Many “Highly Sensitive People” are actually heavily masked Autistics — Differences are not deficits I can’t believe we’re having this discussion again. At the beginning of this year, I wrote a piece entitled The “Highly Sensitive Person” is Code for Autistic, after reading a popular psychology article which claimed to differentiate the two, but essentially described all the ways in which they are the…

Some accommodations are normalized while others are pathologized — Everyone needs accommodations to thrive I just read an article arguing that highly sensitive people (HSP) and autistic people are not the same. The article then went on to describe all the ways in which they are, in fact, The. Same. Thing. The screen shot below was from the section detailing all of the “differences”…

Challenging stereotypes and describing some lesser-known Autistic traits — A lot of non-conforming and marginalized people are misdiagnosed in healthcare, (including mental health) and psychological diagnoses. This includes female-presenting people (including cis-women), transgender folks-basically anyone in the LGBTQIA2+ community — people of colour, people impacted by poverty, and many others. Identifying someone as Autistic can be difficult, especially if…

PBIS Is Just ABA With Different Letters — PBIS P.B.I.S. stands for Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports, and was the foundation for Manitoba Education’s 2011 policy document, Towards Inclusion: Supporting Positive Behaviour in Manitoba Classrooms. That’s not a typo, the document intended as a guide for creating inclusive schools and classrooms has its roots in behaviourism. The year isn’t…

There would be a justified uprising — Evidence is not ethics I am a self-professed nerd. I love science, research, and data. I love to read and learn. It’s very important, however, we don’t conflate evidence with ethics, nor objectivity with callousness. Insisting on following evidence-based practices is one thing, but persisting with said practices despite widespread outcry from those harmed…

Tips for teaching children to keep their rooms tidy — or at least less messy — “My kid can’t keep their room clean for five minutes!” I’ve read comments like these online and have heard them directly from parents so many times. Exasperated, they ask me, “why can’t they just clean their room when I ask them?!” I’ll provide some strategies to help make this easier for everyone, but first, I want to clarify a few…

Who can diagnose ADHD and Autism and what the process is like — An imperfect system ADHD or autism diagnoses are based on behavioural reports from the individual, parents, teachers, and family members. There is no blood test to confirm a diagnosis. Just as humans are imperfect, so too is the diagnostic process, because significant aspects of it are subjective. The Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA)…

Effective study tips and strategies for fellow ADHDers — Welcome to my nerd-dom I am a self-professed nerd (and proud of it). I love to read, I love to learn, and if school had been free, I would have remained a student for many more years. As it is, I have two degrees, and spend much of my days reading and researching for…

Helping children and parents understand inattentive-type ADHD — Book Review: Andrew’s Awesome Adventures With His ADHD Brain This article consists of two parts: The first is an explanation of inattentive-type ADHD and how it is different from other types. The second is a review of a book called Andrew’s Awesome Adventures With His ADHD Brain, by Kristin and Andrew Wilcox This book was co-written by Dr. Kristen…