(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 on my own and lived in public housing, and absolutely loved being a Mum.
In...
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 resilience?
I think we do ourselves a huge disservice as a society by being so...
My girls love school.
They'd push through absolutely anything to be there.
And whilst that's great, and wasn't our experience with all of our girls, it means that we as parents...
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 everything to me.
They were a balm for my lost, hopeless soul.
When I started drinking,...
There is no “imperfection” in human being and doing.
We are all just as we are in the name of diversity; we all serve to teach and learn from one another.
In biodiversity, the forest thrives when all of it’s inhabitants coexist in harmony, as nature would have it.
The human notion...
..and so many of the world's children gradually, slowly but surely, became disengaged and disconnected; never coming out from their safe spaces, no longer connecting with their families.
Built for a world that valued, embraced and accepted all, they lay in wait for the adults to awaken to their...
"I love you. And I love you. I love you all. It's not anyone's fault that Mummy is upset. It's because I'm autistic, and I've had to touch kiwi fruit and mandarines and the juice has got on my skin and now I'm really upset and my whole brain and body feels really yucky and tense and I can't think...
Important factors to consider when writing, speaking about or having discussions about our children; whether it be in an email to an educator, a conversation with a medical professional, a chat with a family member, or sharing on social media.
1. Does my loyalty lie with my child? Am I being an...
When the first of my children was identified autistic, I thought my life as I knew it had ended.
It had.
The message that I needed to grieve the loss of a child I would not have was constantly and consistently pushed onto me; including being told if I didn't allow myself to grieve, I should expect...
It involved learning about the importance of reward systems (at Secondary level), using lists and visuals, repeating instructions over and over to the autistic student...
When I was a small child, my most favourite place to be was my Grandparents’ home.
It was a huge house, built on a property surrounded by thousands and thousands of acreage - trees, dirt, animals, water, fruit trees, and miles and miles of quiet.
I would roam, freely. I was never bored and...
