Video games and neurodivergent experience are usually discussed in terms of access, mechanics, or representation. Games are increasingly understood as learning spaces: environments that model ideas about productivity, resilience, and what it means to function well within a system. That said, most games also normalise the expectation that effort (working harder, doing more) should be sustained, […]
When a Digital World Feels Safer Than a School Hallway
For some neurodivergent students, digital spaces aren’t just helpful, they’re essential. Sometimes, a virtual world can be more welcoming, more manageable, and more conducive to learning than a school hallway. And that’s not just about comfort; it directly impacts how learning happens. During my doctoral research, I spoke with an autistic teenager, let’s call them […]
Video games are rotting your brain
If you’re autistic, ADHD, or both, chances are you’ve heard plenty of strong opinions about “screen time”, games being “a distraction”, or worse, “addictive”. You may have tried to explain that Minecraft helps you feel more settled, or that Animal Crossing is the only kind of social interaction you can manage midweek. Often, those explanations […]
When Digital Objects Speak
When we talk about communication in digital environments, we tend to default to spoken and written language. Text chat. Voice chat. Emojis, if we are feeling adventurous. Yet in practice, much of what happens online escapes words (spoken or written ) altogether. Through my doctoral research, in which I explored how autistic and ADHD teenagers […]
When the Body Speaks Digitally
For years, communication research has privileged face-to-face interaction, as though digital interactions were somehow less authentic, less embodied, less human. But what happens when the virtual body, the avatar, takes on the expressive and affective qualities of the physical one? What if the avatar isn’t a poor substitute, but rather a different modality of human communication? […]
Autism Research Needs a Redesign — And Neurodivergent Voices Must Lead It
Despite increased awareness of neurodiversity, much of autism research and educational design remains shaped by outdated models. Autistic people are still too often treated as subjects to be studied, rather than collaborators with insight and agency. Their participation is controlled, their input filtered, and their strengths too frequently framed as symptoms. It is not simply […]
How Video Games Are Unlocking Real-World Skills in Autistic Learners
For decades, video games have been seen as distractions — the enemy of attention, productivity, and academic focus. But emerging research, particularly in neurodiversity studies, tells a different story: for many autistic and ADHD learners, video games are not an escape from learning — they are the gateway into it. Rather than diminishing cognitive skills, games […]
Why “Learning by Doing” Needs a Reboot in the Age of Neurodiversity?
Learning by doing is often relegated to vocational education — associated with apprenticeships, trades, and hands-on professions. But in an era defined by rapid technological evolution, this narrow view no longer serves us. Technology offers far more than digital whiteboards and online worksheets — it opens new pathways for active, embodied, and personalised learning. For neurodivergent learners, particularly those who […]
I’ve got you!
A gentle, beautifully illustrated children’s book written by Vicki Jones—mum to two wonderful neurodivergent boys—that celebrates emotional connection, empathy, and resilience. Set to delightful rhymes and enchanting artwork by Jon Foard, this book gently guides young readers through big feelings and sensory overwhelm, offering comforting strategies that resonate deeply with autistic and ADHD children. Designed […]
Meltdowns Aren’t the End
You know the moment I mean. The door’s no longer rattling on its hinges. The screaming has stopped, and your child has finally—mercifully—fallen silent. But the silence isn’t peaceful. It’s the kind that fills a room like fog, heavy and strange. You’re left standing in the wreckage of what just happened, heart pounding, thoughts racing. […]