The NeuroSpicy Therapist

30/10/2024

Why Thinking Takes Time: The Brainy Benefits of Extra Connections 🧠

Autistic brains often keep more neural connections due to less "neural pruning" (the brain's way of trimming unused pathways). This means our brains have to process through more routes to find the best or 'right' response, which can slow things down but allows for richer, deeper thinking and unique perspectives. So, if we take a bit longer to respond, it's not about intelligence—it's about taking the scenic route in our minds! 🌟

10/04/2024

In the context of infinite universes, it is reasonable to expect Grogu may have said this in at least one of them, especially if Autism Month was a thing in that universe!

09/04/2024

Embrace uniqueness and inclusivity over conformity and create an environment where we can all be our authentic selves.

07/04/2024

Each April I'm ambivalent about world Autism Month.

Ostensibly focused on raising awareness, acceptance and inclusion, we still have a long way to go in terms of representation, understanding, and access.

The advocate in my wants to educate and break down stereotypes and stigma. The revolutionary demands more. This month I'll let them both loose :) and share the voices of others in the Autistic community. Let's see if anything has changed by May!!

07/04/2024

11/04/2023

I love that Chloe's book is shining its light all over the world, and that it is being recognised with award nominations and is in top books lists. And in Autism SOCIAL ACTION month. (I know it is officially Awareness month, but awareness just doesn't go far enough! We can reasonably expect much more than awareness by now!!). Congratulations Chloe Hayden!

Number 50!
What an absolute honour to be listed at number 50 in the Dymocks 101. Thank you thank you thank you 💛

05/03/2023

Sometimes we want to be beige, same as everyone else. Even when inside we know we are unique, sparkly, colourful beings. Being beige just to fit in with the herd is over-rated, and camouflaging in the long term is linked to poor mental health outcomes :( Maybe see if your beige herd can appreciate your uniqueness, or if the herd has other sparkly, colourful beings who are also in beige camouflage and would like to be more themselves. Or maybe find a new herd where it is OK to be any colour in the rainbow!

26/02/2023

No, we're not. In the same way you can't be "a little bit" pregnant, you can't be "a little bit" autistic/on the spectrum. Lots of people have some of the traits of autism, but let's be clear - it is a different way of neurologically experiencing the world. It involves differences in social and communication, thinking styles and patterns, sensory experiences and a whole range of other things.
It is also disrespectful to suggest this. When we say it, we are essentially minimising the experience of autistic people.

20/02/2023

SO pleased The Guideline for supporting autistic children and their families has released.
Whilst it gives recommendations, and has no power to insist practitioners use a Neurodiversity Affirming (and trauma informed, strengths based and inclusive) approach, it provides a strong foundation for autistic people to advocate for the respectful and affirming services they deserve.
And if your practitioner isn't familiar with Neurodiversity Affirming practice nor willing to undertake the training needed? Walk away! Use this document to point out the evidence that non-affirming practice and the deficit based models are harmful, and not for you or your child !
(And a shout out to all the other clients, parents and practitioners who also made submissions to help bring this Guideline to life!)

19/02/2023

Firstly, let's be clear: LOTS of people can't or don't "do" empathy. Any perusal of social media will reveal that!
Secondly, this myth is an important one to dispel as it couldn't be further from the reality. Some autistic people have difficulty reading social cues, or understanding someone else's experience ("putting themselves in someone else's shoes"). This may appear as if they don't care. It is more likely they are unsure what is expected, are anxious because of this, and so are protecting themselves.
Other autistic people are highly empathic, to the extent that they are overwhelmed by the emotions themselves. This may have them reacting strongly, loudly or emotionally in order to cope, which is unfortunately sometimes interpreted as attention seeking or having a 'meltdown'. Alternatively, they may try and suppress the extent of their feelings, and end up accused of being cold or uncaring.
So let's be clear: autistic people have a diverse capacity for empathy, pretty much like the rest of humanity.
(And then there is the super interesting subjec of "double empathy", but that is a topic for another day.....!)

12/02/2023

"The neurodiversity movement recognises that neurodivergent people may have disabilities, but they shouldn’t be defined by them or considered “broken” as a result - an important nuance." (David Hopkins)
If we work from the Social Model of Disability, we can understand that someone is only disabled if their environment creates barriers and difficulties for their daily functioning. We would all be disabled, for example, if our communities were designed for people who were born with wings and could fly!
In the neurodivergent communities, people may find some aspects of daily functioning challenging at times, as most structures, communication protocols and interactions are designed by neurotypical people. Some neurodivergent people can successfully navigate this terrain, and don't consider themselves to have a disability. Others experience major challenges and require signficant support to cope. And many experience challenges in some environments or on some days, and not in more supportive spaces or on other days when they have more spoons available.
It's important to keep in mind that many of the challenges faced by neurodivergent people are generated by their environment, including societal expectations of what is "normal" (neurotypical).

02/01/2023

A great article by Sanné Mestrom, sculptor and academic at the University of Sydney on beach sand play for families. One of the hardest challenges for parents can be to let the child direct the play - our adult tendency to want to teach, improve, make it 'right', praise or interpret can take over. Try observing closely and narrating the play you see (Number One Super Secret Play Therapy Technique!) eg: "You're patting that bit down really hard", "You're pleased that came out of the bucket just as you wanted it to", "You've put those shells in a circle around that tall bit". You will be surprised how much your child may then share their thoughts about what they are building. You can also talk about what you enjoy with the sand if you think it might be similar to your child's. eg "I love the feel of just pouring the sand from hand to hand" or "I like the coldness of the wet sand when I bury my feet in it". And just pause, see if they let you know what they like. Those little moments are precious - they build connection, attunement, imagination .... and are just heaps of fun! Enjoy yourself :)

Sand is an excellent material to play with. It is versatile, widely available, open-ended and cheap. And you don’t need a fancy plastic mould to make something special.