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Your Child is Not Broken: Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles
NEW UPDATED EDITION
Your Child Is Not Broken is THE book for parents who need permission to do things differently.
An unapologetic, deeply moving manual for parents of neurodivergent children from Heidi Mavir, a late-identified, neurodivergent adult and parent to an autistic/ADHD teenager. This updated edition includes information on Pathological Demand Avoidance, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, an interview with Heidi's son Theo and more.
Follow Heidi's irreverent and brutally honest story of her fight to be seen, heard and supported, while swimming against a tide of parent blame, ableist stereotypes and the weight of other people’s opinions. Your Child Is Not Broken is a call to arms for parents and carers of autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent children. It is the book that no one has dared to write but every parent needs to read. Heidi’s hilarious anecdotes and heartbreaking storytelling offer validation, comfort, reassurance and wisdom to parents who need it the most.
Your Child Is Not Broken is THE book for parents who need permission to do things differently.
An unapologetic, deeply moving manual for parents of neurodivergent children from Heidi Mavir, a late-identified, neurodivergent adult and parent to an autistic/ADHD teenager. This updated edition includes information on Pathological Demand Avoidance, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, an interview with Heidi's son Theo and more.
Follow Heidi's irreverent and brutally honest story of her fight to be seen, heard and supported, while swimming against a tide of parent blame, ableist stereotypes and the weight of other people’s opinions. Your Child Is Not Broken is a call to arms for parents and carers of autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent children. It is the book that no one has dared to write but every parent needs to read. Heidi’s hilarious anecdotes and heartbreaking storytelling offer validation, comfort, reassurance and wisdom to parents who need it the most.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 25, 2023
One of the best books i read and could relate to being a ND parent to ND children. Easy to read, and it all made sense. It comes with humour too
July 5, 2023
This is a quick read about being a parent to a neurodivergent child and being a neurodivergent parent to boot. It's a very touchy feely book in the sense that it is an honest account of the feelings involved and very affirming to those feelings. It's not an academic book with lots of facts and figures.
For myself, an autistic parent of two autistic children, I appreciate the author putting herself out there, making the effort to say, "You are ok as you are." My problem is that just saying this doesn't actually change the situation. However, it does need to be said and I am sure that it will be a source of comfort to some. I just wish it was a source of comfort to me.
For myself, an autistic parent of two autistic children, I appreciate the author putting herself out there, making the effort to say, "You are ok as you are." My problem is that just saying this doesn't actually change the situation. However, it does need to be said and I am sure that it will be a source of comfort to some. I just wish it was a source of comfort to me.
August 25, 2024
According to amazon, the author of this book encouraged a social media pile-ons towards someone who left a negative review of it, so, please don't do that to me, OK? I know you have RSD but this isn't a personal attack, just an objective opinion of the book.
Firstly, the good. As mentioned earlier, the author has RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Disorder) & the section about that was well worth a read, it helped me understand myself better and would be helpful to show other people, I think. Secondly, there is a section about rethinking our own perspectives around disability and having a disabled child, and that was also well worth a read.
Neutral point - there was a lot here that I personally have already read and thought about. Perhaps if you are newer to reading/learning/thinking about autism then you will get more from it than I did - clearly a lot of people love it.
Now to the negative. I was so disappointed by how short and shallow the book is. Luckily I only paid £1 for it or I'd be demanding a refund! I read the whole thing in about an hour. It's told very much from the author's POV (which, fair enough, is her experience, but there was nothing to stop her including detailed case histories and suchlike) and there's very little in the way of practical advice.
The author is the parent of a child who was diagnosed privately as a teenager after basically sailing through primary school - if you have a child whose issues were much more apparent from a much younger age and who has been through the NHS assessment process, you're not going to find a lot here to relate to, as the book is very centred around her and her child's experience.
