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Biography
Hannah Jones is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Virginia and provides services to clients in 40+ states via telehealth. Jones values the uniqueness of intersecting identities and honors her patients as the experts of their experience.
Jones sees neurodiversity as an important aspect of diversity overall. "Each of our brains are uniquely special, and our strengths lie in that uniqueness." says Jones. She believes it's essential to affirm that neurodivergent brainpower is not going to be found in anyone else, and is just as necessary as everyone else's for humanity to be its best.
Education
PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Regent University
Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Regent University
Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Howard University
Certifications
Area of Expertise
Jones specializes in neurodiversity, child and adolescent development, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed care. She recognizes the need for well-informed, client-centered approaches to assessment, intervention, and support for all kinds of neurodevelopmental needs.
Modalities
Affiliations
Research and Publications
The Fear of Being Perceived in Autistic Adults
Let’s say you’re about to go to lunch with a colleague, but you just need to make a few last tweaks on a task.
Your colleague is happy to wait for you and remains quiet while you finish up, but it doesn’t matter. You still feel like you’re being watched. Suddenly, your anxiety skyrockets, and completing your work task now feels impossible with your coworker standing idly by.
Many call this the fear of being perceived — and it’s become a viral shorthand for a much broader feeling — but for autistic and ADHD adults, there’s usually something more concrete that’s happening behind the scenes.
Autistic content creator Morgan Foley even made a video illustrating the fear of being perceived, in which she not only demonstrates how this feeling can present in several scenarios (work, socializing, chores, etc.), but also the thoughts going through her head in that moment.
After reading this article, you will be able to recognize this type of fear as a specific, explainable pattern connected to neurodivergence, understand why it hits differently depending on your neurotype, and identify at least one concrete step toward feeling safer while still being yourself.
Most importantly, this article will help you to answer the question, “Why do I hate being perceived?”
Proprioceptive Input: Understanding Your Body's Hidden Sense
Have you ever carried a heavy box across the room and noticed that afterward, your body felt a little more settled? Or found yourself chewing gum during a difficult task because it made concentrating easier? For some people, these behaviors may be a way of seeking sensory input or regulating how their body feels.
Proprioception is one of the body’s lesser-known sensory systems, operating largely below conscious awareness. For many autistic and ADHD adults, proprioceptive differences can help explain patterns they’ve had their whole lives but were never able to name: the need to move to think, craving deep pressure or heavy work, or the way certain physical sensations regulate them in ways nothing else does.
Understanding proprioception might help explain behaviors that may feel random or confusing, from needing movement to focus to seeking deep pressure when you’re overwhelmed. This article will help you identify your own proprioceptive patterns, as well as what your nervous system might need to feel more regulated.
Embracing Autism Acceptance Month: Moving Beyond Awareness to Inclusion and Understanding
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to champion autistic voices and to embrace the strengths and diversity of the autistic community.
Originally, Autism Acceptance Month was known as Autism Awareness Month. It was first conceived by psychologist Dr. Bernard Rimland in 1970, and then officially designated as a national awareness month in April, 1988.
In 2011, however, the Autism Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), in collaboration with the autistic community, began commemorating Autism Acceptance Month instead of Autism Awareness Month. Autism Awareness Month focused more on the condition’s deficits, or even as something to be “fixed,” but Autism Acceptance Month proudly emphasized autism as an identity.
As someone with an autistic daughter, I’ve seen the benefits of an “acceptance” approach firsthand, rather than approaches that minimize her neurodivergent traits. She thrives in inclusive environments where her self-stimulatory behavior (or “stimming”) is welcomed.
“Acceptance shifts the default from ‘the autistic person should adapt’ to ‘the people and systems around them share the work of making life accessible,’” explains Marie Masse, who identifies as autistic.
This article will cover what Autism Acceptance Month is and provide clarity around why it was changed from Autism Awareness Month. We’ll also delve into, with the help of several autistic voices, what acceptance actually means in daily life, and how to embrace and encourage real inclusion every month of the year.
