Q & A
People who haven’t come across the Neurodiversity Movement, or are new to the world of neurologically based disability, might find some terms and ideas on my website that they are not familiar with. This section of the site is where I will post some information that should help with that.
If you look around here and still need answers, send me an email at [email protected] or leave a comment here and I’ll see if I can help you out. I might even add your question here with an answer if I can see others would benefit from reading too.
What is neurodiversity?
The basics of Neurodiversity
What if my neurodivergence does not fit a label?
Don’t worry! You are not alone. Here are my thoughts on this: You do not have to “qualify” for a diagnosis to be neurodivergent.
What is Autism?
Autism means many things to many people, and not much to others. I could attempt to tell you what it means to me, but instead of using a lot of words to try to explain Autism to you, I am simply going to quote the best article I have ever read on the topic.
My child has just been identified as Autistic…. what should I do to support them?
So, your child has just been identified as Autistic. You might be feeling a bit stunned. You might be feeling overwhelmed. You might have known for ages but just had it confirmed. You might be relieved. You might be concerned. You might feel sad. So, what do you do now?
How do you get a diagnosis of autism my grandson has been tested and tested they keep saying ADD but the more I read about autism I think that is the answer. I have nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews that r autistic. What do I do?
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Hi Collene,
thanks for asking! To answer that, I recommend Autistic Family Collective’s resource section on their website. Specifically the following fact sheet. http://autisticfamilycollective.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fact-Sheet-I-think-my-child-might-be-Autistic.pdf
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Hello Collene,
Your articles have opened my mind and eyes to a different way of parenting. We are a neurodivergent family, and I thought I was doing the best for my children all the time, like any other parent, but the results of our parenting has not been always successful and I feel responsible of the lack of self steem my daughters battle everyday. However, thank you very much, because even though they are both teenagers I can still make some changes that hopefully will have a positive impact in their lives and feel more love and accepted and know that they are wonderful human beings.
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Hi Michelle, just wondering what your thoughts are about Asperger’s. Is it considered autism now? What is the latest thinking or your thoughts about that?
Thank you,
Cat
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Hi Cat,
when the DSM5 was published Aspergers was not included as a diagnosis. People who were diagnosed with Aspergers under the DSM-IV criteria would now receive a diagnosis of Autism. There are people who were pretty unhappy about this change, and who still identify as having Aspergers. And there are people who think the change made a lot of sense. You might find this article interesting: https://michellesuttonwrites.com/2015/11/17/autism-is-not-an-illness-the-problem-with-how-we-diagnose-autism/
Michelle
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Thanks Michelle. That is really helpful,
Cat
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