Another element I didn't like was that the author comes across as quite combative towards professionals, assuming that they're not going to help and will just blame parents for everything. Quite aside from the fact that this may put people off seeking support, it doesn't tie in with my experiences at all. Have I felt judgement from "family" and "friends"? Yes. From professionals? No. Again, this is just my experience, but there was very little about how socially isolating parenting a child with SEN can be and what to do when people you know personally are judgemental about their behaviour. Back to the professional angle - the author seemed to have a very "us vs. them" approach and completely ignored the fact that there may even be people who work in education or social care and have ND children/are ND themselves. Professionals don't *want* to not help (OK there will be the odd rogue person but generally) - often their hands are tied as to what they can do due to lack of resources and so on.
Overall the book felt like a series of blog or facebook posts rather than, well, a book. Obviously a lot of people have really enjoyed it but I was just left feeling disappointed and that I hadn't read anything deep enough to qualify as a book. An easy way to add to my Goodreads annual total I guess.
Edited to add:
If you want to learn more about Autism, I suggest reading this instead: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Or this: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Firstly, the good. As mentioned earlier, the author has RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Disorder) & the section about that was well worth a read, it helped me understand myself better and would be helpful to show other people, I think. Secondly, there is a section about rethinking our own perspectives around disability and having a disabled child, and that was also well worth a read.
Neutral point - there was a lot here that I personally have already read and thought about. Perhaps if you are newer to reading/learning/thinking about autism then you will get more from it than I did - clearly a lot of people love it.
Now to the negative. I was so disappointed by how short and shallow the book is. Luckily I only paid £1 for it or I'd be demanding a refund! I read the whole thing in about an hour. It's told very much from the author's POV (which, fair enough, is her experience, but there was nothing to stop her including detailed case histories and suchlike) and there's very little in the way of practical advice.
The author is the parent of a child who was diagnosed privately as a teenager after basically sailing through primary school - if you have a child whose issues were much more apparent from a much younger age and who has been through the NHS assessment process, you're not going to find a lot here to relate to, as the book is very centred around her and her child's experience.
Another element I didn't like was that the author comes across as quite combative towards professionals, assuming that they're not going to help and will just blame parents for everything. Quite aside from the fact that this may put people off seeking support, it doesn't tie in with my experiences at all. Have I felt judgement from "family" and "friends"? Yes. From professionals? No. Again, this is just my experience, but there was very little about how socially isolating parenting a child with SEN can be and what to do when people you know personally are judgemental about their behaviour. Back to the professional angle - the author seemed to have a very "us vs. them" approach and completely ignored the fact that there may even be people who work in education or social care and have ND children/are ND themselves. Professionals don't *want* to not help (OK there will be the odd rogue person but generally) - often their hands are tied as to what they can do due to lack of resources and so on.
Overall the book felt like a series of blog or facebook posts rather than, well, a book. Obviously a lot of people have really enjoyed it but I was just left feeling disappointed and that I hadn't read anything deep enough to qualify as a book. An easy way to add to my Goodreads annual total I guess.
Edited to add:
If you want to learn more about Autism, I suggest reading this instead: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Or this: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
April 11, 2023
Although there was a lot in this book I could relate to from the parent’s point of view, there wasn’t a lot in for me to draw on for helping to understand my daughter. There were a lot of lessons to draw on regarding there is no one size fits all approach for kids, particularly those with ASD or ADHD but I felt this was more about accepting yourself as a parent with potential ASD ADHD than helping others understand your child.
September 21, 2024
(My actual rating would be 2.5 but I’ve rounded it up)
I’m autistic, and I come from a long line of probably autistic people. My (again, probably autistic) father has been in denial of my symptoms since birth, and this didn’t change with the eventual diagnosis.
I read this entire book in around an hour, and it was extremely difficult to digest afterwards. Not because it was badly written, but for the first time in my life, I felt seen. All of the trauma and self-inflicted blame was explained in a scientific manner, and all of the things I felt and went through growing up were felt and experienced by others, too.
My mother and husband have intentions of reading it now, and I hope eventually my father can pick it up. I feel it’s an important book for not just parents, but anyone who believes that autism just has to be treated with tough love.
However.
My first issue with the book was the advice at the end. It is not okay to ignore washing, for example. While I do agree that autistic people or their carers should not have to mask their way through life, it is incredibly dangerous to promote the idea of a lack of personal care or hygiene.
