Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
School Can’t is still generally known as School Refusal in political, medical, and educational circles, unfortunately. However the understanding is that children who experience this are not refusing to go to school, or refusing to try. They simply can’t. Your child can’t do it easily. They can’t even try without immense effort. And often they can’t go at all. What is School Can’t? School refusal is a type of school attendance problem characterised by a[…]...
When people speak of the true spirit of generosity, they talk about selflessness and the act of giving without expecting anything in return. That’s the moral high ground, right? It’s what we teach our kids. It’s what we praise and aspire to. So why is it that so many adults harshly judge children who open gifts at Christmas or on birthdays, and don’t respond in a particular way? Why are neurodivergent kids with traits such[…]...
For even the most neuroaffirming family unit, Christmas celebrations with extended family can be incredibly difficult for families with neurodivergent members. Some find this is down to the lack of accommodations. For others it is due to blatant judgement. Some children are dysregulated by particular family members. Parents can be frustrated by their usually-regulated child having a “bad day” in the presence of so many family members. Obviously these potential “bad days” are absolutely understandable,[…]...
There is often an instinct in play to protect our neurodivergent kids from failing. There are enough unavoidable hurdles in their lives to feel like it’s fair, or a good decision, to knowingly launch them towards another one. Particularly one that looks too big, or looks a lot like one that has tripped them previously. But all people – neurodivergent and neurotypical – learn from challenging themselves to do hard things. Sometimes these changes and[…]...
If you aren’t familiar with Doom Boxes, and you regularly encounter issues with tidiness in your home, your life is about to change… Probably because it’s been the spring school holidays here in Australia, I’m hearing and seeing more and more exasperated parents freaking out over the state of their kids’ bedrooms. When they’re busy with school and extracurricular activities and homework, bedrooms can be chaotic enough; but when certain neurodivergencies bunker down in their[…]...
There are many reason why neurodivergent children (and adults) experience chronic or frequent pain. If your child expresses that they are feeling pain, please don’t assume they are being attention seeking or hypochondriacal, or imagining it. While the experience of pain, or the expression of it, might differ to neurotypical behaviours, it is no less valid. Especially given the number of perfectly rational explanations ND people have for chronic pain that neurotypical people are far[…]...
Many neurodivergent people find broad tasks overwhelming. You might find your child struggles with what feels like an obvious series of steps to produce an outcome. You give a clear instruction, you phrase it in a particular way to prevent a PDA response, there is time to achieve it, you know there isn’t anything they’re not physically or mentally capable of doing, and yet… nope. Clean your room. Get ready for bed. Set the table.[…]...
Clinical anxiety is a disorder independent of neurotypes such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and apraxia of speech. However, anxiety is frequently experienced by neurodivergent people; approximately half of autistic people experience clinical levels of anxiety. This is not just a simple case of worrying about things. Clinical anxiety is persistent, intrusive, and frequently includes physiological responses well beyond standard nervousness or fear. It is highly difficult to determine if the coexistence of anxiety and a[…]...
Hyperfocus is not specifically a trait of any particular neurodivergence, though is associated with many, particularly ADHD. It is the fixation of attention and complete absorption in a particular task, to the extent that the person unintentionally tunes out everything else. This can include not hearing people calling them, extreme time blindness, interoceptive awareness shutdown, and more. Like stimming, and having specific interests, hyperfocus is demonstrated by both neurotypical and neurodivergent people. However, there appears[…]...
As parents of neurodivergent children, we often focus on neuroaffirming behaviours. We fight against therapies that force neurodivergent children to act neurotypical. Our children are encouraged to be authentic, and to be brave and proud. We push back against people who believe neurodivergence is caused by vaccines, or can be “cured” using dietary changes. But what happens when the more difficult aspects of neurodivergence can be aided by medication? Is accepting this option pushing the[…]...
Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
