Friendships are good for our mental health
When my son was 16, I got a message from him saying “goodbye” as he didn’t want to live anymore. It’s not something any parent should have to hear from their child. Unfortunately, he has been a victim of social isolation and bullying, which has left him feeling extremely lonely. For many years he has […]
Loneliness and the impacts on mental health
Loneliness can lead to devastating outcomes for our neurodiverse kids. Just last week, my son who has been desperately trying to find his tribe spent the night in ICU, on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma. This came after a week of distress related to loneliness and isolation. More than one in three […]
Managing School Transitions
Transitions can be difficult for kids and young people at the best of times, but for our neurodiverse kids these transitions can be extremely triggering. Whether it’s leaving the park to go home, leaving home to go to an appointment, moving from school recess to class, or bigger transitions like moving schools or going from […]
Anxiety and behaviour
After the diagnosis of Autism/ADHD, we were recommended to attend a social skills play group. My son was aged 4 at the time. I was optimistic about the program and was looking forward to having a place where we could feel a sense of belonging. Part of the program was having morning tea with the […]
