Author: How Do I Human?
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From Lunchbox Meltdowns to Lunchroom Success: Our Journey
If you’ve got autistic kids in school or preschool, you’ve likely witnessed the great lunchbox standoff: carefully prepared meals returning home untouched, school dinners rejected outright, and a hungry, dysregulated child melting down at the end of the day. It’s not just about being picky or fussy; for many autistic children, lunchtime can be a…
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Think You Don’t Have Autistic Meltdowns? Here’s Why You Might Be Wrong
You don’t have to scream, cry, or collapse to be having an autistic meltdown. For years, I thought meltdowns were something that happened to other people—until I realised my daily irritability, supermarket rage, and sudden shutdowns were my reaction to overwhelm. Here’s what it really looks like, and how I finally connected the dots.
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Waking Up From Burnout and Battling Executive Dysfunction
For most of my adult life, I believed I was physically unwell. Diagnosis after diagnosis—chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, mystery neurological issues, and hypothyroidism—painted a bleak picture. Doctors would tell me to “just lose weight” or “eat better,” as if my crippling brain fog, exhaustion, and muscle pain would magically disappear. What they missed was the…
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School Success for Autistic Kids: How Parents Can Become the Ultimate Advocates
When my kids started preschool, I realised I was not your average parent. While some might feel overwhelmed by behavioural challenges, I go full Poundland Sherlock Holmes. Every issue sends me into a whirlwind of research, piecing together clues and obsessively problem-solving. I’ve come to embrace this as my way of supporting my kids. But…
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“ADHD? But That’s for Boys!”—A Woman’s Journey to an Unexpected Revelation.
I NEVER would have considered even the most remote possibility that I had ADHD. I’d seen ADHD—it affected some lads at school who couldn’t sit still, shouted out in class, and generally got written off as naughty kids. And anyway, ADHD was just a parenting problem, right? RIGHT?! My first real encounter with ADHD as…
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The Power of Repetition: Turning Overexplaining Into a Parenting Superpower
Parenting is full of surprises, not least the realisation that habits you once thought of as quirks—or even flaws—can become essential tools. For me, the urge to endlessly talk through upcoming plans has long been a source of frustration for others. Whether it’s discussing kitchen layouts or dinner menus, the same topics whirl around in…
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When You Learn Your Needs Don’t Matter: The Emotional Toll of Being Undiagnosed
I’ve often been asked why I push so hard for my kids to get diagnosed. To some, they seem “normal,” and the effort to secure assessments feels unnecessary. “They’ll be fine,” I’ve heard countless times. The answer to this question is simple: me. I’m the reason. My lived experience as an undiagnosed autistic and ADHD…
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Surviving the School Run with Neurodivergent Kids: A Battle Won Before 9 AM
If you’ve got neurodivergent kids, you’ll likely know the scene all too well: mornings filled with wailing, flailing, and full-body refusals. Getting them dressed, fed, and out the door for school feels less like a daily routine and more like a grueling endurance challenge. By the time you’ve arrived at the school gates, you’re frazzled,…
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When Your Kid Refuses to Settle into Preschool: Could It Be Autism?
When my son E couldn’t settle into preschool, I thought it was separation anxiety. But the real issue was sensory overload — and it led to an autism referral. Here’s what I wish I’d known sooner.
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The Battle of the Brain: Living with Noise Sensitivity and Tinnitus (And Losing It at 4 A.M.)
It was 4 a.m. on a bitterly cold morning, and there I was, crying in the middle of the street, hunting for that noise. A sound that defied description—like a fridge buzzing through a wall, yet somehow managing to vibrate my very soul. It taunted me, no matter where I turned. I stomped around like…
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