My second issue was the author admitting that she has bookshelf-diagnosed everyone around her. Yes, there are a lot of people who either are neuroatypical or present symptoms. Yes, there is a strong genetic link. However, doing this just waters down diagnoses and makes it almost appear like a fun game. There’s a whole chapter on how autistic people are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, maybe let’s not turn it into a cute quirk.
(Side edit here: I also remember the wording at one bit showing the author does not understand what neurodivergency truly is. Depression, anxiety disorder, psychosis, etc are all neurodivergent disorders).
My third issue was that there wasn’t actually a lot of “how to” aspects. I’m not a parent yet, and I didn’t read this book for advice, but I can see how those groups may be feeling misled or disappointed.
My fourth issue was the idea that it’s “us vs them” in terms of professionals. I was in therapy growing up and I left each session to my father angrily repeating how stupid therapy is and how the therapist sucks and how it’s pointless, to the point where I just quit and suffered in silence. This felt like the other side of the coin to that. Yes, some professionals suck. But dismissing professionals to promote the idea that self-diagnosis is valid is dangerous.
Overall, please take this book as a brief personal experience focused more on the self rather than raising a child. It’s good if you need something to relate to or understand autism shallowly, not so good for actual in depth advice or research.
I’m autistic, and I come from a long line of probably autistic people. My (again, probably autistic) father has been in denial of my symptoms since birth, and this didn’t change with the eventual diagnosis.
I read this entire book in around an hour, and it was extremely difficult to digest afterwards. Not because it was badly written, but for the first time in my life, I felt seen. All of the trauma and self-inflicted blame was explained in a scientific manner, and all of the things I felt and went through growing up were felt and experienced by others, too.
My mother and husband have intentions of reading it now, and I hope eventually my father can pick it up. I feel it’s an important book for not just parents, but anyone who believes that autism just has to be treated with tough love.
However.
My first issue with the book was the advice at the end. It is not okay to ignore washing, for example. While I do agree that autistic people or their carers should not have to mask their way through life, it is incredibly dangerous to promote the idea of a lack of personal care or hygiene.
My second issue was the author admitting that she has bookshelf-diagnosed everyone around her. Yes, there are a lot of people who either are neuroatypical or present symptoms. Yes, there is a strong genetic link. However, doing this just waters down diagnoses and makes it almost appear like a fun game. There’s a whole chapter on how autistic people are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, maybe let’s not turn it into a cute quirk.
(Side edit here: I also remember the wording at one bit showing the author does not understand what neurodivergency truly is. Depression, anxiety disorder, psychosis, etc are all neurodivergent disorders).
My third issue was that there wasn’t actually a lot of “how to” aspects. I’m not a parent yet, and I didn’t read this book for advice, but I can see how those groups may be feeling misled or disappointed.
My fourth issue was the idea that it’s “us vs them” in terms of professionals. I was in therapy growing up and I left each session to my father angrily repeating how stupid therapy is and how the therapist sucks and how it’s pointless, to the point where I just quit and suffered in silence. This felt like the other side of the coin to that. Yes, some professionals suck. But dismissing professionals to promote the idea that self-diagnosis is valid is dangerous.
Overall, please take this book as a brief personal experience focused more on the self rather than raising a child. It’s good if you need something to relate to or understand autism shallowly, not so good for actual in depth advice or research.
August 5, 2023
I think this book is great if you know the struggle or of you feel uncertain or need a boost or overall just feel like you are going crazy x
May 15, 2024
Autism parents don't need personal experience. We've all been through it and get it. We need help and advice on how to actually survive. This book offers none of that. And the added pages at the end are totally confusing. I didn't understand what I was reading or why they were there.
February 10, 2023
This book is honest, hilarious, and REAL. I loved this book. Heidi Mavir is funny AF. She writes with no B.S. and doesn’t hold back.
Parents of Autistic and neurodivergent kids will relate so hard to her experiences and will feel less alone after reading this. You may cry, you will laugh, and you will learn.
