Healthy boundaries can help neurodiverse teens feel more confident rather than restricted. Having worked as a boarding school educator for 25+ years supporting high school students—commonly including those with ADHD and neurodiverse learning profiles—I’ve witnessed how incredibly bright and capable students often enter school lacking confidence and feeling misunderstood. What I’ve also found is that a young person’s confidence usually stems from having the right type of support to help them thrive. “Structured independence” is a helpful framework I have used as an educator to better support neurodiverse students, empowering them to grow both academically and personally.