17/08/2026
๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ...
Well... here it is!
The reflection I promised last week about whether we might be unintentionally creating an "๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ" between neurodivergent and neurotypical people.
๐ญ ๐ด๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ , ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ท๐ป๐ท ๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก๐ , ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐!
๐ โฆ ๐
โจ ๐๐จ... ๐'๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ...
Is there an "us and them" developing between neurodivergent and neurotypical people?
Honestly?
I have no idea.
And I'm pretty sure everyone will have a different opinion on this one!
But sometimes I reflect on conversations I've had, things I've read, articles that pop up and social media comments ... and I wonder. ๐ญ
๐ผ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?
And then my brain goes down another rabbit hole ...
๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก?
Now THIS is where I will try to be really careful with my words.
There are very real challenges and support needs that can come with being neurodivergent, and sometimes understanding and reasonable adjustments are absolutely necessary.
Not everything can simply be changed, learnt or overcome ... and I know that very much from my own lived experience. ๐
But I still wonder ... ๐ญ
Could some of the messages our children hear unintentionally start to shift from:
"๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐ ๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ "
to something more like:
"๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐."
Does that happen?
I think sometimes it probably does.
How often? I honestly don't know.
And I'm certainly not suggesting it's the experience or thinking of every neurodivergent person.
But I do wonder whether it's something we need to be mindful of.
Because eventually our neurodivergent children become neurodivergent adults.
They'll have jobs, relationships, friendships and responsibilities. They'll encounter people who don't understand them. They'll find themselves in environments that aren't perfect for them.
Because unfortunately ...
the world isn't perfectly designed for ANY of us. ๐
And that's one of the reasons why early support is so important.
Not to make a neurodivergent child less neurodivergent.
Definitely not to teach them to mask.
But to help them develop self-awareness, communication, coping skills, flexibility and resilience ... things that may help them navigate an imperfect world while still being completely themselves.
And then there's the other side of my brain saying ... ๐ญ
Maybe this isn't even really a neurodivergent versus neurotypical thing?
Because neurotypical people struggle too.
They have to adapt. They compromise. They find themselves in environments that don't suit them. They deal with people they don't understand (and who don't understand them!).
We're ALL trying to navigate a pretty complicated and constantly changing world.
โจ So, I suppose this is what I keep coming back to ...
Is there an "us and them" developing between neurodivergent and neurotypical people?
And if there is, could some of the messages we're giving unintentionally be contributing to it?
Are we sometimes expecting the adapting to become a little too one-sided?
Or is what I'm noticing simply part of neurodivergent people finally having a stronger voice and receiving the understanding they should have had all along?
Maybe there's a little truth in all of it.
Maybe I'm completely overthinking it.
(Entirely possible ... have you met my brain? ๐)
I honestly don't know.
But I do sometimes wonder ... ๐ญ
And maybe that's the point of reflecting โ we don't always have to have the answer. ๐๐
