"Redrawing the Lines: Neurodiversity: A Compass for the Changing World" Jonathan Mooney Speaker, Author, Education Activist, Learning Disabilities Advocate Author of “Learning Outside the Lines” and “The Short Bus, a Journey Beyond Normal”, Co-Founder of Eye to Eye, mentoring program for students with learning differences. Lab Gala Awardee 2009 San Francisco, CA
These children are now being referred to as school refusers a perhaps crude term for kids in emotional stress who can't face being in the classroom it's honestly like a zoo like that's how crazy it is and I just couldn't cope I got bullied every day and my old school make me feel like I was locked up in a cage it's become such a big issue that a parliamentary inquiries underway
the game of Simon Says you know how it goes when Simon Says do an action you do an action but you're only supposed to do an action if Simon Says ready Simon Says raise your right hand Simon Says put your right hand down Simon Says raise your left hand but you left hand down Oh y'all look good okay Simon Says put your left hand down now crush artists no Simon didn't say cross your arms you need to make sure you're listening okay
That's the fifth alarm now, it's time to get up. Hey Jake, are you alright? Shirt's been washed in that horrible stuff again and feel so uncomfortable. It's all I can smell. I couldn't eat breakfast this morning and I arrived late but at least I'm here right? Nope. Mr so and so is there with his usual welcome. Oi you're late again! That's three times this week. You're in detention! Why is my brain just so dumb? Why can't I just do what other people can? Why do I even bother?
I have ADHD which is short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It's a fancy name for people who find it hard to concentrate, remember things, and organize themselves. They tend to be really curious creative and enthusiastic! Imagine your thoughts are planets and your brain is a spaceship!
We are all different and that’s wonderful!
Some differences are easy to see:
Height, hairstyle, eye color and so on.
Other differences can’t be seen:
Our favorite foods, fears, or special skills.
Interestingly, the way we see the world is also different!
In February 2019, I was ready to die because I felt like I didn’t belong in this world. I was taken into hospital and the doctor asked me about my life. Do you have a job? Yes. Are you in debt? No. What's your living situation like? I own my own home with my husband. And how is that relationship? Good! He’s great. My whole family are great. He looked puzzled. “I’m struggling to understand what’s the matter”, he said.
![A Beginner's Guide to Managing Disability & Economizing Energy [CC]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RWzhpe00Y6U/hqdefault.jpg)
Now the general way that I describe my accessible lifestyle choices is economizing energy. When I studied Commedia dell'Arte, my professor often yelled at us for giving 110% cause she said that was unsustainable and we needed to learn how to "economize our energy" to make our 70% look like 110% It's not using less energy, it's using the same amount of energy more wisely And I kind of just picked that up for the rest of my life….
Join Autistic advocate and researcher, Dr Jac den Houting (of ASAN Au/NZ), as they share their experiences of thriving and maintaining wellbeing during the COVID-19 isolation.
We know that the Earth is round. Everything we understand about this planet is grounded in the fundamental assumption that the Earth is round. But there was a time, not all that long ago, when we knew that the Earth was flat. That's called a paradigm shift. Our basic assumptions about the Earth changed because we had evidence showing that our previous assumptions were wrong. Just like the shape of the Earth, there are assumptions about autism too….
