An Incredible Sliding-scale Scholarship- based Support Opportunity from Neurodivergent Insights' Dr Megan Anna Neff
- Jill
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
Because I (Jill) unfortunately have intimate, first-hand knowledge of autistic burnout (and I am sure that many others in this community have similar experiences) I am sharing the newsletter mailout I received yesterday from Dr Megan Anna Neff regarding scholarship opportunities for purchasing her Autistic Burnout course...on a sliding scale scholarship basis ($0- donation amounts).
Here's her newsletter explaining her offering:
"I did two interviews this week on autistic burnout, and the topic has been lingering in that way where it follows you around for a few days. I keep coming back to the word “loss.”
Not just grief, though burnout and grief live close together. I mean the specific kind of loss that comes with autistic burnout: the loss of skills you used to take for granted. The loss of words when language once flowed. The loss of being able to do the dishes, answer a text, or sit in a slightly crowded room. It is disorienting, because it is not about motivation. The capacity just is not there.
Burnout and self‑care are deeply tangled up. I have written books on both and still struggle with both. I know the research, I know the strategies, I built the frameworks, and there are still seasons when I cannot do the things I wrote about. In those moments, my own advice can feel like it came from another lifetime.
Part of that is my discomfort with the self‑care “industry.” So much of it puts the weight on the individual and assumes you have time, money, and executive functioning to spare. But burnout is often the thing that strips those away. Telling someone in burnout to “practice self‑care” without naming the conditions they are in can land more like pressure than support.
Since starting Neurodivergent Insights, I have been trying (imperfectly) to move from that self‑care framing toward something more collective and interdependent. I have written before about wrestling with capitalism while running a business, about pricing, and about how to honour my team’s labour while staying aligned with our values. I do not think we have it all figured out, but it feels like we are slowly finding our way into practices that match what we have believed for a long time.
It actually started with one of you. When the Autistic Burnout Course first launched, a community member quietly funded three full scholarships so others could access it. That small act of kindness - honoring our interdependence - became a seed.
We are now shifting more intentionally toward that model: honoring the labour, time, and costs that go into our work, while recognizing that many people who most need these resources are blocked by systemic barriers. Whenever someone pays full price, they help fund roughly three scholarships for others. Watching this community choose to support one another in that way still catches me off guard, in the best way.
To kick off this new chapter, we are opening 500 scholarships for the Autistic Burnout Course, funded in part by full‑price purchases previously made from this community. The application window runs through March 31.
The people who most need burnout support are often the least resourced to access it. When you are in the thick of it, you may be dealing with job loss, reduced hours, or just the mental load of keeping your life going with very little capacity. This is our attempt to respond to that reality rather than pretend it is not there.
If you or someone you love is in burnout, recovering, or trying to build something more sustainable on the other side, the application is open. There is no catch, no ranking system, and no need to prove you are “burned out enough.” The brief form simply helps us prevent spam and ensure the scholarships go to those who genuinely want support. All scholarships are structured around a pay what you can model.
And if you are ever in a position to pay full price (or have done so in the past) for a course, workbook, or anything else, please know you are part of what makes this possible. Your purchase helps keep the lights on here and also helps open the door for someone who otherwise could not walk through it.
One thing I’m learning in my middle aged wisdom is the way through is together, by leaning into interdependence. I’m so grateful to be part of a community that is so supportive of each other in the midst of all the things going on in the world, and in the burnout so many of us are carrying as we move through it.
Warmly,Megan Anna"
I thought some people here might want to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more and apply for the scholarship...a very short application process...I did it for myself/my family this morning and will find out in a few days if I am accepted.
the application link below:
Take care friends,
Jill
Wow, Jill, what a great opportunity! Thanks for posting this. Her description of autistic burnout really resonates with me "autistic burnout: the loss of skills you used to take for granted. The loss of words when language once flowed." Although at the time I suffered my greatest burnout I didn't know I was autistic so didn't know I was burned out. But I resigned from my job, my relationship broke up, etc., and I feel like I never recovered. I mean, 3 years later I returned to work at the same place but in an entry level position. And interacting with people or doing anything out of my routine, overwhelms me to this day.
So I think I'll look into…