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More Than Quirky

Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation

More Than Quirky

Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation

Autism

World Drowning Prevention Day: The Risk to Autistic Youth

Today, July 25th, is World Drowning Prevention Day. When parents are told their child is autistic, it would make sense if the consulting professional provided very useful information. Feedback beyond what they feel the child will or won’t achieve in terms of developmental milestones, academics, and independence. It is rare that, “As an autistic child, they’re significantly more likely to drown than an allistic child. Here’s how to prevent that,” is ever raised by health[…]

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ABA and Company – Traumatic Therapies

One of the greatest concerns to adults within the autistic community – both autistic people, and parents who have experience and have seen the consequences – is how consistently the medical / health system promotes therapies for autistic children such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). And while many practitioners will claim there are crucial and marked differences, many other therapies follow a similar approach, including:  What Are They? These therapies all tend to engage a[…]

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Not Refusing: School Can’t

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[…]

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Opening Christmas Gifts

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[…]

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Autistic Women and Violence: A Threat to Our Safety

“Autistic female risk of being sexually assaulted is between two and three times as much than non-autistic females and about four times as much than autistic males.” – National Women’s Safety Alliance, Submission on the National Autism Strategy Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day exists to raise awareness of the scale and nature of violence perpetrated against women around the world, including rape, domestic violence, restrictions, and[…]

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Extended Family Events: Thriving At Christmas

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,[…]

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Women’s Health Week 2024: Unrecognised Autism

In order for a person to be confirmed as autistic (by a medical professional, opposed to self-identifying alone) they need to meet certain criteria as outlined in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses). While some paediatricians might offer a “diagnosis” of autism without using formal tests, they will usually still be using the DSM-V criteria as their benchmark. Unfortunately, the DSM-V definition is of a very narrow field of traits and presentations[…]

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Academic Limitations: Finding Your Own Goals

I recently experienced something really special. A parent of an autistic child in mid-primary school, who expresses concern around behaviours and academic results, showing genuine delight that their teacher had said they had nothing to report except improvement. There was no reference by this parent as to whether this meant the child was now exceeding academic expectations for their age, meeting them, working towards them, or still finding some aspects very challenging. It just didn’t[…]

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Just Because You Used To: Change is Okay

I was recently talking to a parent whose child was facing a dilemma. This ND kiddo had developed some anxieties around going to school. It didn’t look like the usual “School Can’t” (which obviously doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t!), as they were happy getting ready for school, and travelling to school. It was more that they had started insisting that their parent stay until the bell went and then walk them to class, after quite[…]

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Men’s Health Week: Unconfirmed Autism in Men

It is Men’s Health Week 2024. As part of this, More Than Quirky is looking into an aspect of autism that isn’t often discussed: undiagnosed males. What happens if we don’t adequately recognise our autistic boys, and they grow into unconfirmed autistic men? It is often shared that the increase in females and gender-diverse young people being diagnosed with autism is related to initial definitions of autism being based on the typical “male presentation”. Autistic[…]

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