needs, and lived experiences — including families and carers.

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One of these tools is a document titled "Determining Care Needs Eligibility Under the Care Act 2014." This tool includes key assessment questions and practical guidance specifically tailored for people who are autistic, neurodivergent, or living with mental health needs. It aligns with the Care Act 2014 and trauma‑informed principles, and offers guidance, tips, and key questions for use during Strengths‑Based, Trauma‑Informed Assessment and Care Planning.

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Alongside the eligibility information, the document also includes:

• Coping skills and personal strengths that people may already use

• Questions that explore common difficulties and barriers

• Consideration of the needs of families and carers, recognising that support systems matter

• A focus on invisible barriers — such as sensory overload, anxiety, executive functioning challenges, trauma responses, and cognitive fatigue — which may not be obvious to others but can have a big impact on daily life​​

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Please check out the page "Relationship‑Based Practice: Trauma‑Informed and Neurodivergence‑Friendly" to see how we can address invisible barriers like sensory overload, anxiety, executive functioning challenges, trauma responses, and cognitive fatigue — things that may not be obvious to others but can greatly affect daily life.

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Strengths‑Based Approach in Assessment & Care Planning

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Strengths‑Based Approach in Assessment & Care Planning focuses on what the person can do, what matters to them, and the strengths, abilities, and resources they already have. This section explains how assessments should build on a person’s goals—not just their difficulties.​

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The Strengths‑Based Approach in Assessment and Care Planning is tailored to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), neurodivergence, and mental health challenges.

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It recognises that unmet needs can manifest differently across wellbeing domains and provides a holistic, person‑centred framework for understanding these experiences. At the same time, it emphasises the importance of a strengths‑based approach, which should draw on:

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1. The Care Act 2014 — Considering the Person’s Strengths and Capabilities

When a local authority carries out a social care assessment, they must look not only at what care and support a person might need, but also at what could help them beyond formal services.

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This includes recognising the person’s strengths, and the fact that local authorities should explore:

• What the person is good at

• what skills, interests, or abilities they already have

• what they can do with the right support

• What helps them feel confident and capable

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Strengths‑based practice means seeing the person as more than their difficulties — it means recognising their potential, their abilities, and the resources already present in their life. 

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Strengths‑based approaches may also include the need to:

• co‑producing services with people who use them

• creating peer or mutual‑support networks

• encouraging people to use their strengths in community settings

• offering training or opportunities to help people build skills

• supporting residents’ groups or community activities

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This helps people feel connected, valued, and empowered.

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2. Current Research and Evidence on Strengths‑Based Approaches for ASD, Neurodivergence, and Mental Health

Strengths‑based approaches are supported by growing research showing that:

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• neurodivergent people thrive when their abilities, interests, and preferred ways of thinking are recognised

• Focusing on strengths improves engagement, motivation, and wellbeing

• Trauma-informed, relationship‑based practice reduces distress and increases trust

• Person-centred approaches help people feel understood, respected, and empowered

• Collaborative, co‑produced planning leads to better outcomes and more sustainable support

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For example, A new international study  - "ADHD Isn’t Just a Deficit: New Study Reveals Powerful Psychological Strengths" reports that adults with ADHD who are aware of their personal strengths and use them regularly tend to experience higher well-being, better quality of life, and fewer mental health problems.

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This recent research from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Radboud University Medical Centre explored something that has rarely been measured before: the psychological strengths of adults with ADHD. This large study compared 200 adults with ADHD and 200 adults without ADHD, looking at how strongly people identified with 25 positive traits such as creativity, humour, spontaneity, and hyperfocus.

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This research supports what many neurodivergent people have been saying for years: ADHD is not just a list of challenges — it also comes with meaningful strengths.

Adults with ADHD were more likely than neurotypical adults to strongly identify with several strengths, including:

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• Hyperfocus — deep concentration on tasks that matter

• Humour — using playfulness and wit to connect with others

• Creativity — thinking in original, imaginative ways

• Spontaneity — responding flexibly and energetically

• Intuitiveness — strong instinctive understanding

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These strengths are not “compensations” — they are genuine abilities that many people with ADHD recognise in themselves.

 

Why Strength Awareness Matters

The study found that people who know their strengths and use them regularly experience:

• higher wellbeing

• better quality of life

• fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress

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This was true for both ADHD and non‑ADHD participants, showing that strengths‑based practice benefits everyone, but is especially important for neurodivergent people who are often defined by deficits rather than abilities.

