A child came home from school and gave his mother a small note from the teacher. As soon as the mother opened it, her eyes filled with tears. She said to her son: “They say you are a genius child, and that this school cannot accommodate such intelligence, and they do not have qualified teachers to teach you. So I will teach you myself at home.” So he started selling newspapers at the train station to help his mother. After several years, his mother passed away, and this boy became one of the greatest inventors in the world. He went to his mother’s cupboard and found a letter from the teacher in which it was written: “Your son is mentally weak and we will not allow him to continue his education at this school.” This person is Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light bulb. His mother transformed him from “weak-minded” into a genius. Her positive words changed the course of his life.

You know what I’ve noticed lately? When things go quiet in here… it’s usually because life is loud out there. So let’s bring this space back to life 💛 I want to hear the real stuff — not the polished version… ✨ What’s been a hard moment for you recently (with your child, your family, or just life in general)? ✨ Or something that caught you off guard in a good way? Pop your share on the main feed so we can all connect, not just in the comments here. No fixing, no judgement — just a space where you don’t have to hold it all together. To make it a bit more fun, I’ll be doing a random pick from everyone who shares and gifting 1 month inside the premium membership 🌿 (deeper support, real-life tools, and a space that holds you too) I’ll choose in a few days. If you’ve been hovering quietly, come back in. You’re part of this! @Roseline Clarence @Corinna Smith @Vee W @Aaron Auld @Cheryl Quelch @Ekue Kpodar @Mahmoud Mahmoud @Amber McKee @Brooke Vecchi @Hyejin Park @Raquel Pellicer @Jennifer Singh @Gibson Marshall @Kunmi Oduola @Ziena Walker @Sana Khan @Devin Trent @Amy Kansara @Joaquín Erazo @Tanya Miramontes @Talia Cruz @Rich Santiago @Natasha Pilla @Kylie Martin @Shelly Richards

I've got four topics I'm ready to go deep on — and I want to know which one you need most right now. Because there's no point me talking about something that isn't landing where you actually are. So tell me. Which of these is sitting heaviest for you at the moment or that you would just like to learn more about? 🧠 PDA — going beyond the basics. The why behind the behaviour, what's actually happening in your child's nervous system, and what helps (and what really doesn't) 💛 Sibling dynamics — when you're parenting a PDA child alongside others. The guilt, the imbalance, the chaos, and how to hold it all 🌊 The grief of it — because nobody warned you it would feel like this. Mourning the parenting experience you imagined and finding your footing in the real one 🕯️ Masking & burnout in kids — how to spot it before it tips into crisis, and what your child needs when they're running on empty

Congratulations to everyone on this week's leaderboard — especially our top three: @Mahmoud Mahmoud , @Merrie B and @Shelly Richards . You brought the energy this week and it showed. 🔥 This community is growing to be something special. Thank you for being part of it. 🌿

A lot of neurodivergent children don’t follow a straight developmental line. You can have a child who is reading well above their age, solving maths problems quickly… ...but then struggling to join a game, hold a back-and-forth conversation, or manage the social expectations of their year group. And that gap can become really noticeable around Year 2 (US: 1st Grade, age 6–7). Not because anything has “gone wrong”… but because the environment suddenly asks for more than just knowledge. 📚 It starts asking for: – independence – organisation – flexible thinking – social awareness – sustained effort on demand For children with AuDHD and a PDA profile, that’s a very different kind of load. 😩 So what can happen? A child who can do the work… starts to avoid it. A child who understands the lesson… doesn’t engage with it. A child who seems “fine” academically… begins to fall behind in practice Not because they’ve lost ability — but because the demands have outpaced their capacity in that moment. You might notice things like: • Your 8-year-old chatting more comfortably with younger children (e.g. Year 1 / US: Kindergarten, age 5–6) • Struggling with group dynamics their own age handle more easily • Avoiding tasks they can absolutely do at home • Big reactions to everyday expectations • Needing more support with starting, stopping, or shifting tasks That doesn’t mean they’re “behind.” It means their development is spiky. 🦔 Think of it like this: Their learning ability might be working at Year 4 or above (US: 3rd Grade, age 8–9)… while their executive functioning is closer to Year 1–2 (US: Kindergarten–1st Grade)… and their nervous system is trying to keep everything balanced in between. That’s a huge load for a child to carry. So when your child gravitates towards younger children socially? That often isn’t regression. It’s regulation. 🧘‍♀️ Younger children tend to: – place fewer social demands – be more direct and less complex – allow more flexibility in play