Reflections
Essays from Kristy Forbes exploring PDA, autistic experience, parenting, identity, care, systems and the ordinary moments that shape family life.
Why wasn't I invited to be a Jedi? (a fun one)
You have permission to protect your energy.
The problem with mainstream education: Is there one?
You might be doing it wrong.
Many parents and educators will often witness behaviour from neurodivergent people and find it baffling or confusing because they’re unable to connect it to a particular and recent event.
Being autistic means my process...
PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) and villains.
Screens, screens, screeeeeens!
Her behaviour was unacceptable.
(Shared with permission from my adult daughter.)
Cleaning out the shed today, I found a box of things collected since my teens.
I felt such sadness when I found this.
I was 18 when my first baby was born.
I was
...The diversity of resilience.
Ahhh, resilience.
The word "resilience" and "resilient" sit uncomfortably for me.
I've seen it used for belittling, dismissing, gaslighting, invalidating and bullying more than I've seen it used for good.
How do we measure ...
Autistic children, school and burnout.
My girls love school.
They'd push through absolutely anything to be there.
And whilst that's great, ...
Autism & Addiction: My Story
When you think of a person who is drug and/or alcohol addicted, know that if those layers were peeled away, you might very well discover an autistic person.
Drugs and alcohol were everythi...