Hello! If you’ve found yourself here, we likely have some things in common. It’s nice to meet you! I have always loved connecting deeply with others who are experiencing similar situations as me, and in turn, creating supportive communities to nurture and explore these shared connections. The Neurodiverse Family Network is my first official blog; I’ve been drawn to sharing my unique experiences and hearing from others on this platform. In the past, the types of communities I’ve enjoyed building revolved around my lifestyle and current niche in life, such as running clubs, new mom groups, community service groups, pandemic podding, and the list goes on. I find it rewarding to help facilitate connections between people and resource-share on topics that are important to the group. This nascent blog and network has the ultimate meaning for me because it’s about my family, our place in this world, and finding ways to support our not-so-typical life, as well as others on similar paths.
Without getting into the weeds on my first blog post, I wanted to introduce myself and my family briefly and welcome you to this page and group!
Who am I? I’m a 39-year-old mom currently living in Philadelphia with a husband and a 6-year-old son. We are a neurodiverse family—a term that I didn’t know existed until a few years ago (even though I did study psychology in undergrad and social work in grad). Or if I did know the term loosely, I would have never thought that it applied to me and my family. After years in the trenches (tbh we’re still in them, but with a *little* more insight, understanding, and tools), I can definitively say that the way my family’s brains process information is not typical. It’s not a bad thing at all; it’s just who we are and how we function. The challenges that we’ve faced as a neurodiverse family have been mostly due to being misunderstood (and therefore isolated and/or judged) and not feeling adequately supported. Specifically, my son has ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, and is an HSC (highly sensitive child). My husband has suspected ADHD (he’s going through the evaluation process now), and I was literally just diagnosed with ADHD LAST WEEK!! I have had anxiety my whole life and very recently realized that I am also an HSP (highly sensitive person—more unpacking ALL OF THAT later). During my recent ADHD evaluation, I was told it is highly possible that my anxiety is secondary to my untreated ADHD, so I am still processing this. Whew, what a ride!
A quick snapshot of my interests: I love working out and running (more like love/hate; recently finished the Philadelphia Marathon, which was a big deal because I am a neuroendocrine cancer of the lung survivor and had most of my right lung removed in 2017), hiking, finding new ways to connect with other special needs parents, Tabasco (anything spicy), roller coasters, self-improvement, trying to grow plants with my brown thumb, meditation and other forms of self-care, and chess (picked this up during the pandemic and I am OBSESSSED).
Wondering if you’re in the right place?
Are you struggling as a parent in ways that other families don’t seem to be? Is raising a family more challenging than you expected? Do your kid(s) have different abilities? Do you? Do you find it hard to relate to other families? Do you feel isolated as a family or parent? Are you frequently overwhelmed?
If you answered YES to just one of those questions, then you are in the right place and I invite you to follow along. This group is almost 4 years in the making and has been brewing inside of me as my family has entered (but not conquered) the world of diagnoses, therapies, IEPs, regressions, burnouts, meltdowns, temperaments, and a WHOLE LOTTA patience and love. No matter where you are in your journey, this is a safe and non-judgmental space.
If any of this resonates with you, please give us a follow on Instagram @neurodiversefamilynetwork , join The Neurodiverse Family Network private Facebook group and subscribe below! I’d also like to invite you to comment below with any thoughts/feedback/topics you’d like to see, or you can connect with me directly at jessica@neurodiversefamilynetwork.com.
Stay tuned for weekly blog posts as we grow into a village of supportive parents!