I recommend two others alongside Your Child Is Not Broken: https://medium.com/neurodiversified/t...
Parents of Autistic and neurodivergent kids will relate so hard to her experiences and will feel less alone after reading this. You may cry, you will laugh, and you will learn.
I recommend two others alongside Your Child Is Not Broken: https://medium.com/neurodiversified/t...
March 1, 2023
This book is full of empathetic and helpful insight for parents of children on the spectrum. The author gives parents the knowledge they need to understand and support their children, and care for themselves. I highly recommend it.
September 8, 2023
Can I give this 6 stars?!
Read this book if you’re curious about the experiences of parenting a neurodivergent child, being a neurodivergent adult, being a neurodivergent adult parenting a neurodivergent child, receiving a late diagnosis of neurodivergence, and/or living with invisible disability. The author blends her personal experience on each of these topics with easy-to-understand descriptions of contemporary research on ASD/ADHD, making a quickly digestible, comprehensive, and compassionate read.
Highly recommend. Please read this book.
Read this book if you’re curious about the experiences of parenting a neurodivergent child, being a neurodivergent adult, being a neurodivergent adult parenting a neurodivergent child, receiving a late diagnosis of neurodivergence, and/or living with invisible disability. The author blends her personal experience on each of these topics with easy-to-understand descriptions of contemporary research on ASD/ADHD, making a quickly digestible, comprehensive, and compassionate read.
Highly recommend. Please read this book.
April 8, 2024
I wish I had found this book 7 years ago. Had to listen in chunks as it felt like Heidi was talking about our own family and sometimes it made me too emotional. Will keep recommending this to anyone in a similar situation.
Heidi, in her real, raw, loving and sweary way, made me feel seen, on what can be a very isolating and difficult journey.
“You are allowed….
to be ‘that parent’
to do things your way
to get things wrong
to be tired
to have big feelings
to do things the way that works best for your family
to say no
to take your time
to build a blanket fort
to eat ice cream for breakfast
to ditch the ideas that don’t work
to need some things to be just so
to experiment
to decide whose advice to take
to step away from people and situations
to sit on the floor at the airport
to take off your shoes in public
to arrive late and leave early
to not know the answers
to cry
to laugh
to make a mess
to swear
to add things to this list.”
Heidi, in her real, raw, loving and sweary way, made me feel seen, on what can be a very isolating and difficult journey.
“You are allowed….
to be ‘that parent’
to do things your way
to get things wrong
to be tired
to have big feelings
to do things the way that works best for your family
to say no
to take your time
to build a blanket fort
to eat ice cream for breakfast
to ditch the ideas that don’t work
to need some things to be just so
to experiment
to decide whose advice to take
to step away from people and situations
to sit on the floor at the airport
to take off your shoes in public
to arrive late and leave early
to not know the answers
to cry
to laugh
to make a mess
to swear
to add things to this list.”
February 15, 2023
A sweaty, no-hilds-barred account of what it's like to parent a child with autism. I wish I'd have read this book years ago, as it would have help massively with experience of dealing with the way the world treats neurodiverse children and how parents can be better advocates for them.
August 6, 2023
Amazing! Recommend to all parents or individuals who work with the neurodiverse community.
June 5, 2024
This was a DNF for me. I couldn't stand how the author excuses her poor writing and lack of professional for "chronic over sharing". The language was foul and again, she excused herself by claiming she has a potty mouth.
Good writers should be able to express themselves without the use of foul language.
Good writers should be able to express themselves without the use of foul language.
March 8, 2023
In a cloud of parenting panic I ordered this book in the hope it would shine some light on the struggles of raising two neurodivergent boys. It really does help you feel a little less lonely and validates the immense barage of feelings experienced.
February 25, 2023
Fuck yes. Brilliant. Simple. Read this.
June 26, 2023
this book found me at the perfect time. i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about it, nor will i stop recommending it.
i sobbed throughout, i laughed, I felt seen and understood.
it was such a frank and honest memoir with a brilliantly motivating message.
I can almost feel heidi giving me the tightest squeeze and reminding me that i’m a bad bitch & can get through whatever this crazy ride throws at me - for me and for my kiddo.
thank you for reminding me how brilliant he is and how it’s the rest of the world that poses the problem, when i really needed that reminder the most 🫶🏻✨
PS. Fuck Nigel
i sobbed throughout, i laughed, I felt seen and understood.
it was such a frank and honest memoir with a brilliantly motivating message.
I can almost feel heidi giving me the tightest squeeze and reminding me that i’m a bad bitch & can get through whatever this crazy ride throws at me - for me and for my kiddo.
thank you for reminding me how brilliant he is and how it’s the rest of the world that poses the problem, when i really needed that reminder the most 🫶🏻✨
PS. Fuck Nigel
August 18, 2023
A must read for all parents who are navigating the system for their neurodivergent child!
July 4, 2024
This could have been a series or tweets or an insta reel.
February 28, 2023
What a book!
This needs to be read by parents of both neurodivergent and parents of neurotypical children. It needs to be read by teachers, early year workers and all the professionals that work with families who should have the children's best interests at the heart of decisions.
As a parent of a neurodivergent child this has been a really good read it tells you that you aren't alone.
It tells you that whilst you feel like you are battling and at war with local authorities and professionals you are right to be that parent. I also have to say you come across some amazing professionals too who only have your child's best interests at heart.
The part about consent really highlighted to me that me saying no to suggestions is good and shows my child they have the choice they can consent to what they do and don't want to do.
The part about building relationships with other families with neurodivergent children really echoed how lucky I have been to connect with so many wonderful families out there. We are lucky to have each other support each other and know we have a team behind us who truly get it.
No matter where you are on your journey you should read this.
This would have been so beneficial at the start of the journey likewise where we are now with diagnosis and out of school waiting for specialist school place to become available this has been helpful.
I am currently that parent and do you know what. This book has validated and helped me see it's okay to be that parent. Even if I do question myself many times a day.
It's okay to say actually no this is not in my child's best interests.
When you're met with local authorities saying we do what's cheapest not best for you child.
It's okay to say actually that's not good enough and what should be at the heart of decisions made is the child. The best interests of the child and actually what the child wants. Consent. The child has a right to consent. We as parents have a right to be heard.
I hope you're about to go over to Amazon and buy this book and if you're toying with the order what are you waiting for go go go!!
This needs to be read by parents of both neurodivergent and parents of neurotypical children. It needs to be read by teachers, early year workers and all the professionals that work with families who should have the children's best interests at the heart of decisions.
As a parent of a neurodivergent child this has been a really good read it tells you that you aren't alone.
It tells you that whilst you feel like you are battling and at war with local authorities and professionals you are right to be that parent. I also have to say you come across some amazing professionals too who only have your child's best interests at heart.
The part about consent really highlighted to me that me saying no to suggestions is good and shows my child they have the choice they can consent to what they do and don't want to do.
The part about building relationships with other families with neurodivergent children really echoed how lucky I have been to connect with so many wonderful families out there. We are lucky to have each other support each other and know we have a team behind us who truly get it.
No matter where you are on your journey you should read this.
This would have been so beneficial at the start of the journey likewise where we are now with diagnosis and out of school waiting for specialist school place to become available this has been helpful.
I am currently that parent and do you know what. This book has validated and helped me see it's okay to be that parent. Even if I do question myself many times a day.
It's okay to say actually no this is not in my child's best interests.
When you're met with local authorities saying we do what's cheapest not best for you child.
It's okay to say actually that's not good enough and what should be at the heart of decisions made is the child. The best interests of the child and actually what the child wants. Consent. The child has a right to consent. We as parents have a right to be heard.
I hope you're about to go over to Amazon and buy this book and if you're toying with the order what are you waiting for go go go!!
April 15, 2023
A different perspective on neurodivergence.
This book interested me from the moment I saw it. Working in early years childhood education and being a parent to two wonderful teenagers I have experienced and read quite a bit about the neurodivergent child. However this is very different to what I have come across before. Heidi is open and frank about her struggles with parenting a child with autism and ADHD, while discovering that she is also neurodiverse.
