Neurodivergent Mom

25/07/2026

Parents please read.
Sometimes, the best support we can give is to slow down, listen, meet them where they are and give them the space they need.🌻💙

The “Performance Over Health” School Culture

One of the biggest challenges in schools is that attendance and productivity are often used as measures of wellbeing.

If a young person is present in school, attending lessons and completing work, there can be an assumption that things are going well. But being physically present is not the same as being well enough to learn.

Many neurodivergent young people are attending school while exhausted, overwhelmed, physically unwell or emotionally distressed. Some are masking significant difficulties simply because they know there may be consequences for absence, reduced participation or asking for support.

We often celebrate resilience and perseverance. But sometimes what looks like resilience is actually survival.

A culture of “push through”, “keep going” and “just try your best” can unintentionally teach children that their body’s signals are less important than performance.

Over time this can contribute to chronic stress, burnout, shutdown and deep feelings of shame around having needs at all.

The question we should be asking is not simply, “Are they attending?” The question should be, “What is attendance costing them?”

I’ll be exploring this theme at the upcoming NeuroHub Mental Health Conference this August.

Click here for ticket purchasing

From NeuroHub’s Webpage

The NeuroHub Mental Health Conference is rooted in our core belief that neurodivergent voices should lead the conversation about neurodivergent lives. Shaped by our ethos, the conference centres lived experience, alongside research and education created by neurodivergent individuals themselves—not framed solely through external observation. We move beyond deficit-based, pathology-driven narratives and instead champion the neurodivergent paradigm: one that recognises difference, celebrates creativity, and honours the depth, insight, and potential of those who experience the world in uniquely powerful ways.

21/07/2026

Every time I conduct an onboarding training, I feel so excited. 💚🌻

Why? Because I see organizations that don’t just talk about inclusion, they are willing to learn and take action.

Seeing staff being trained on how to support People of Determination (POD) and individuals with hidden disabilities gives me hope that more workplaces are becoming safer and more welcoming for everyone.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to lead these onboarding sessions, not only in the UAE but also with companies and airports across the Middle East. Being trusted by the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower team HD Sunflower - UAE, to share this mission and help educate leaders, managers, and professionals is something I deeply value.

What inspires me the most is witnessing the humility of these leaders. Regardless of their position, they are willing to listen, learn, and understand the importance of creating inclusive spaces.

Thank you toHidden Disabilities Sunflower - UAE, exclusively represented by Toplandpod in the Middle East, for trusting me to be part of this meaningful mission.

I am also proud to share that Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards in the Middle East are exclusively manufactured at Zayed Higher Organization Abu Dhabi by the People of Determination. 💚🌻

Every training reminds me that inclusion starts with understanding.

11/07/2026

Wow! I was truly surprised and deeply honored to see that Ausome Family Journey a POD Global Support Group was mentioned by UAE Stories.
It is a great honor, especially knowing that our mission, vision, and goals as a community have been recognized. This recognition inspires us to continue our journey of creating awareness, promoting inclusion, and supporting People of Determination and their families.

Thank you for seeing the heart behind our humble community and for recognizing the importance of our advocacy. We are grateful and motivated to continue making a positive impact, one family and one journey at a time. 🌻

05/07/2026

OMG! 😱I was randomly watching Reels when, all of a sudden, an advertisement interrupted the video. I was shocked to see that it was an AI-generated ad showing nud!t¥ and scenes of a couple in bed. It was really disturbing.

It made me worry, but then I remembered that my daughter doesn't have a Facebook account. Now I'm wondering , since children watch YouTube, can ads like this also appear there as skippable advertisements?

03/07/2026

Before the title of UAE Brand Ambassador of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower came into my life, I was already a Neurodivergent Mom , a role that shaped my heart, my purpose, and my advocacy. 🌻💙🇦🇪

゚

30/06/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝗔𝗕𝗔 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺❓
𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁.
🌻𝙋𝙊𝙑 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙢🌻

There has been a lot of discussion about ABA therapy, with some people saying that it can cause trauma, anxiety, depression, or make children appear robotic by teaching compliance above all else.

If we are talking about some ABA practices from many years ago, then yes, there were approaches that could potentially lead to those experiences. However, it is important to understand that not all ABA therapists worked that way, and many of those practices have changed significantly over time.

Today, many ABA professionals are very aware of this feedback and are committed to ensuring that therapy is respectful, individualized, and centered around the child's well-being and dignity.

For example, years ago some therapists might have tried to teach a skill without considering the family's culture, traditions, or routines at home. But therapy should never ignore these important factors.

I remember discussing this with Sir Robin during one of our therapy talks with ABLE UK. We cannot simply impose on a child to learn to p*e while standing and aiming at the toilet bowl if, in their family or culture, boys are taught to sit while using the toilet. Before teaching any skill, we need to understand how the family lives, their traditions, and what is natural and practical in their daily routines.

Rather than forcing children or expecting strict compliance, good ABA practice today focuses on helping children learn naturally through guidance and support …moving from full prompts to minimal prompts until the child can perform the skill independently as part of daily life.

ABA today is not only about reducing behaviors. It is also about building life skills, promoting independence, and helping children participate more fully in everyday activities.

When ABA therapists work together with Occupational Therapists and Sp*ech Therapists, these three disciplines can complement one another and provide tremendous support for the child and the family.

Because of this, I believe it is unfair to make blanket statements such as "ABA is bad" or "ABA is a nightmare."

Everyone has the right to share their experiences, whether positive or negative. But having a negative experience with one therapist, clinic, or approach does not automatically mean that every child or every family will have the same experience.

For example, I personally had a difficult experience with sp*ech therapy at one point (that was year 2015). We spent a lot of money and time without seeing the progress we had hoped for, while ABA was very helpful for my son.

Does that mean I should tell all parents not to pursue sp*ech therapy because it was not effective for my child? Of course not.

That was my experience, not everyone else's.

This is exactly my point.

We can share our stories, our successes, and our challenges. Those experiences are valuable and can help other families make informed decisions. But we should be careful not to tell parents what they should or should not do for their child unless they specifically ask for our opinion or advice.

Every child is different.

Every family is different.

And what works for one child may not work for another.

Our role as a community should be to share information, support one another, and respect each family's journey as they make the best decisions they can for their child.

26/06/2026

❞𝑴𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒂 𝒑𝒐 𝒃𝒂 𝒔𝒂 𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒚𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒊 𝒏𝒊𝒚𝒂❓❞
-𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑦 𝐴𝑙ℎ𝑒𝑎-

❞ 𝑵𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒌𝒐 𝒑𝒐 𝒚𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒏𝒂 , 𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊 𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒚 𝒚𝒂𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒐 𝒏𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒉, 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒐, 𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒏𝒂 𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒐 𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌.❞
-𝐷𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑦 𝐸𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑-

💙 PODTalks Episode 2 | Father’s Day Special: A Family’s Autism Journey

Isang kwentuhan na puno ng tawanan, seryosong usapan, at totoong buhay. Samahan ang Calixto Couple habang ibinabahagi nila ang kanilang marriage life, parenting journey, at kung paano nila natutunang yakapin ang autism nang may pagmamahal, pagtanggap, at pananampalataya.

Watch the full episode and be inspired.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=euaoEVO26S0&si=5nm8xDpcgVZJdi6X

💙 PODTalks Episode 2 | Father’s Day Special: A Family’s Autism Jour...