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What This Means for Strengths‑Based Practice

This research provides strong evidence for the use of strengths‑based, trauma‑informed, neurodivergence‑affirming approaches in assessment and care planning. For people with ADHD, ASD, and other forms of neurodivergence, this means:

recognising and validating their strengths

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• supporting them to use these strengths in daily life

• reducing stigma by shifting away from deficit‑only models

• building confidence, autonomy, and self‑advocacy

• designing support plans that work with their natural abilities

• Strengths‑based interventions may include:

• psychoeducation that highlights strengths

• coaching that helps people apply strengths to real‑life challenges

• therapeutic approaches that build on creativity, intuition, and hyperfocus

• co‑produced support plans that honour lived experience

 

Why This Matters

As one of the researchers explained, people with ADHD have been asking for this shift for a long time. This study finally gives us evidence to support what neurodivergent communities already know: Understanding and using your strengths is not optional — it is essential for wellbeing.

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This evidence highlights that people with ASD, neurodivergence, and mental health challenges benefit from approaches that:

• validate their lived experience

• reduce stigma

• recognise invisible barriers (e.g., sensory overload, anxiety, executive functioning challenges, trauma responses, cognitive fatigue)

• build on what already works well for them

• support autonomy, safety, and meaningful participation

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Further research shows that neurodevelopmental diagnoses are not only associated with challenges — they also come with meaningful strengths that can support wellbeing, identity, and life opportunities when recognised and nurtured.

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ADHD and the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Research by Moore et al. (2019) found that positive ADHD traits are meaningfully linked to entrepreneurial qualities. This includes traits such as:

• innovative thinking

• risk‑taking

• energy and drive

• the ability to act quickly on ideas

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These characteristics can be powerful assets in environments that value creativity, adaptability, and initiative.

Sedgwick et al. (2018) identified a wide range of positive ADHD‑related qualities, including:

• cognitive dynamism (fast, flexible thinking)

• courage

• humanity and empathy

• resilience and transcendence

• divergent thinking

• nonconformist adventurousness

• self‑acceptance and sublimation

• high energy and drive

• creativity

• hyperfocus

• agreeableness

• a willingness to help others

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These traits challenge the stereotype that ADHD is only a deficit. Instead, they highlight the richness and diversity of ADHD cognition.

Schippers et al. (2022) also reported many positive ADHD traits, confirming earlier findings and offering new insights into how these strengths manifest in everyday life. Their work emphasises that recognising ADHD strengths is not just “nice to have” — it has practical implications for:

• self‑esteem

• coping

• identity

• education

• employment

• mental health

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Schippers et al. (2022) explain that identifying ADHD strengths can:

• help individuals and families cope with and accept the diagnosis

• support people to embrace their identity

• guide educational and occupational choices that fit their strengths

• reduce stigma and internalised shame

• improve quality of life

 

They also highlight the need for future research to explore how these strengths connect to clinical characteristics, and how this knowledge can be used in:

• psychoeducation

• coaching

• therapeutic support

• educational settings

• workplace environments

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This aligns directly with strengths‑based, person‑centred practice.

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Positive attributes linked to neurodevelopmental diagnosis. 

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A recent study by Maw, K.J., Beattie, G., and Burns, E.J. (2024) from the Departments of Psychology at Edge Hill University and Swansea University in the UK highlights that neurodevelopmental disorders involve both cognitive strengths and challenges.

• ASD is linked to enhanced local visual processing speed and hyperfocus.

• dyslexia may be associated with superior global visual search and problem-solving skills. 

• Individuals with Williams Syndrome often show advanced vocabulary use and strong facial emotion processing.

• Many neurodiverse conditions are also connected to heightened creativity and resilience.

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Research continues to show that neurodevelopmental conditions are not only associated with challenges — they also come with meaningful strengths. Several studies highlight positive attributes linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and dyslexia, and many other neurodevelopmental conditions

•   Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often associated with symptoms such as differences in social communication and interaction, challenges in understanding or using non‑verbal cues like eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions, and difficulties in developing, maintaining, or understanding relationships. It can also involve restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities, a strong need for routine or predictability, and sensory differences, such as being overly or under‑sensitive to sounds, lights, touch, smells, tastes, or movement.

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However studies by Masataka (2017) and Armstrong (2015) identify several strengths commonly associated with autistic cognition. These may include:

• strong attention to detail

• the ability to notice subtle elements in complex patterns

• Strengths in systems thinking, and skills in areas such as computer programming, mathematics, and analytical problem‑solving

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These strengths reflect the unique ways autistic people process information and understand the world.

