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[…]
Starting “big school” is a momentous occasion. For many kids it’s a significant step that comes with a number of hurdles. For neurodivergent kids, these hurdles can be larger or more numerous. And, it is becoming increasingly apparent to me, for kids from neurodivergent households (whether they’re ND or NT), it can be quite a leap. Some children will struggle emotionally at school. Others will be “fine” at school and emotional at home. Others will[…]
Neurotypical or neurodivergent, we are all different. There are fashion trends, bestselling books, blockbuster films, and songs that get frequent airplay, which bind many together with similarities. But largely what makes many society so similar is conformity. Humans like the feeling of fitting in, belonging, and being accepted. As a result many don’t rock the boat. When they go to work they wear clothes that are similar to what the other people in the office[…]
Due to generations of autistic people who can mask being expected (if not taught and forced!) to mask, there is a dire lack of visual representation and recognition of autistic adults in the community statistically. As a result, there is a rather magical effect when role models stim. A similar positive effect has been seen recently in neurodivergent circles, when both Billie Eilish and Louis Capaldi have been transparent about their experience with Tourette’s, and[…]
Q. I was of the belief that the right thing to say these days is “my autistic daughter” instead of “my daughter with autism” but someone pulled me up for it yesterday. There was also someone on a huge local Facebook group saying that writing “my L3 ASD daughter” is really bad. Is there a right and wrong way? What is best? Mum of daughter aged 8-13 A. This is such a great question, because[…]
Autistic people frequently mask. It is a natural reflexive consequence to the experience of living as an autistic person in a world built by and for neurotypical people. It is exhausting, and less than ideal as a long term solution. When people are able to accept their autism for its fantastic aspects, and accept their autistic self as worthy and wonderful, there is an opportunity for unmasking. For some people, this is a daily experience[…]
There are many tricky elements of neurodivergence that can – and potentially should – be addressed, without this being perceived as forcing neurotypicality or not being neuroaffirming. Usually, the measure of this can be whether overcoming this hurdle is of benefit to the neurodivergent person’s self-esteem and happiness. This might include helping a person with dyslexia learn to read to the best of their ability to allow them to succeed in neurotypical society, or teaching[…]
Autistic people utilise a number of strategies to survive in a neuronormative world. One of the common coping mechanisms is masking, also known as camouflaging. What Is It? Masking is the suppression (consciously or otherwise) of autistic traits, in order to appear neurotypical. This might be done in order avoid judgement or criticism, to cope with stressful situations, to conform, or to hide anxiety. “Fake it til you make it” if you will… except that[…]
Q. How do I deal with family members who don’t understand? Mum of boy aged 5-8 A. Extended family and friends can be a complicated aspect of raising a neurodivergent child. Their approach can appear dismissive, judgemental, critical, or even damaging. Four approaches for helping to bring them into the fold, for everyone’s benefit, include Acknowledge, Educate, Tolerate but/and Insist. Acknowledge (Cut Them Some Slack) When you live with a neurodivergent child, the learning curve[…]
Q. How Do I deal with Other People’s Judgement? Mum of boy aged 5-8 A. When a child stims in public, people look. Often, people judge. Sometimes it’s a “what’s wrong with that kid?” look. Sometimes it’s pitiful looks directed towards the parent. Sometimes it’s a nasty comment about inappropriate behaviour. Sometimes it’s the simple, but very painful, turning away to actively not look, or move their own children away. Unfortunately, the truth of the[…]
Empowering neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation
