Episodes
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As we head into the holidays Aniesa wanted to explore stress and what is referred to as allostasis. She explores the concept of the allostatic load and the impact this has on the body in both the short term and long term. Aniesa also discusses the role things like sleep and trauma can play in how we manage and cope with stress. Importantly, Aniesa talks about how we can all learn to manage our stress levels and take ownership of minimising the impact as much as possible.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Allostasis is the process of trying to achieve stability through physiological or behavioural change. This is usually in response to stress.Your allostatic load is your chronic exposure to fluctuating and increased stress levels.Stress produces a spike in adrenaline and after this initial spike, the body and you relax. But this cycle of high and low adrenaline has an impact on your body.There is an elevated risk of chronic disease and mental health disorders from those who have long-term elevated stress levels.There is a very strong connection between your allostatic load and things such as your class, finances, living situation and perceived discrimination.Sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are simple but can help your body manage stress.If we can take ownership of managing our stress and learn what works for us as individuals to manage stress then we can lessen the impact it has on us.BEST MOMENTS
"It’s self-regulating so we’re trying to keep this constant state while we are under stress”
“This constant continued strain is really going to compromise your immune function”
“That’s going to affect your overall lifespan, your cognitive function and your well-being”
“There’s a real strong association between your allostatic load and your social demographic characteristics”
“We need to be proactive in managing our stress, we need to stay informed”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa explores the reasons behind camouflaging, which has three categories: compensation, masking and assimilation. Aniesa talks about what these can look like, why so many neurodivergent people feel the need to camouflage and talks about how we can demystify and educate everyone on camouflaging.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Masking is essentially changing your personality and natural way of being to fit in, to be perceived as neurotypical.Camouflaging in the natural world is an evolutionary trait that has developed to help creatures protect themselves which is why it lends itself so well as a descriptor of neurodivergent masking.Neurodivergents are trying to camouflage themselves alongside neurotypicals, to go undetected, seen as ‘normal’ and appropriate.Camouflaging can be a way to avoid feeling the shame often attached to neurodiversity.There are consequences for camouflaging, from burnout to feeling anxious.Those who are neurodivergent learn that they get a negative reaction from being themselves. Many feel like if they don’t mask they will be excluded and isolated.Assimilation is masking on a higher level, you create untrue versions of yourself, usually multiple ones depending on who you are with.BEST MOMENTS
"We’re really talking about changing our natural personalities so that we can fit”
“I like the idea of camouflaging as a word as it’s a really strong tactic”
“The consequences of camouflaging are huge, they are so detrimental”
“When you’re compensating you’re trying to keep up with others socially but when your masking you’re hiding key aspects of yourself, just so you can fit in”
“We all mask every single day”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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Aniesa is joined by Archie in this episode to talk about what is frequently called the 8th sense, interoception. Interoception is associated with everything from pain sensitivity to decision making and Aniesa and Archie discuss why struggles with its regulation are associated with neurodivergence and the common challenges it often presents.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Your interoception is there to show you when your body has needs such as thirst but it is also there to show you when you are angry, for example.If an individual struggles with their interoception physical body needs signals, then that will impact their emotional regulation.Being able to identify your emotions is an essential step in being able to self-regulate.Attention and detection are the two ways we can tap into our interoception.Interoception is personal, it is something that you can learn about yourself and teach yourself what things impact you.Your body is constantly trying to reach homeostasis, to be balanced.Trauma can hinder or even stop interoceptive awareness, neurodivergent people almost always experience trauma and this could explain why they have difficulties with interoceptive awareness.When a person becomes overwhelmed, their interoception becomes so low they can no longer regulate their emotions.Your interoceptive awareness is positively linked with social connectivity.BEST MOMENTS
"Interoception is strongly related to our emotional state”
“Until your interoception is fully developed you’re going to find it really difficult to manage your emotions and social interactions”
“He would try to regulate the kids when he wasn’t regulated”
“What is it that I am feeling, why am I feeling that way?”
“As a neurodivergent person, you experience trauma and that is going to lower or stop your interoceptive awareness”
“People with interoceptive issues are likely to have a higher baseline of anxiety”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa interviews Archie about sensory processing and how it impacts kids and people with neurodiverse conditions. They explore the different senses like touch, movement, and sound, and how over or under-responsiveness to stimuli can affect learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The vestibular system impacts balance and spatial orientation, located in the inner earProprioceptors provide feedback from joints and muscles, helping with body awarenessTactile input like deep pressure can calm and self-regulateSensory needs change day to day depending on factors like stress or nutritionTuning into your own sensory profile allows self-advocacySensory processing differences are very individualisedBEST MOMENTS
"I will often just sing what I’m doing, or I’ll just make up songs and sing all the time."
"Your reactivity can vary...what works today might not work tomorrow."
"You learn when you are happy and relaxed and regulated."
"Sitting still is for me, personally, cognitively, a very hard thing."
"Proprioception is your like your player of the match."
"They have no restrictions in that 40 to 60 minutes of a lesson. And yet we're saying to the learners, sit still for an hour."
"I skirt the edge of professionalism."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Whilst Aniesa has been travelling in South America, including hiking the Inca trail and being in the Amazon jungle, she reflected on all the things she is grateful for. In this episode, she shares the top three things she is grateful for in life and talks about why connection is a pillar for regulation in all areas of life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Aniesa’s Top 3 Things to be Grateful for:
Running drinkable waterEvery one of her senses, her sensory systems and having her interoceptive awarenessHuman connectionHaving a shared goal can help you make a quick and strong connection with someoneThe trip was one of the hardest things Aniesa has done and she realised she needs other people to co-regulateBEST MOMENTS
“I didn’t realise just how much I depended and needed being able to just drink water straight from a tap”
“The ability to just remove oneself and just go somewhere we can allow ourselves to feel grounded, to have the silence”
“I realised just how important having a good interoceptive system is”
“I absolutely realised in each place…how important connection is to me”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Join Aniesa and Sensory Intergration Physiotherapist Mel King as they chat to Elmien about her vestibular disorder. Elmien talks about the journey to her diagnosis and her experience of living with debilitating migraines, vertigo, and balance issues for years. She provides a revealing look into the daily struggles of living with chronic vertigo and migraines, but also discusses the importance of pushing forward one step at a time.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Elmien has had chronic migraines and vertigo since age 10, exacerbated after recent jaw surgery. Her symptoms are disabling, affecting vision, hearing, balance, motion sickness.She has trouble with activities like driving, reading, using stairs, loud noises, bright lights, crowds, and head movements. This has impacted her independence.Despite her challenges, she has adjusted her occupational therapy practice to continue working with patients who need her specialised understanding.She feels greater empathy now for children with sensory processing disorders and their overwhelmed feelings.Elmien emphasises taking things one step at a time and being kind to oneself and others facing difficulties.Her experience shows the all-encompassing effects vestibular disorders can have on daily living.BEST MOMENTS
"It feels as if the walls are falling onto you. It’s literally you walk into a place and everything topples over on the front."
"I have much more empathy for my children, like my children on the spectrum, ADHD children, children who are sensitive."
"Independence has gone out the door. Yeah. Yeah. Wow."
"Talking is my thing. And I can still do talking while I sit down, so that's okay."
"If there's awareness, we can help each other."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa and Archie chat about things they wish they knew as neurodivergent kids before getting their diagnosis, such as wishing they knew it was normal to react differently to their environments, not having to justify everything, taking time to process before responding and more. They open up and share their thoughtful reflections on growing up neurodivergent and give some great advice for neurodivergent kids (and their parents!) today.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I wish I knew my reactions were normal for neurodivergent people, not that something was "wrong" with me.I wish I hadn't assumed what others thought of me or took things so personally (RSD).I wish I knew it was okay to have lots of hobbies and interests, not feeling bad when I got bored of one.I wish adults admitted to making mistakes rather than acting like they were always right.I wish I was comfortable expressing myself the way I truly was and feltI wish I knew I'd be okay as an adult and not to worry so much as a kid.BEST MOMENTS
"I wish I'd known my reactions were normal for a neurodivergent person, not that something was wrong with me."
"I wish I hadn't assumed what others thought of me or took things so personally.
"I wish adults admitted making mistakes rather than acting like they were always right."
