Neurodivergent Perspectives

Practical and honest advice from It's That Parent 😆❤️🧠

Although this is based on American assessment processes, there are some really valuable insights raised here by the wonderful Mrs Speechie P 🧠❤️

Ever get told, “You just can’t let things go”? 🧠

Sometimes, that can be perseveration, and it’s not quite the same as rumination.

🔄 Perseveration is when the brain gets stuck on something and struggles to shift away from it.

For some neurodivergent people, simply knowing the final outcome isn’t enough. We need to understand the WHY... the blueprint of the situation.

What happened?
Why did it happen?
How did we get here?
What am I missing?
How does this fit with what I thought I understood?
What happens now?

Until those pieces fit together, our brain may struggle to file the situation as “finished” and move on.

💭 Rumination is slightly different. It’s repeatedly going over something, often something upsetting, worrying or unresolved.

It might look like replaying a conversation, analysing what went wrong, worrying about what you should have done differently, or getting caught in “what if?” and “if only…” thoughts.

A simple way to think about it:

🔄 Perseveration: “My brain is struggling to shift from this because I haven’t made sense of it yet.”

💭 Rumination: “My brain keeps going over this again and again.”

The two can absolutely overlap.

So when a neurodivergent person seems unable to “just let it go”, it isn’t necessarily a choice to dwell on something.

Sometimes, what looks like overthinking from the outside is a brain trying to gather enough information and understanding to complete the blueprint...so it can finally move on. 🧠

Neurodivergent people & families: drop your SUMMER HOLIDAY tip below ☀️🧠

Whether summer means a much-needed break from school, a change from your usual home-ed routine, juggling childcare and work, more time together, less structure, or simply doing life a little differently for a few weeks…

What’s the real-life thing you’ve figured out that genuinely makes summer work better for you or your family?

No textbook advice. No expectation that summer is difficult or wonderful for everyone.

Just the little adjustments, routines, boundaries, hacks or unexpected things that actually help.

👇 Share yours below... it might be exactly what another neurodivergent person or family needs to hear. ❤️

We love this honest explanation from the wonderful Sam Thompson ❤️

We get asked a lot: “Why are more people being diagnosed as neurodivergent now?”

This image explains it perfectly.

As our understanding improves, so does our ability to recognise and identify neurodivergence. That includes recognising the many different ways autism, ADHD and other neurodivergences can present, particularly in people who mask, girls and women, and those who don’t fit outdated stereotypes.

More recognition doesn’t mean neurodivergence is new or suddenly more common. It means we’re getting better at recognising what has always been there. 🧠

Such a useful resource from NeuroWild 😍

A fantastic and important piece of work from the wonderful Adam Dance - MP for Yeovil and South Somerset, always a champion for the ND community 💪

Many disabled and neurodivergent people are finding the current media landscape particularly difficult to navigate.

From debates around benefits and support, to social media commentary, and even high-profile television programmes questioning or challenging established understandings of neurodivergence, it can sometimes feel as though people's lives, experiences, and support needs are being publicly debated.

For some people, these discussions go far beyond being frustrating. When media coverage questions diagnoses, support, accommodations, healthcare, or financial assistance, it can feel deeply personal.

It can be extremely stressful and frightening to hear conversations that appear to challenge the very support systems that help you live, work, learn, or participate in society. Many people report feeling anxious, vulnerable, and uncertain about what the future may hold.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, here are five ways to protect your wellbeing: