Anxiety in Children (and why you shouldn’t let that “broken leg” stop you running races)

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What future does an anxious child have? That’s not just up to anxiety, it’s up to you too. Continue reading →

Why you should refuse the SDQ as part of the “B4 School Check.”

The “B4 School Check” is an interview process that is meant to identify any issues a child may have before they begin school. The interview is done through a family’s usual GP, and includes forms that are filled out by … Continue reading →

Self

You may have noticed I haven’t posted in a while. I want to explain why, and it goes to an issue that has been all too current in the media in the past couple of months: The importance of caring … Continue reading →

Altruistic, Pyschotic, or Unwanted Child Filicide? The Question of Kelli and Issy.

Kelli Stapleton attempted to kill her teenage daughter who has severe autism, and to kill herself at the same time. She did not succeed in either task. Her daughter is apparently recovering well, and the mother is in custody. This … Continue reading →

Hardship-Olympics, Miley Cyrus, and Syria.

There are two versions of the hardship-olympics that I see at play on Facebook on a daily basis, both are equally obnoxious and pointless. The first is when someone sharing their latest woe (eg, “my car won’t start and I … Continue reading →

Pitfalls of a Strengths-Based Model for Autism

The idea that those involved in the lives of autistic individuals should focus on the strengths instead of the deficits of the person with autism, is a well-spread and well-known one. In this post I’m going to challenge that notion, … Continue reading →

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 →