Anatomy of a Neurotypical Mother

My son is autistic, I am not, but neither am I neurotypical. I’m not a fan of the term “neurotypical,” I don’t find it meaningful or helpful. I’ve analysed and attacked its use before, so I won’t retread that path. … Continue reading →

Waiting on the world to change?

Every one of us has a version of the ideal world, and a corresponding appreciation of the many ways in which it doesn’t measure up to reality. We fight to change the world to better match our ideal version – … Continue reading →

“That’s science, but this is not.”

Yesterday, a story on stuff.co.nz looked at the increase in the number of New Zealand children being diagnosed with anxiety. There has been a significant increase in mental health diagnoses, particularly under the heading of “anxiety.” The story shared concerns … Continue reading →

Two Versions of “Pathologizing Normal.”

I recently realised that people with diametrically opposing views on the existence and validity of conditions like autism, appear to make the same argument about the modern trend to “pathologize normality.” So I decided to break-down the argument that is … Continue reading →

Stealthy and Unhealthy Mental Health Screening? NZ’s B4 School Check. Part Two: Public Perception of Stigma and Mental Health.

This is a continuation from the previous post, looking at the controversies surrounding the use of the SDQ in New Zealand’s “B4 School Check.” In this post, I am turning my attention to the issues around the public perception of … Continue reading →

Stealthy and Unhealthy Mental Health Screening? NZ’s “B4 School Check” (Part One)

At the age of four – prior to starting school – every child in New Zealand is meant to have a “B4 School Check.” The B4 School Check is a 45 minute interview (though the actual time seems to vary … Continue reading →

Thoughts on Being Your Normal

The word “normal” gets a bad rap these days. The idea of normalcy is attacked and undermined with the aim of leaving it toothless; supposedly also then removing the sting in the tail of identifying someone as “abnormal” and (thereby) … Continue reading →

The day I told him he has “awesome.” Part Two: Revelations.

(Continued from Part One) Sesame Street happened. They were doing a lovely segment about the variations between families, which lead to a discussion between my son and I about his own family and extended family, and how we differ from … Continue reading →

Autism and Violence Rhetoric: Explanation, Excuse, Justification?

To the multitude who have arrived at this post by searching for “autism and violence” in the wake of the mass shooting in the USA: Nothing in this post is relevant to those types of events. The sorts of people … Continue reading →

An Imaginary Whanau

Not long before my son turned six years old, he created his first imaginary friend. The friend’s name is “Whanau,” which happens to be the Maori word for extended family. I can imagine all sorts of motivators for that choice … Continue reading →