Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
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[…]...
While many neurodivergencies are present from birth, some are acquired. Even some that are present all along don’t make themselves known until later in life. When parents have a neurotypical child, then “suddenly” have a neurodivergent child – whether this is through having traits recognised and confirmed, or through the acquisition of a neurodivergence – it can be a shock to the system. Rightly or wrongly, a process of grief may begin. Acquired Neurodivergence Neurodivergencies[…]...
Often one the greatest difficulties parents of autistic children face is a feeling of “What about me?”. When this is related to time, stress, etc, it is a valid feeling, and one that ought to be addressed. However many parents share a feeling of not feeling loved by their child. That they give and give, and do not receive. While this might be the case sometimes, it is often, yet again, our neuronormative society making[…]...
Autistic people frequently suffer from ongoing stresses, like being misunderstood, feeling unheard, experiencing RSD, having schema disrupted, etc. Most neurodivergent people experience many of these, even if allistic, due to the pressure placed upon them by neuronormative societal expectations. While this can result in meltdowns, or challenging behaviour, another demonstration of this can be straightforward distress. What is Distress? Distress is extreme sadness, anxiety, or pain, and can present in a number of ways. “Distressed[…]...
Sometimes dysregulation can feel like it has simply set in. There can be phases where every day feels harder and more out of your control. While there can be other factors that genuinely are beyond your control, one common issue is our own negative feelings as parents. Neurodivergent people have the reputation of lacking empathy, however the vast majority are quite the opposite. Many are emotional sponges, whether they want to be or not! Setting[…]...
Parenting a neurodivergent child can be exhausting and upsetting. I feel it’s okay to say this, because I am both that parent, but also that child. There is no judgement, nor any guilt, loaded into that statement. Parenting any child can be exhausting and upsetting, but yes, realistically, there are probably likely to be more tough days than average if your child is neurodivergent. When you have a child prone to emotional dysregulation, RSD, PDA,[…]...
When it comes to emotional dysregulation, there are many ways to communicate with children about this. There are many methods for helping them regulate (including some suggestions below). We use numerous strategies to teach our kids to recognise their feelings, in order to process them more appropriately. An emotionally dysregulated child can be exhausting. They can be hurtful – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and they can ruin special events. An emotionally dysregulated child can[…]...
First things first, many people within the neurodivergent community believe the term “selective mutism” ought to be done away with. The inability to speak in these situations is no more a choice or “selection” than the anxiety that causes it. The more welcomed term is “situational mutism”, in that in some situations you speak, and in others you do not. What Is It? Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable[…]...
Part of being autistic that people don’t often talk about is the internal struggle. There’s a lot of talk about sensory sensitivities, specific likes and dislikes, avoidant behaviours, and fears. What is rarely mentioned is when these things occur in direct conflict with each other, potentially leading to significant distress. Take, for example, an autistic child who enjoys the sensory experience of swimming. They also enjoy social interaction. Their family is on a holiday, and[…]...
Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