"I wish I was comfortable expressing myself publicly through singing, answering in songs, etc."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The theory of monotropism suggests there is an autistic-specific tendency to focus attention on a small number of interests. It is a big part of modern autism theory and Archie joins Aniesa to talk in depth about what it is and what it means for those with autism including the difficulties it can present and why it can also be a strength.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In a monotropic mind, fewer interests can be aroused at one time but each interest is delved into more deeply. This can require more resources from the individual and make it hard to deal with things outside of these interests.Many autistic children have great difficulty transitioning and this would fit into the theory that it’s very difficult for a monotropic mind to switch out of the topic or task they are in.Being able to put so much attention and focus into one thing may explain why people who are autistic are so good at pattern recognition and problem-solving.Hyperfixation and ‘time blindness’ would also be explained by the state of flow those with a neurodivergent mind get into.Finding a way to transition between tasks more easily can help a neurodivergent mind, for example, getting a snack is a simple way to break out of a fixated state.Monotropism can be utilised to help neurodivergent minds be productive, pick just one thing to do per day and focus on it.The double empathy problem is the misunderstanding that can occur by those who see the world differently from most. This can result in a lot of communication barriers and frustration on both sides.BEST MOMENTS
"This theory can explain a lot of things, it has autistic people in mind”
“It can potentially explain why we are geared towards pattern spotting and problem solving”
“A common tendency when hyperfixating is ignoring the bodies needs”
“For a lot of neurodivergent people productivity can be an uphill struggle”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Archie joins Aniesa to discuss RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria), the extreme emotional sensitivity or pain which is triggered by the perception that they are being rejected or criticised by important people in their life. It can also come into play when they feel like they have failed to meet their own, or others, expectations. They talk about how RSD presents, what the experience feels like and whether RSD is specific to ADHD including what other conditions or issues can present in a similar way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
RSD is often linked to ADHD but trauma can present in the same way.Individuals with RSD can feel a lot of shame when they are given feedback or criticism.RSD isn’t recognised as a mental disorder or illness, which can make people feel like it isn’t actually happening to them and feed into imposter syndrome.Difficulty with emotional regulation is a major indicator of ADHD and RSD only impacts this further with intense and overwhelming emotions.Individuals can become consumed, almost hyperfocused, on behaviour that they perceive to be rejection.Justice sensitivity is a feature of RSD, individuals are more attuned to justice for victims. It can be very distressing to experience but can also make very good advocates.RSD comes with very high standards that are usually impossible to achieve, impacting self-esteem.The fear of rejection can sometimes actually mean an individual with RSD will put up with a lot of bad behaviour before reprimanding someone, it can take a lot for them to see the ‘bad’ in people.Genetics and the brain’s structure are thought to be the biggest cause and indicator of RSD.BEST MOMENTS
"For people with RSD, these universal life experiences are much more severe than for neurotypical individuals”
“For me when I’m in conversation with someone my main objective is how do I agree with this person which is so annoying because I’m never going to agree with everybody”
“The RSD is so strong, sometimes at its strongest just because you are alone”
“Then you have a whole family of people who are always seriously second-guessing themselves”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa is joined by Archie again but this time to discuss alexithymia: the inability to identify and describe emotions in oneself. They explore the spectrum of alexithymia, how it impacts interoception, and share strategies like tapping into bodily cues, surrounding yourself with understanding people, and using tools like journals and voice memos to help identify emotions. Aniesa and Archie have an insightful conversation about how this lesser-known trait manifests in neurodiverse people and provide compassionate perspectives on embracing all feelings.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Alexithymia is difficulty understanding emotions in yourself, ranging from struggling to express emotions to not identifying them at all.It impacts interoception - knowing what's going on inside your body. Confusion can occur between positive and negative emotions.Strategies include using bodily cues, journals, voice memos to identify patterns and name emotions.Surround yourself with accepting people, say "I don't know what I'm feeling," and give yourself time to grow your emotion vocabulary.All emotions are okay, be compassionate with yourself.Emotions are not always controllable, and that's okay too.BEST MOMENTS
"Alexithymia could be I struggle to know how I feel but I recognize that I feel quite anxious sometimes and I can't quite unearth the emotions underneath that."
"When you grow up, you get the words to describe how you're feeling. It just takes some time."
"I think also not being afraid to say, I don't know what I'm feeling is, is really useful for yourself, but also the people who, who, who care about you."
"It took me a while to learn that sometimes my emotions are just out of my control. And I think that's, um, that is, is, is a hard, a hard thing to learn and to accept."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dive into the lesser-known strengths of neurodivergence as autism mentor Archie joins Aniesa once again and shares uplifting insights on the talents and abilities people overlook in neurodivergent individuals. Learn how intense focus, honesty, pattern recognition, creativity, and acceptance can all be traits of neurodivergence. Explore how rigid thinking can also lead to flexibility, how potential weaknesses can become strengths given the right environment, and more. Their thoughtful discussion will change your perspective on the diversity of neurodivergent minds.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hyper-focus on niche interests can lead to exceptional expertise and competence in any matter of subjects and topics.Logical thinking skills related to needing structure and spotting patterns can manifest in strengths like list-making, repetition, and task focus.Creativity thrives in neurodivergence - lateral thinking, adaptability, idea generation, and visionary concepts point to success in arts and STEM.Traits like hyper-focus and monologuing seen as weaknesses can become strengths in accepting environments that allow you to capitalise on them.BEST MOMENTS
"I have a number of terrariums and from that I've gone on to propagating my own plants. I didn't think I could ever do that because I tend to just kill plants."
"I prefer not forging my own way. I like just being passive and doing stuff people ask me to do. I don't think I could own a business because I like set structure."
"When I work on something I enjoy, my brain takes over until it's done. I enter a hypnotic state. Afterwards I'm like, oh okay, I'm back."
"Monologuing is often seen as an issue but speaking to a big crowd it's essential. Some traits are drawbacks only due to the environment."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Join Aniesa as she speaks to Archie Gouldsborough, a mentor who has ADHD and is awaiting and ASD diagnosis. They discuss what mentoring is, how Archie discovered it and the many benefits it can have. Archie also shares his own personal struggles and talks about why he thinks having a neurodivergent brain makes you empathetic and compassionate in a unique and powerful way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Archie is good at speaking as well as listening and this is why his mum knew he’d be great at mentoring.Asking open-ended questions and allowing the person to talk about and answer in the way they feel comfortable is essential to being a good mentor.Secondary school is a turbulent time for many neurodivergent people, and this is the age range Archie specialises in.It’s important for every individual to feel comfortable in a session and to do that you have to tailor it to their communication style.PDA stands for pathological demand avoidance, which some consider to be its own type within autism. It can be defined as an extreme need for autonomy and control over your environment.BEST MOMENTS
"When I was a bit younger I was a therapist friend for some people”
“Mainstream school is incredibly triggering and difficult and a lot of the time it is as simple as having someone for their child to reach out to”
“I’m of the opinion that everything is a skill”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa is joined by mentor Archie in this episode to debunk many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding autism. They talk about the most common ones they have heard and discuss what might be the reasons behind them.
COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM
Autistic people are introverted and anti-social: It’s actually difficulty with understanding social cues that might make autistic people seem this way and often autistic people need more processing time after social situations.Autism is a boy’s condition: This is not true at all, boys generally are just diagnosed more easily and more often than girls.Autism should be cured: Autism is part of who someone is, it’s not inherently a disability and isn’t something to cure.Autism is caused by bad parenting: Research proves that this is not true at all.You can grow out of autism: Not true even though there is a lot of focus on children and young people. There is a large number of adults who have never been diagnosed.Autism is bad: This is just the stigma around autism, it does not mean that you or your brain is ‘bad’All autistic people have superpowers: Autistic people can have extra abilities and capabilities, but this isn’t the case for most autistic people, what is more common is the concept of special interests, something you know a lot about or are really good at.Autism is caused by the MMR vaccine: All research firmly states that this is not the case, the original study was scientifically flawed, and the scientist was biased.Autistic people can’t show or feel empathy: Empathy may look differently for those who are autistic, but they are certainly capable of feeling and showing empathy.Autistic people don’t have emotions: Some autistic people might not express their emotions in the same way as neurotypical people, but this doesn’t mean they don’t experience them.BEST MOMENTS
“It’s a representation of the diagnostic criteria, not a representation of actual autism”
“When it comes to the idea of curing autism it kind of perpetuates the medical model of disability”
“Autism is a way of being, a way of seeing the world”
“We need to now be looking at the 50/60/70 year old autistic people”
“It’s amazing how that one person can just have such a huge impact”
“That can be a boundary for getting diagnosed, not being able to express normative emotions”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa met Charlotte when she brought her daughter to see her. Charlotte joins the podcast to talk about being a parent of neurodivergent children, including when she realised they had additional needs, the differences between her two children and their difficulties as well as how she and her family manage each day with two neurodivergent children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Both Charlotte's son and daughter have additional needs but present very differently. Her son will talk about anything and everything yet her daughter doesn’t externalise anything.Her daughter in particular was very good at masking in primary school so the school didn’t recognise that she had any issues, but she would then release her difficulties at home and once she began secondary school she could no longer cope.When Charlotte’s daughter was diagnosed with autism at 12, her daughter looked visibly relieved to have an explanation for her challenges.The biggest difficulty Charlotte faces isn’t her children, but the level of ignorance and judgement many people display towards her children and their additional needs.Battling with systems, assessments, forms and more is one of the biggest stresses for parents of neurodivergent children.With neurodivergent children it’s important to recognise their unique differences and work with them to help them in different situations, for example, are they less exhausted by outside social activities -vs- those inside?As parents of neurodivergent children, we need to teach them about themselves, help them work out healthy coping strategies and also how to advocate for their true selves.If you suspect your children might have additional needs, write everything down, not only to help you with assessments but to remind yourself of the challenges you face.BEST MOMENTS
“I didn’t even know what a SENCO was”
“You have to do a lot of advocating for her”
“They don't cause me stress, what causes me stress is the limitless ignorance out there and judgement”
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I wasn’t doing everything that I absolutely could”
“Trust that you know your child better than anybody else”
“I want them to be capable and understand themselves”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa wants to remind everyone that the summer holidays are a big transition point for so many of us and we need to recognise that. From some children starting reception to others moving up to secondary school or even to university, there is a lot of change and we need to support our children with this where we can.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The summer holidays may seem like a more relaxed environment but actually, it is a huge transition period for many and with this comes anxiety.We have to be kind to ourselves and our children and look after our well-being. Validate your children's emotions and help reassure them.Try to connect with yourself and help your child do the same, a great way to do this is with deep breathing exercises or a walk in nature.BEST MOMENTS
“There are a lot of changes going on”
“With change comes anxiety, we need to be kind to ourselves”
“It’s really important that they are able to express what they’re feeling, or find a way to express what they’re feeling”
“Have them know that you are there for them and you are offering reassurance, offering no judgement, no pressure just understanding”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Join Aniesa as she shares some of her top tips for ‘surviving the summer holidays with neurodivergent children including tips to keep them regulated and how to avoid added stress and difficulties.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Be organised. Plan in four categories, expensive activities, small-cost activities, free activities and home activitiesMake snack pots and snack ideas for kids to be able to help themselves and not always shave to come to you.See if there are any clubs or holiday schemes children can go into to break up the long stretch of holiday for both them and you.A holiday diary is a good project and task for your kids to work on, this also gives them time to reflect on what has happened each day.If going away preparation is key, think of ways you can keep your children regulated in places like the airport.Practice your own self-regulation and be calm with yourself. Continue to do things that bring you joy, and keep the pressure off yourself, children don’t have to be entertained all of the time.BEST MOMENTS
“Think of things like that are going to just make it easy for you”
“If you are going to go on holiday think about what you are going to get out of it”
“Remember your kids are going to need a lot of time after that holiday to decompress and so are you”
“Try and keep your boundaries in place, if you have rules keep them in place too”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode Aniesa explores the concept of whether our feelings, emotions and reactions are just our own to control or whether other people and external factors influence them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Emotions are very complex, they are a mixture of internal and external factors, other people can have an impact on our own emotional state.Our emotions are closely tied to our relationships and interactions with others, something that is essential to human nature.There is the concept that we need to own our emotions and people can’t make us feel a certain way but it isn’t right to accept that we have no influence over other peoples feelings.We can pick up other peoples feelings through empathy too, it’s not always to do with how they respond to us.We have to learn that whilst we can’t control how we feel completely we can control to some degree how we interpret and respond to others.BEST MOMENTS
“We absolutely can make other people feel emotions”
“We can experience emotions in response to other peoples actions or words”