Although this is a very serious and hard topic to write about and I’m sure every parent goes through those pull your hair out times in life to a certain degree, but Heidi puts the humour into those moments as well as being honest about her struggles. It’s an eye opener to see a different perspective on those well meaning lay persons and professionals that are doing their best to help, but it more often than not ends up being more detrimental. I know it sounds callous but I found these written encounters the funniest.
It’s not about complying with the norms of society, but rather meeting each individual where they are and accepting their differences as qualities to their uniqueness. Believing your child is not broken!
I think the take away from this book is that everyone is different, whether you are neurotypical or not, so what works for one may not work for another. But also parents know their kids the best and they shouldn’t feel any shame or guilt for advocating for their or their child’s needs to be met.
April 23, 2023
As a parent of a ND child, I could relate to a lot of this book. I liked Mavir's writing style - I could almost hear her voice right next to me, like chatting to a friend. To be honest, I don't generally read many books on the subject of neurodiversity because, well, I'm living it everyday anyway, I don't really feel the need to, and sometimes we all need some escapism instead. However I made an exception for this book and I'm glad I did. It's well worth reading and reminded me that I'm not alone in this ND parenting journey.
It would be good for parents and teachers of neurotypical children to read this also, to help them begin to understand how challenging everyday life can be for ND children and their parents as a result of treatment from people who at best are just ignorant of neurodiversity, or who at worst don't care enough to want to understand it.
It would be good for parents and teachers of neurotypical children to read this also, to help them begin to understand how challenging everyday life can be for ND children and their parents as a result of treatment from people who at best are just ignorant of neurodiversity, or who at worst don't care enough to want to understand it.
June 26, 2023
Heidi Mavir writes with a heartwarming combination of joy, humour, rawness, vulnerability and endless empathy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her perspective as a ND parent of a ND child.
As the mother of a ND child awaiting assessment, I’m spending a lot of my free time reading as much as I can about both ASD and ADHD (my daughter shows signs of both), and seeking advice and words of wisdom from parents of fellow ND children who uphold similar gentle parenting values to my own.
This is one for parents who don’t want to push their ND children to mask in an attempt to appear neurotypical or be somehow “easier” to parent — but rather, who want to create a space where our children feel safe being their most authentic, complicated, messy selves. While also helping them (and ourselves) navigate the more complex struggles that can come with neurodivergence.
As the mother of a ND child awaiting assessment, I’m spending a lot of my free time reading as much as I can about both ASD and ADHD (my daughter shows signs of both), and seeking advice and words of wisdom from parents of fellow ND children who uphold similar gentle parenting values to my own.
This is one for parents who don’t want to push their ND children to mask in an attempt to appear neurotypical or be somehow “easier” to parent — but rather, who want to create a space where our children feel safe being their most authentic, complicated, messy selves. While also helping them (and ourselves) navigate the more complex struggles that can come with neurodivergence.
June 6, 2024
Your Child is not broken by Heidi Mavir
What a quick read!!! (Not to be aware that I speed read through all the facts and stuff, because I don’t do nonfiction books usually). I’ve known for a little bit that I may be autistic or at least on the spectrum.
Now this book. I love how it’s so funny and encompasses the authors personality (and I love it when an author swears in the book!) and highlights her life. She has personal moments. Facts. Everything that a nonfiction book needs. But honestly the font threw me all the way off.
“You are allowed to ask for help.”
Easily this book gets 4 out of 5 stars. I think the font takes away a ⭐️ actually. But kudos to this novel for being so incredibly amazing.
What a quick read!!! (Not to be aware that I speed read through all the facts and stuff, because I don’t do nonfiction books usually). I’ve known for a little bit that I may be autistic or at least on the spectrum.
Now this book. I love how it’s so funny and encompasses the authors personality (and I love it when an author swears in the book!) and highlights her life. She has personal moments. Facts. Everything that a nonfiction book needs. But honestly the font threw me all the way off.
“You are allowed to ask for help.”
Easily this book gets 4 out of 5 stars. I think the font takes away a ⭐️ actually. But kudos to this novel for being so incredibly amazing.
