Category: Uncategorized
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Neurodivergent Burnout: How Misdiagnosis and Dismissal Left Me Broken for Decades
For most of my adult life, I believed there was something wrong with me. I chased answers for my constant exhaustion, pain, and inability to function like everyone else. Doctor after doctor dismissed me as “hysterical,” “lazy,” or “just stressed.” What I didn’t know was that the problem wasn’t my body failing me—it was neurodivergent…
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How Problem Solving Helps Us Through After-School Autistic Meltdowns.
After-school meltdowns were an everyday reality for us — tears, screaming, and total emotional overload. As an autistic adult, I realised that problem solving and gentle distraction help regulate my own nervous system. Applying that insight changed everything for my child too.
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Surviving Disregulation – A Christmas Outing With The Kids.
Today we went to Brighton on the train. We made the brave decision to take both of our autistic kids out for the afternoon without the car…. no way to escape if it all went wrong. Thankfully it didn’t. We don’t go out much as family, and when we do, it’s to do something without…
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What My 6-Year-Old Taught Me About Emotional Regulation
The four of us sat down for a quiet New Year’s Eve meal together. This year we chose raclette — one of those meals that involves cooking at the table. The grill was hot, the table was crowded with ingredients, and the fun of sizzling bacon and melting the perfect slice of cheese began. The…
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Practise Makes Positivity: Starting School With An Autistic Child
Here I write about my youngest child’s transition to school after a challenging preschool experience. His autism required careful preparation, focusing on social skills, communication, and comfort in the school environment. With tailored support, he overcame initial struggles and confidently began school. The journey emphasizes the importance of preparation and understanding autistic needs.
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Finding Balance: Routine Strategies for Autistic ADHD Minds
If you’re both autistic and ADHD, chances are you know exactly what I’m talking about: the chaotic tug-of-war between craving routine and rejecting it entirely. I’ve never coped well with schedules. Free time is a minefield – too much to do, too little focus to do it, and I often end up frozen, doing absolutely…
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How to Survive Summer Holidays as a Neurodivergent Parent (Without Crying Under a Blanket)
It’s coming.Six weeks of beautiful chaos. Six weeks of uncertainty, overstimulation, and melted ice lollies on the floor. And just when everyone finally settles into a manageable routine… it’s time for the new school year to begin! The importance of routine can’t be ignored and I write here about why is it so critical. This…
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The Painful Tide of Autistic Burnout: When Part of You Is Washed Away
Throughout my working life, people have described me as “a bit bipolar” (yep, that old gem). One week I’m fired up, enthusiastic, and firing on all cylinders—the most productive human alive. The next? I’m sluggish, sullen, and struggling to type a few coherent sentences. At first, I thought this was just the way I worked.…
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Emotions on Delay: Living with Autistic Emotional Lag
I got some news this week that I knew should trigger an emotional reaction. Logically, it should have hit me like a freight train. But instead? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I may as well have been staring at a shopping list or thinking about putting the bins out. Not a flicker of emotion to work with.…
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Autism and Direct Communication: Why Saying What You Mean Upsets People
For most of my life, I thought communication was one of my strengths. I can talk—endlessly—especially about things I’m passionate about. That’s good communication, right? Turns out, not exactly. It wasn’t until my 30s that I realised my communication style was… different. People often described me as blunt or abrupt, which confused me because, internally,…
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