Challenges Autistic and ADHD Children Face at School and What Can Help
There is a reason why 92.1% of children with school attendance difficulties are neurodivergent, with 83.5% being autistic (according to one sample by Connolly & Mullally, 2022). And why children with Special Educational Needs are 50% more likely to struggle with school attendance (Office for National Statistics, 2021). And why…
Book Announcement - ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’
I can’t believe I am FINALLY able to share this (believe me, it’s been a secret for a long time!!!). My book ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’ is out 28th March 2024 and is available NOW to pre-order!! Link here.
I feel like I’m dreaming. I spent most of my childhood with my head…
Challenges Autistic People and ADHDers Face in Therapy and What Can Help
I remember being fourteen, sat in a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) session and being completely bewildered by what the lady was trying to teach me. I was having daily panic attacks - some of them more likely meltdowns - because I was so overwhelmed. I began describing how I didn’t want to go into the canteen because…
My Autism Survival Kit
There are lots of things we like to have in every-day life, right? But as an autistic person, there are some things I really struggle without.
This is my autism survival kit.
Emotionally-Based School Avoidance in Neurodivergent Children and The Discriminatory System of Prosecution
I was described as a child on the verge of school refusal. I ran away from school multiple times. I would hide in the toilets and have daily panic attacks. I would refuse to go to lessons, sitting in the library instead. The anxiety I felt every single day was monumental. It led to self-harm, depression and…
Why Travelling and Holidays Can Be Hard for Autistic People and What May Help
Travelling and holidays can be super fun, but they can be more challenging when you are autistic.
I find the number of steps in the process of travelling combined with the uncertainty of what to expect and sensory sensitivities is difficult…
Autistic Special Interests: Our Brain’s In-Built Coping Strategy
For the first thirteen years of my life, books were my whole world. I read everywhere, all of the time. I became absorbed in different authors’ lives and the storytelling process - I had an urge to know absolutely everything. I read everywhere, all of the time. I would even have my nose in a book walking to school - which, looking back…
Challenges for Autistic University Students
Autistic students are more likely to drop out of university or take time out of their course than any other group (North East Autism Society, 2023).
36% of autistic students who enrolled on an undergraduate degree in 2019 did not complete their degree after three years…
“It seems like everyone is getting diagnosed with ADHD or Autism these days”
Of course more people are being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, when…
* based on UK facts and statistics *
These diagnoses are relatively new. Autism was only introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980…
Social Templates - Dealing with Situations as an Autistic Person
Last weekend, I stood in the middle of an unfamiliar leisure centre changing room, completely overwhelmed. The goal was to shower, but there were so many uncertainties in each step of the process that I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know where to leave my bag, what to wear into the shower…
Sports Day - Challenges and Suggestions for Autistic (and other neurodivergent) Children and Young People
I hated sports day. It was - aside from my primary school swimming gala - the worst day of the school year. I cried in-front of my PE teacher when she told me I had no choice but to do a race, because I was so anxious about the whole school watching, convinced I would embarrass myself. I hated the noise, the crowds and….
Autistic Pride
Today, Sunday 18th June, is Autistic Pride Day 2023. This is a day which was started by, and is still led by, autistic people to celebrate autistic people.
This year’s theme is ‘Transforming the Narrative’. Whilst it is…
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an extreme emotional response to either real or perceived criticism or rejection.
It is commonly experienced by neurodivergent people. It has been argued to be an exclusive emotional condition to ADHD, but others disagree, arguing that it can also be present in autism…
Autistic Shutdowns
Autistic shutdowns are involuntary responses to being overwhelmed. Whereas meltdowns usually result in an external reaction (more of a 'fight' response), shutdowns can be more internal (more of a 'freeze' response) but one can lead to the other.
What Not To Say To Autistic People
1. “You don’t look autistic”
What exactly is an autistic person meant to look like? Do enlighten me. Because you can never tell if someone is autistic just by looking at them.
Autistic Meltdowns
Autistic meltdowns are very intense involuntary responses to being overwhelmed. Autistic people present differently during meltdowns. Reactions may be physical (e.g. kicking), emotional (e.g. crying) or verbal (e.g. shouting). Alternatively, they may shut down. It is important to know that…
How To Manage Sensory Overload at School or College
It might feel really difficult to manage your sensory needs at school or college. The (often overstimulating) environment isn't within your control, there might be lots of unfamiliar people around you and your brain might be processing too many pieces of sensory information at once...
Things That A Lot of Autistic People Are Fed Up of Hearing
1. You don’t look autistic. What exactly is an autistic person meant to look like? Do enlighten me. Because you can never tell if someone is autistic just by looking at them.
2. You’re not like my [nephew/son/cousin/friend etc] who has autism. And you’re not like…
What I Wish Schools Knew About Supporting Autistic and ADHD Children
I struggled a lot at school. This started with anxiety and panic attacks when I was 13. I was eventually diagnosed with autism at the age of 16. I ran away from school, struggled to go into lessons, was described as on the verge of a school refuser and then missed a lot of school when I was unwell.
So what do I wish that teachers (who didn’t already know) had known?
What IS Autism?
It is hard to sum up autism in a sentence when autistic people are all different. But, if I had to, I would say that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition which affects the way I see, interact, experience and respond to the world around me. Autism is not an illness, a disease, or something which…