February 1, 2023
An honest, easy to read account of one mum’s journey to acceptance of neurodiversity. It’s not a guide to your child, more a conversation with a filthy friend where they help you to acknowledge and accept that you and your children are different, and thats ok. It’s refreshing to read a book that allows you to trust yourself, to question the things you get told all the time when dealing with ‘professionals’, to let you know that your feelings and thoughts are completely valid and ok. The system is broken, not the child.
It’s not perfect but it’s a good read and left me feeling like I wasn’t alone. Sometimes thats exactly what you need.
It’s not perfect but it’s a good read and left me feeling like I wasn’t alone. Sometimes thats exactly what you need.
May 9, 2023
One of the best "parenting" books I've read it a long time. Heidi perfectly balances acknowledging the difficulty of parenting neurodivergent children with the absolutely gorgeousness of parenting neurodivergent children. I appreciated her perspective as an Autistic adult herself. Heidi is hilarious, honest, and irreverent. I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend as she reads it herself!
I held back on five stars, only because I felt like it was a great start and I also wanted a few more tools and tips for the stage of parenting I'm in.
“Prioritising mental health and protecting your relationship with your child is NEVER the wrong decision.”
I held back on five stars, only because I felt like it was a great start and I also wanted a few more tools and tips for the stage of parenting I'm in.
“Prioritising mental health and protecting your relationship with your child is NEVER the wrong decision.”
August 23, 2024
Not a bad book/memoir, but I was personally hoping for information on more aspects of neurodivergence. And honestly just more information in general, really it's more memoir than informative. This book focuses 95% of its pages to the author's experience navigating the time period when she learned her son had autism as well as herself. Again, not a bad thing, but if it was subtitled "Parenting Your Autistic Child Without Losing Your Marbles," I probably would not have picked it up.
If anyone can recommend some good books that go further into other aspects of neurodivergence (specifically oppositional defiant disorder), please let me know.
If anyone can recommend some good books that go further into other aspects of neurodivergence (specifically oppositional defiant disorder), please let me know.
January 28, 2023
Empowering honest affirming
I was encouraged to read this when struggling to find support for my undiagnosed 15yr old show dropping out of school at the final hurdle. I'm exhausted and feeling so very alone. This was both a virtual hug and empowering pep talk. I laughed out loud and cried. I can't thank the author enough. The wonderful humour and frankness had me nodding and smiling and crying because this book knows what I'm dealing with right now. Cannot recommend it enough if you're trying to find an explanation for what you see that the 'professional's do not.
I was encouraged to read this when struggling to find support for my undiagnosed 15yr old show dropping out of school at the final hurdle. I'm exhausted and feeling so very alone. This was both a virtual hug and empowering pep talk. I laughed out loud and cried. I can't thank the author enough. The wonderful humour and frankness had me nodding and smiling and crying because this book knows what I'm dealing with right now. Cannot recommend it enough if you're trying to find an explanation for what you see that the 'professional's do not.
June 13, 2023
I cried. So much of this book resonates with me & my family, it hit so very hard, but in a good way. Every single day I find myself questioning my decisions, fighting guilt & wondering if I’m pushing too hard or not enough, but reading this book has made me realise I’m not alone. This book will stay with me forever & will be a guide when I need reminding that doing what is right for my family is 100% the right thing to do. I recommend this book to all parents but especially those of neurodivergent children. The swearing & brutal honesty is just an added bonus!
August 10, 2024
I'm so glad I found this book. I think it should be a must read for anyone who is neurodivergent and/or parenting a neurodivergent kid or kids. The main reason I say this is the author's mentions, towards the end, of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Pathological Demand Avoidance. As soon as I read about these things, I recognized myself. I've long known that I am neurodivergent, but being able to put a name to what I'm going through is truly powerful and will hopefully help me to find ways of coping with my differences.
Also, this is a very light, breezy read written in a conversational style and the copy I read was printed in a dyslexic friendly font.
Also, this is a very light, breezy read written in a conversational style and the copy I read was printed in a dyslexic friendly font.
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