The Things People Don’t See About Living With Dyslexia
When someone hears the word dyslexia, there’s a pretty good chance they immediately think of someone mixing up letters, reading words backward, or struggling to read a book. And while those are some of the things people associate with dyslexia, they barely scratch the surface of what living with it can actually look like. Because […]
The Problem With Advice That Starts With “Just”
I’ve come to the conclusion that the word “just” is doing an extraordinary amount of work in conversations about productivity, parenting, and executive function. Just make a list. Just get started. Just set a reminder. Just focus. Just be more organized. Just stop overthinking it. Well, there we have it. Problem solved. I don’t know […]
Why Transitions Can Take More Energy Than the Things on Either Side
There are times when I genuinely don’t mind doing the thing I’m supposed to do. That’s what makes this so annoying. I don’t mind taking a shower. I don’t mind going to the grocery store. I don’t mind sitting down to work. I don’t even necessarily mind leaving the house. And yet, there are days […]
Sometimes You Don’t Know You’re Overwhelmed Until You Stop
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you’re doing fine? Busy, definitely. Maybe a little tired. But fine. You’re answering emails. Going to work. Making dinner. Remembering appointments. Having conversations. Handling whatever gets thrown at you. You’re functioning. And then Saturday morning comes. You don’t have anywhere you need to be. Nobody needs […]
Why Some Days the Same Task Feels Completely Different
There are days when I can sit down at my computer, knock out half my to-do list, answer emails, make appointments, run errands, figure out dinner, and somehow still have enough brainpower left to have an actual conversation at the end of the day. And then there are days when I stare at an email […]
Why We Sometimes Need to Say Things Out Loud to Think
Have you ever been trying to figure something out in your head for what feels like forever, only to finally say it out loud and immediately think: “Oh. There it is.” Suddenly, the thing that made absolutely no sense five seconds ago makes perfect sense. Or maybe you’re the person who sends a friend a […]
The Most Important Thing My Son’s Teachers Ever Read Wasn’t His IEP
Read Time: 22 minutes Every August felt the same. The backpacks were packed. The school supplies had been bought. Families filled social media with first-day pictures, excited smiles, and fresh starts. While everyone else seemed excited about the beginning of another school year, I sat at my computer wondering something entirely different. Who will my […]
When Everyone Thinks You’re Doing Fine
If you had asked most people how I was doing in high school, they probably would have told you I was fine. Actually, they probably would have told you I was doing great. I got good grades, I was very involved in activities, I had great friends, I showed up to school every day, I […]
The Hidden Mental Load of ADHD
There’s a version of ADHD that people think they understand. “Oh look, a squirrel.”“Can’t sit still.”“Forgot their homework again.”“Probably just needs a planner.” Thank you, Brenda. Truly groundbreaking analysis. But the reality of ADHD is way less “quirky distraction” and way more “my brain has 37 browser tabs open, 12 are frozen, one is playing […]
Why One Task Feels Like 17 Steps
“It’s just one task.” It’s a phrase that gets used often, usually with good intentions. The goal is to simplify something that feels overwhelming. But for many neurodivergent individuals, that phrase doesn’t match the reality of how tasks are experienced. Because what looks like one task on the outside rarely feels that way on the […]
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