Autism and Neurodiversity
Just as having verbal speech ability doesn't equate to verbal ability to communicate thoughts, feelings and opinions; absence of verbal speech doesn't equate to not having thoughts and opinions, or not having the desire an ability to communicate them.
A mum describes her very high support needs Autistic child from two very different perspectives.
Nine year old Cadence singing “Shine Together - It’s okay to be a little different”, in sign language. As a society, we so highly value speech ability that in its absence we often fail to recognise other equally valid forms of communication, including Makaton and sign language - this despite the reality that among the… Continue reading Sign Out Loud – Autism & Sign Language
"When my friends go up to someone and talk, I don't understand how words just come out of their mouth. I wish I could do that. How do they do that? It's not uncommon for an Autistic child's thinking to be profound or ahead of their peers. It is common for them to have significant… Continue reading
"I always thought everyone noticed me because I notice everything. I don't like being noticed. But I notice everything because I am autism. I maybe don't need to worry about people noticing me because if they are not Autism, they don't notice everything I do" Cadence's definition of the word 'notice' encompasses her significantly heightened… Continue reading Sensory Differences & Social Anxiety
