Sensibly Speaking

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

Inclusion puts a child in the room.

Understanding who that child is, what they’ve lived through, what they need, and what makes things hard, helps the room feel safe enough to stay in.

But there is a third thing. And without it, the first two aren’t enough.

Belief in them.

Not the hollow kind that says, ‘You can do anything.’

The real kind.

The kind that looks at a child clearly and sees what they’re carrying, what they’re afraid of, where they’ve been hurt, what they’re struggling with - and still holds a warm, unwavering faith in what they’re capable of.

Not because their struggles don’t matter.

But because their struggles are not the whole story.

It’s a way of seeing that makes room for both realities: the support they need today, and the potential that is waiting for them tomorrow.

It’s an expectation that is gentle enough to feel safe, and meaningful enough to call them forward.

A knowing of them that sees beyond the struggle without dismissing it.

A knowing that says, ‘I see how hard this is for you. And I also see the strength, courage, wisdom, and capacity that are still here.’

Because children need more than inclusion.

They need more than understanding.

They need adults who can hold both compassion for where they are and belief in where they are capable of going.

That’s how children learn they matter.

Not because we lowered the horizon to meet them.

But because we stood beside them and helped them reach it.❤️

30/05/2026

Autistic kids are often missed (or misdiagnosed), and if I had to pick a number one reason, it would be that autism was dismissed because a person is socially motivated and friendly.

But Autistic people CAN be socially motivated and friendly. It’s not social = not autistic and asocial= autistic. When considering Autism, it’s HOW people are social. Which gets tricky, especially when people don’t know what they are looking for.

Other reasons many kids go undiagnosed:
• They internalize struggles and are quiet or “well behaved at school,” or like me, was viewed as the star student and teachers pet
• Smart kids and gifted kids can be (and are often) Autistic
• Kids who have inconsistent support needs- this can vary from day to day or setting to setting. Often Autistic kids do best in comfortable, familiar, and predictable environments
• Kids who already have a diagnosis which results in adults not looking deeper (ie ADHD, ID, Down syndrome, genetic disorders, anxiety, OCD, SPD, delayed communication, learning disorders, dyslexia, etc)
• Kids with high connection needs- seeking constant adult attention in an excessive or intense manner is actually a common autism trait, but people “rule out” autism because it’s socially based
• Kids who are hyper-verbal, spoke early, or talk a lot
• Kids who are highly in tune with emotions and have deep empathy - can still be autistic, and if it’s especially intense, is actually common in Autism

What would you add? ⤵️