I’m Hannah, an autistic mother of three. Like lots of late diagnosed autistic women I realised I was autistic when two of my children were diagnosed. In a previous life I was a secondary school teacher, before deciding to retrain and enter the world of communications. I’m passionate about helping people realise that autists aren’t failed neurotypicals, that we aren’t broken and that an autism diagnosis isn’t a tragedy.
Recent posts
Square Pegs Book
I’m so pleased I picked this book to start my summer holiday reading. It is amazing. It’s written for teachers and other education professionals and is filled with practical suggestions on how to improve school life for our most vulnerable children. It doesn’t focus on strategies for specific SEND, because it doesn’t need to. This is about changing how we view education and understanding that everyone needs to be able to belong to thrive, including teachers themselves. The contributors are themselves education professionals who are well aware of the limits of the current system, so they suggest realistic changes as…
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Our education system is failing children with SEND
Do parents of children who don’t have SEND understand the crisis that’s happening in our education system right now? I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t. The media despairs at how disruptive behaviour in schools is on the rise, politicians complain that rising school absences show that parents just don’t care about education anymore and stories circulate that lazy parents are pushing for EHCPs for their children because it’s ‘the done thing’ and the way to an easy life. No one is talking about what is really going on. Everyone is far too easily distracted by the latest outrageous story. …
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Autistic Pride Day
Today is Autistic Pride Day, a day to celebrate all the things that make us different. I wish days like this weren’t needed, but I’ve been reminded just this week of how negatively so many people view autistics. I was warned before starting the reading for my course that I might find some of it difficult to read, but it’s still been a shock to read how autistic people are perceived by so many academics. Although it can still be upsetting, I’m used to seeing comments on social media from people who clearly don’t understand autism, or who are just…
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It’s not wrong to be different
I’ve been thinking a lot this weekend about the trauma caused when other people don’t believe the impact something is having on you. Autistic people think, process and feel things different to NTs. Although we are the ones who usually get accused of lacking in empathy, I’ve found that NTs can be quick to judge our actions based on how they view the world, rather than trying to see things from our perspective. We get told we are overreacting to situations that aren’t a big deal. We get told that sounds that hurt our ears aren’t really that loud. We…
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Life, Autistically 