Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
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[…]
“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[…]
There are two important things to remember when it comes to Christmas lunch and neurodivergent kids. Firstly, it is a social construct, not a necessity. Secondly, you and your neurodivergent child do not owe conformity to anyone. Not even the people you love most. In fact, especially not the people you love most. If your child finds eating Christmas lunch at a family gathering difficult, that is okay. If this situation remains difficult, that is[…]
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[…]
It is Speech Pathology Week 2024. This year’s theme is “Communicate Your Way”. Speech Language Pathologists / Speech Language Therapists, really don’t get the recognition they deserve for how much they contribute to the wellbeing of our society, particularly when it comes to neurodivergent children. Despite the name, they do so much more than help people with speech. What Do They Do? Speech Language Pathologists / Therapists (SLPs, or “speechies”) assist a wide range of[…]
The term “neurodivergent” covers many, many neurological differences. It is not a synonym for autistic, nor for ADHD. However, it does cover these neurotypes and therefore saying “Joe is neurodivergent” if Joe is autistic is accurate. That doesn’t mean, however, that you are being clear and specifying that Joe is autistic. You could equally be assumed to mean that Joe has depression, or Joe is dyspraxic, etc. “Neurodivergence” or “neurodivergent” have increasingly been used as[…]
