Neurodivergent, neurominority, neurospicy or neurosparkly.

Neuro-individual because all of our brains are different anyway.

There’s a certain magic in the different ways our brains experience life. Like many overlapping and intersecting realities, parallel universes on the same planet.

But life on Earth is geared towards the most common, the majority, the “typical”. But don’t let your language trip you up and make you say “normal”.

Because the opposite of normal is abnormal, wrong, strange, weird. But there’s nothing wrong with being created in a different way to you.

It adds colour, rainbow and contrast in a world that could otherwise be grey.

So come round our house and you will see things you may consider “wrong”.

Like how we allow bouncing on the sofas, running back and forth and flapping of hands.

We will have books, toys, stickers and more of one particular subject. As our son’s intense interests are all consuming and change over time.

We have ear defenders, fidget toys and more than one bubbly fish lamp.

We have the same rotating plain meals, and  sandwiches and crisps are king.

Don’t be surprised by lots of noise, screaming, shouting and loud laughter.

There are moments of panic for us to soothe with touch, low voices and counting.

We don’t do many of the things “normal” families do, but we have our own achievements, which might seem so small to you.

You may disagree with how much time our kids spend on screens. Or think our boy’s hair is too long, or that he should be in school.

But you don’t understand, or can’t understand, how the things that don’t bother you can cause a child real upset or even physical pain.

So I’m sorry if we don’t attend your event, if a playdate isn’t really possible. Sorry if our boy needs to run upstairs. Or if he shouts at you for saying something “wrong”.

We’re trying to work out how life should look for it to be good for us all.

So there’s compromise, there are experiments, lots of research and mistakes.

If you are patient and stick with us, just give it a little time.

Then you will see the magic often hidden away in such a beautiful mind.