Celiac Disease Is Not A Gluten Allergy
One evening, when I was newly diagnosed, I was out for dinner and drinks with my team after a soccer game. I was just learning how to navigate a gluten-free (GF) diet at home, and very awkwardly figuring out how to eat in a restaurant without getting sick.
Read full storyHypermobility Spectrum Disorders
EDS stands for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is one of many hypermobility spectrum disorders. There are 13 different types of EDS. Most cases of EDS are rare, some of the more common types are hyper-mobile (hEDS), classic (cEDS), vascular (vEDS), and Kyphoscoliotic (kEDS).
Read full storyUntangling and Explaining Alexithymia
Alexithymia refers to difficulty feeling, identifying, or recognizing emotions in oneself, and accurately identifying emotions in others. This pathologization has been used to stereotype Autistic people as “unfeeling”, lacking in emotions, and unable to read the emotions of others. This is a gross oversimplification that is harmful to many Autistic people.
Read full storyThe Problems With ABC Charts
When my son first began struggling in school, ABC Charts were considered an important way to dig down and figure out what was causing the problems. If you haven’t heard of them before, ABC stands for Antecedent, Behaviour, and Consequence: It’s a chart staff are often asked to fill out after a concerning behaviour has occurred.
Read full storyBenefits of Camping & the Outdoors for Neurodivergents
When we return from our multi-week camping trips, one of many, as part of our family tradition to spend most of our summers camping. We are tired, dirty, a little stinky… and happy.
Read full storyAnother way in which fiction reflects reality so well
I really wish I could remember who recommended the Six of Crows duology to me so I could thank them. I don’t typically go in for fantasy-type novels, but I am so glad I gave this one a try. I’m now on the next duology, King of Scars, by the same author, Leigh Bardugo.
Read full storyEpilepsy Awareness Day: My Story
My personal experiences with seizures and idiopathic epilepsy. A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain which causes temporary abnormalities in muscle tone or movements, behaviours, sensations, or states of awareness.
Read full storyBody Doubling With ADHD
A productivity strategy described by many as helpful was actually…helpful!. I’ve frequently seen videos and posts about body doubling but hadn’t thought much of it. As an autistic introvert who prefers a quiet, solitary working environment, I figured it was something that might work for some but not for me.
Read full storyI Don’t Care What My Son Learns in Elementary School
I care a lot more about the environment than I do about the content. For the record: I do value my son’s education. I appreciate teachers and the near-impossible task they are handed every single day: Please, educate these children. No, you may not have any more resources. No, you may not have better ventilation in your classroom. No, you may not have additional professional development days.
Read full storyConvenience Shouldn’t Outweigh the Needs of Children
This week we are finally starting to see some melting here in Manitoba, Canada. It’s been a crazy winter, with more storms than I’ve seen in the 15 years I’ve lived out here, so it’s a relief to see signs of Spring.
Read full storySleep Disorders in ADHD & Autism
March 14–20, 2022 is Sleep Awareness Week. Sleep disorders are extremely common in neurodiverse individuals, so I want to share specific information related to sleep issues in autism and ADHD. I am fortunate that I usually sleep well nowadays, but this comes after decades of insomnia and sleep issues.
Read full storyExecutive Functions in the Classroom
How teachers and school staff can support students with executive functioning difficulties. In my personal and professional experience, when we inform a teacher that a student in their class has ADHD, a learning disability — or any divergent neurotype — they often nod as though they understand and don’t ask specific questions about that student.
Read full storyCelebrating Women
March 8th is international women’s day, but… Since gender is a social construct anyway, I’m celebrating women, trans & non-binary people, and neurodiverse folks. People of marginalized genders have to fight just to get equal access to things like mental health care, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
Read full storyCelebrating Women Entrepreneurs
In addition to being a female entrepreneur, I am also a neurodivergent female entrepreneur. On International women's day, I'd like to celebrate what makes us excel in business.
Read full storyDeath by a thousand paper cuts
This Is What Ableism Looks Like: A real-life example of what ableism and micro-aggressions look like in action. Person signing “No” in ASL(Photo by SHVETS production) For the record: I am white, which gives me privilege I did not earn. I have not experienced systemic racism.
Read full storyAutistic Appreciation
We’re well aware of autism, we need to start appreciating Autistic People. Except the most well-known group which claims to support and advocate for autistics and their families actually perpetuates myths, stereotypes, and philosophies based in eugenics.
Read full storyADHD Education Report Card Reflection
An overview of how well Canadian provinces and territories are supporting students with ADHD. Today is the last day of Inclusive Education Month, and the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada (CADDAC) has put out a policy paper entitled 2021 Report Card: ADHD in the School System. This paper a 10-year follow-up to a similar report the CADDAC shared in 2010.
Read full storyFunding Public Education
Change must start at the top, then work its way down. When policy-makers talk about funding models for public education, or about putting more money into education, they often talk about new “programs”.
Read full storyOpinion: Performative In Pink
It will take a lot more than wearing pink shirts to end bullying. I don’t really have an issue with pink shirt day, per se. In fact, I think it’s a great way to increase awareness and to start conversations about bullying in schools and classrooms.
Read full storyPatience is Absolutely Finite
Many of us have heard people spout opinions about how “kids these days” are too coddled. We protect them from failures and defend them from disappointment. In doing so, we don’t allow kids to develop a thick skin (which apparently is desirable).
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