•    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)  is a disorder characterised by symptoms such as difficulty with focus (attention), hyperactivity, and impulsivity , howver, research by Moore et al. (2019) shows that positive ADHD traits are meaningfully linked to aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset, including:

• innovative thinking

• willingness to take risks

• high energy and drive

• rapid idea generation

• adaptability and spontaneity

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These qualities can be powerful assets in creative, fast‑paced, or problem‑solving environments.

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•    Dyslexia

Dyslexia is often described in terms of difficulties with accurate and fluent reading and spelling. However, research by Armstrong (2015) highlights several visual‑spatial strengths, including:

• the ability to identify “impossible objects”

• strong skills in interpreting low‑definition or blurred visual scenes

• faster and more efficient perception of peripheral visual information

• global visual‑spatial reasoning

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These strengths can be especially valuable in fields that require three‑dimensional thinking, such as:

• astrophysics

• molecular biology

• genetics

• engineering

• architecture

• computer graphics

 

In her book "Specific Learning Differences, What Teachers Need to Know: Embracing Neurodiversity in the Classroom," Diana Hudson highlights many strengths of people with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

Armstrong (2015) also mentioned three-dimensional thinking, in which neurodiversity is viewed as an evolutionary and adaptive strategy in response to past environmental stimuli. 

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Neurodivergent Strengths Through an Evolutionary Lens - understanding why these traits exist — and why they matter today

Some researchers, e.g. Thomas Armstrong (2010, 2015) — The Power of Neurodiversity, Thom Hartmann (1993, 2003) — The Hunter vs. Farmer Theory of ADHD, suggest that many traits linked to neurodivergence were not “deficits” in early human societies. Instead, they may have been highly adaptive forms of intelligence that helped communities survive, innovate, and thrive.

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This perspective helps us understand neurodivergent traits as natural variations in human cognition, not flaws.

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Dyslexia: Strengths in Visual‑Spatial Thinking

Before reading and writing existed, communities relied heavily on visual‑spatial reasoning. People with dyslexia may have excelled in roles such as:

• designing and crafting tools

• planning and navigating hunting routes

• understanding landscapes and patterns

• constructing shelters and structures

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These abilities remain valuable today in fields like engineering, architecture, design, genetics, astrophysics, and computer graphics. For that reason, according to some research, dyslexia is not a lack of ability — it is a different cognitive profile with powerful spatial strengths.

 

ADHD: Strengths in Fast Thinking and Rapid Response

Traits now associated with ADHD — such as hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity — may have been advantageous in hunter‑gatherer environments. These traits supported:

• constant movement while searching for food

• rapid responses to danger or opportunity

• quick decision‑making

• agility when approaching or avoiding prey

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In this context, ADHD traits were not challenges — they were survival strengths.

Today, these same traits can support creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and dynamic problem‑solving.

 

Why This Matters for Strengths‑Based Practice

Understanding neurodivergent traits through an evolutionary lens helps shift the narrative from “deficit” to diversity. It reinforces that:

• neurodivergent traits have deep roots in human history

• These traits evolved because they were useful

• They continue to offer valuable strengths in modern life

• People thrive when their environments recognise and support their natural abilities

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This perspective aligns with trauma‑informed, person‑centred, and strengths‑based practice by validating lived experience and celebrating the unique contributions neurodivergent people bring to families, communities, and workplaces

Overall, available research supports the concept of diverse minds and brains and the neurodiversity paradigm/neurodiversity approach within those conditions, but at the same time Brown, M. I., & Fisher, H. R. (2023) advise to be careful to consider: “neurodiversity as a source of gifted outliers among the neurotypical population, and to continue to focus on challenges as well"
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Integrating Strengths‑Based, Trauma‑Informed and Person‑Centred Practice - A Dual Approach for Fair, Person‑Led Assessment, Care and Decision‑Making

A truly effective assessment and care‑planning process recognises both strengths and difficulties. This dual approach brings together Strengths‑Based Practice, Trauma‑Informed Practice, and Person‑Centred Care, ensuring that support is fair, respectful, and genuinely led by the individual.

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This approach emphasises:

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Co‑Production

Working with the person, not doing things to or for them. Decisions, plans, and goals are shaped collaboratively, recognising the individual as the expert in their own life.

