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 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? […]
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. […]
How to Self-Advocate in Education Without Feeling Like a Burden
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 […]
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 […]