sallydaley8

Chronic Health, Neurodivergence & Learning to Advocate in Hospitals I never really identified as someone with chronic health issues. Even saying that now feels strange, because objectively, I’ve lived a very medical life. I’ve had more than 50 surgeries (I stopped counting at 50, so the real number is higher). I use medical equipment every day. I live with pain every day. My body is different. My life has always included hospitals, procedures, and the kind of medical unpredictability most...

So many of us are living this story. We keep going. We’re juggling our own neurodivergence, our kids’ needs, partners, work, furbabies, appointments, emails, life — and from the outside it looks like everyone else has it together. Here’s the truth: they don’t. But as neurodivergent women, the load we carry is different. We hold our own cognitive load, our children’s, our partner’s, our friends’, our colleagues’. Not always, not for everyone, but for many of us it’s the default. And it’s...

This is my personal perspective. Everyone has the right to choose what is best for themselves or their child. This is not a post telling anyone they should pursue a diagnosis. Self‑identification is valid. This is about understanding yourself or your child. After a week of facilitating professional development, one question came up in every session: “Should I get my child diagnosed?”  “Should I get diagnosed?” People weren’t asking me to confirm whether they or their child is autistic. They...