“Two people can have completely different responses to the same situation”
“Our external influences will contribute to our mental state”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa is joined by Elmien a therapist with a daughter who has ADHD. She talks to Aniesa about her and her daughter's journey to getting diagnosed including her own realisation that there might be something else happening when her daughter was missing milestones and acting out. Elmien also talks about the uniqueness of having a child with additional needs and how you can find the special moments in your journey with your child, regardless of the difficulties and struggles they may face.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Elmien’s daughter needed therapy for delays in crawling and walking but at this point, Elmien didn’t consider she may have additional needs.Eventually, Elmien’s daughter got the diagnosis for ADHD and looking back, Elmien could then see the signs from many of the difficulties she and her daughter had experienced, especially in school and more formal settings.Dealing with a child that she now knew was different, was quite a challenge. Elmien had to learn to take care of herself as when she didn’t she wasn’t able to do her best for her daughter.The school system failed Elmien’s daughter in many ways, they weren’t supportive in any of the ways Elmien and her daughter needed.Elmien suffered a lot of judgement from friends and family about her daughters' diagnosis which made things very difficult in the beginning. She now does not care or pay attention to those who comment on her parenting and childs behaviour.If Elaine's daughter comes to talk to her, she always puts her first and listens because if she doesn’t then she knows her daughter will forget and she has to put her daughter's needs ahead of everything else including politeness. Although those with additional needs have difficulties, they do learn and progress at their own pace, they are always making leaps in their understanding and mechanisms for dealing with life.All Elmien wants for her daughter's future is for her to be happy. If she is comfortable in her own skin and those she is with and the direction she is going in, she will be happy.It is hard to have a child you did not expect but embrace it where you can and try and inject fun when you can. Remember to take the pressure off yourself and always do what is good for your family and child.Having a child with additional needs will make you appreciate so many things that others don’t even notice, that is special in its own way.BEST MOMENTS
“She was the most difficult little girl, the year when she was 4 was really hard on me and her”
“Friends and family were a problem for me because they were judgemental”
“Sorry about that, but she’s different”
“I want my child to be happy”
“Things are never going to be what you planned them to be but it’s going to be a great journey”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aniesa is joined by Stacey a mother of two, to talk about life as a parent of a child with additional needs. Stacey talks about her journey to finding out her eldest, Viv had autism, the many challenges they face and what her every day looks like. She also talks about the things she finds helps her as a mum with a neurodivergent child and advice she would give to any other parent who is dealing with the same challenges.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
When Stacey’s daughter, Viv, was small she had many trips to the doctors, this is when they first suspected additional needs as there was often no reason for her unsettled manner.There are unique challenges to parenting a child with additional needs, from sleep issues that impact everything to communicating their needs.Those with neurotypical children often don’t realise how difficult every day is, simply going to the shops can be extremely difficult.Stacey has had to stop working in order to support her child in nursery and further education settings.Stacey and her husband work as a team to tackle the many challenges they face each day.Research is essential in understanding your child. Regardless of what one person may say, look into everything yourself and learn as much as you can from as many different sources as possible.Learn to see the world as your child does, this will aid you in be able to support them, particularly in planning and foreseeing things that may be difficult for them.BEST MOMENTS
“Her journey has been interesting and not easy”
“Parents of a neurotypical child take that for granted, just being able to have a conversation with their child”
“That seemingly innocuous event to us can be a problem”
“You try your best to make them happy and hope they will be in the future”
“Try and understand things from an autistic persons perspective”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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When we garden with kids it’s an incredible way to teach them about nature and responsibility. Aniesa shares in this episode the many benefits of gardening with our children and why it is also something she enjoys too.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There are great sensory aspects to gardening. Digging in particular is a great activity.Involve your kids in the planning of the garden including choosing the plants, this will give them a sense of ownership and responsibility.The fun activities to be created from gardening are endless, from building bug hotels to decorating pots.Gardening can be a great tool for improving your own mental health.It’s easy to make accommodations for any child to make gardening a calming and connecting activity.BEST MOMENTS
“I think gardening should always be fun”
“It’s very calming for me and I feel it reduced my stress levels”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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