Today the children are learning all about different types of neurodiversity and discussing how people can succeed regardless of their differences. Some examples of neurodiversity include -  ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette Syndrome.

Parent Blog – Unapologetically Autistic

Emily Venkse, Mum to Ezra (6) writes about how wonderful life is when looking at it through the eyes of an autistic child.

Unapologetically Autistic The title of this blog is exactly what my child is. Unapologetically autistic. The neurodiverse world he navigates every day is all he knows and all he has ever known...... but I have to say what a wonderful world it is. Once I stopped apologising for my child being neurodiverse, I truly began to enjoy our neurodiverse life. Stimming, meltdowns, sensory seeking, sensory overload, speech delay, sensory processing disorder, regulating, intensive interactions are all terms I didn't think I would ever use as a parent but now form part of the narrative of our life. This isn’t a piece of writing to promote the plight of a send parent but to celebrate what embracing neurodiversity can bring to all our lives. My experience of autism is where spoken language is a struggle for my child to communicate with and understand. To hear from health professionals your child is behind on a major milestone is a tough pill to swallow. How do you communicate with a toddler who isn’t starting to talk like all the other children their age? But I was given HOPE and skills to help us cope navigating this new autistic world. We embraced all the support agencies and professionals were offering us. I just simply started to say yes, yes to help, yes to support, yes to training, yes to everything that could possibly make a difference. And the payback has been massive, I have a child that can use language to communicate and meet their own needs, I have a child that can shout Mum and tell me they are too hot/cold, hungry/thirsty, I now have a child that has a voice. Alongside the use of Makaton and visual aids we muddle through day to day with not a second thought of those days where we had zero communication from the child we wanted to talk so very much. I am now a unapologetic parent of an autistic child, who I am proud to say doesn’t apologise when my child needs to seek sensory input and makes a den in someone’s else house (usually their bed) or spins (only to left) when they get excited, or flaps their hands like a little flappy bird when they are happy or need squeezing so tight they might burst when they are upset but the feel of pressure makes them feel so much better. I don’t apologise when people look at us shocked or disapprovingly, I feel sorry for those people who cannot see the joy and embrace how being different is amazing. My autistic child will grow up to be a autistic adult who I know will enrich this world and the people around him. He has made me such a better, patient and non judgemental person. By no stretch of the imagination is the road smooth or the sea calm but to truly embrace this autistic life is exhausting but the kind of exhausting that feels really good! And the biggest thing my autistic child has taught me is the simplest things in life can bring so much joy and once you find that joy let yourself go.