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Personalisation

Support is tailored to the person’s unique needs, identity, culture, preferences, and lived experience. There is no “one‑size‑fits‑all” approach.

 

Sensory and Communication Differences

Recognising that people experience the world in different ways. Assessments and support must adapt to:

• sensory sensitivities

• processing differences

• preferred communication styles

• the need for clarity, predictability, and accessible information

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Understanding Trauma, Unmet Needs and Barriers

Trauma, chronic stress, discrimination, and unmet needs can shape how a person presents, copes, or communicates. This approach seeks to understand:

• What has happened to the person

• What barriers do they face

• how their environment affects them rather than making assumptions or pathologising behaviour.

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The Well‑Being Principle

Central to the Care Act 2014, the well‑being principle empowers individuals by recognising their:

• capabilities

• preferences

• values

• goals

• right to autonomy and dignity

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Support should enhance a person’s quality of life, not restrict it.

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A Strengths‑Based Focus

A strengths‑based approach centres on identifying and building upon the individual’s:

• Strengths – what they do well

• Interests – what motivates and engages them

• Capabilities – what they can achieve with the right support

• Aspirations – what matters to them now and in the future

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This ensures that care planning is not deficit‑focused, but empowering, hopeful, and forward‑looking.

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This approach, rather than focusing solely on problems or deficits, it promotes:

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• Empowerment

• Resilience

• Self‑determination

• Meaningful involvement in planning

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This ensures that care and support plans reflect the person’s identity, values, and lived experience.

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Strengths and Personal Assets
Key Reflective Questions to Support Strengths‑Based, Person‑Centred Assessment

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These questions help individuals explore their strengths, interests, and personal qualities across communication, social interaction, cognition, emotional wellbeing, and daily life. They can be used in assessments, coaching, education, work planning, or personal reflection

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Communication Strengths

• Honesty and directness – Do you prefer clear, truthful communication?

• Preference for meaningful conversations – Do you enjoy deep, focused discussions rather than small talk?

• Written communication skills – Do you express your thoughts more effectively in writing?

• Listening attentively [especially in one-to-one settings] - Are you a good listener, especially in one‑to‑one settings? Do you prefer using different communication methods?

• Clarity and precision – Do you like expressing thoughts in a straightforward, honest way?

• Preference for structure – Do you like thriving in relationships with clear expectations and routines?

• Written expression – Do you like using letters, messages, technology or creative writing to connect emotionally?

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Social Strengths

• Loyalty and commitment – Do you value long-term, stable relationships? Are you loyal, honest, or dependable in relationships?

• Empathy in unique ways – Do you show care through actions rather than words? Do you show empathy or care for others in your own way?

• Non-judgmental attitude – Do you like accepting others as they are?

• Respect for boundaries – Do you often value personal space and respect others’ needs? Are you able to reflect on your own feelings and respect others’ boundaries? Do you value respect for privacy and boundaries?

• Consistency – Are you reliable in routines and interactions? Do you like consistency in behaviour – being predictable and dependable, which builds trust?

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Cognitive and Emotional Strengths

• Reflective thinking – Do you think deeply about emotions, relationships, or situations?

• Problem-solving – Do you approach challenges with logic, creativity, or care?

• Emotional resilience – Have you developed strong coping strategies over time?

• Strong sense of justice – Do you advocate for fairness, equality, or doing what’s right?

• Strong memory – Do you remember important details, dates, or shared experiences?

• Focused attention – Can you be fully present in one‑to‑one interactions or areas of interest?

• Analytical thinking – Do you approach challenges with thoughtful, structured solutions?

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Personal Qualities

• Kindness and compassion – Do you show care through thoughtful gestures or support? Are you patient, thoughtful, or kind?

• Creativity – Do you bring unique ideas, perspectives, or solutions into relationships or tasks?

• Patience – Are you patient, especially in structured or familiar environments?

• Sense of humour – Do you enjoy being quirky, insightful, or playful with people you trust?

• Helping others: Do you enjoy supporting others or being part of a close‑knit group?

• Openness to learning: Are you willing to learn new ways of connecting or communicating?

• Deep, meaningful connections and a unique way of thinking ​- Do you value deep, meaningful connections over small talk? Are you consistent and reliable in routines that support relationships? Do you bring unique perspectives or interests that enrich conversations?

 

Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution

• Are you good at thinking things through before reacting?

• Do you prefer calm, structured approaches to resolving misunderstandings?

• Can you recognise when a relationship or situation needs support, change, or clearer communication?

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