What Is Neurodiversity?

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The first day of school carries a different emotional weight for families of neurodiverse children.

Parents of neurodiverse children engage in extensive invisible labour, including preparation and advocacy.

Strong school–family relationships built on listening and openness create better outcomes for all.

Janet stood at the school gate on a warm morning with her 6‑year‑old son, Timmy. She stood surrounded by happy snaps, excited chatter, and parents comparing lunchboxes and uniforms. Everyone around her seemed upbeat with excitement and pride, celebrating their child’s epic milestone, the first day of school. Through her hopeful, misty eyes, Janet’s stomach churned with nerves. Pride, love, fear, determination, and exhaustion swirled together as she watched Timmy take those first steps through the school gate.

For many families, the first day of school feels like an epic milestone, buoyant with joy, celebration, lightness, and hope. For many families with neurodiverse children, like Janet’s, it arrives with a different weight, as if they are carrying the heavy baggage of past exclusions, stigma, and countless moments of feeling unheard. They carry this weight as the strong, seasoned advocates they are, parents who have spent years translating their child’s needs, navigating systems, and........

© Psychology Today