So, you’ve finally summoned the courage to email your teacher and request that thing—the one you know will make your life ten times more manageable. Maybe it’s an extension. Maybe it’s access to slides in advance. Maybe it’s just the chance to not have to group project your way into despair. You send the email. You wait. […]
Video Games as Therapy? Yes, Really – Affective Tech for Autistic and ADHD Brains
Let’s play a game, shall we? It’s called “How Many Times Have You Been Told Video Games Are Ruining Your Brain?” Bonus points if this came from someone who couldn’t open a PDF without calling for backup. If you’re autistic, ADHD, or both, you’ve probably been on the receiving end of lectures about “too much screen time” or how […]
From Conflict to Connection – How to Repair Trust When You’ve Gotten It Wrong
Let’s be honest. If you’ve been parenting a neurodivergent child for more than five minutes, you’ve probably had at least one moment (okay, several) where you’ve gotten it completely wrong. You misread the situation. You snapped when you meant to stay calm. You punished the behaviour instead of recognising the meltdown behind it. And now you’re carrying […]
Play, Creativity, and the Holding Space – Understanding Your Neurodivergent Child Through Winnicott
If your child uses Minecraft to create intricate worlds, becomes absorbed in arranging objects or repeating symbolic routines, or seems more at ease in imaginative play than in structured tasks, they may not be avoiding learning—they may be doing it, just not in ways that conventional settings are equipped to recognise. The psychoanalyst and paediatrician Donald Winnicott proposed a […]
William James and the Plural Self – Understanding Learning in Autistic and ADHD Young People
As a parent of an autistic or ADHD young person, you may have noticed how difficult it is for the systems around your child—particularly in education—to reflect the full complexity of who they are. Schools often ask them to be consistent, linear, and externally regulated. But your child might not be consistent. They might be […]
Henri Bergson and the Rhythm of Learning: A New Lens for Understanding Autistic and ADHD Time
If you’ve ever noticed that your child takes longer to transition between tasks, becomes completely absorbed in an activity to the point of losing track of the world around them, or seems to struggle with keeping pace in the classroom—it might not be because they’re unmotivated or inattentive. It might be because they’re experiencing a […]
You’re Not Lazy, You’re Stuck – ADHD, Agency, and That Thing You Were Meant to Do
Let’s have a little heart-to-heart, shall we? There’s something you were meant to do today, wasn’t there? You knew exactly what it was a minute ago (trust me, I feel your pain!). Actually, you’ve known all week. It’s been sitting there, quietly judging you from the corner of your brain like an unpaid parking ticket. And yet, here you […]
Sensory Triggers, the Spice of Life
Ah, sensory triggers, the spice of life for those of us blessed with a neurological profile that’s a bit more… shall we say, bespoke?Gather ’round, dear fellows, as we embark on a whimsical journey through the minefield that is the sensory world. You’re in for a treat, and possibly a meltdown or two – but […]
Behold, the meltdown
Our old friend and occasional nemesis. For those of us blessed (or cursed, depending on the day) with autism and/or ADHD, these episodes are less of an inconvenience and more of a built-in feature. It’s as if our brains came with a factory-installed “Chaos Mode” that activates at the most inopportune moments. What about our […]
Sensory-Friendly Learning – How to Create an Environment That Works for Your Brain
Learning isn’t just about absorbing information—it’s about creating an environment where your brain can actually process and retain it. If you’re autistic, ADHD, or both, the way your surroundings feel can make or break your ability to focus, stay engaged, and actually enjoy the process. Sensory input plays a huge role in learning, but most […]