‘I’m his safe space’: Mothers’ Experiences of Physical Violence From Their Neurodivergent Children—Gender, Conflict and the Ethics of Care
Drawing on recent criminological scholarship on child to parent violence (CPV), this article applies a feminist ‘ethics of care’ framework to understand how mothers of neurodivergent children understand the violence they experience from them. Examining data from in-depth interviews with 15 mothers who experience CPV, this article explores how mothers construct themselves as a ‘safe space’ through which their child can manage their distress. The tensions and emotional conflicts this produces for mothers, as well as the harms that result, are highlighted. Discussion focusses on the usefulness of understanding family violence from an ‘ethics of care’ framework, and the implications for violence prevention through broader social change. Read the article
Researched and written by Amanda Holt, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Roehampton, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 5PU, UK.
‘Let me tell you, I see echolalia as being a part of my son’s identity’: Exploring echolalia as an expression of neurodiversity from a parental perspective
Echolalia has been described as the repetition of words, phrases, songs or other more elaborate dialogues uttered by another person, which may be immediate or delayed (International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.). Some classify echolalia as a communication impairment reflective of delay, while others consider it a restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviours, without meaningful communicative function. Little attention is given to the experiences of non-clinicians, such as parents or teachers who may hold valuable insights to further our understanding of this phenomenon. This study forms part of a larger programme of inquiry which interviewed parents (N=133) about their experiences of their sons’ and daughters’ echolalia. Using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis in an abductive framework, we present a perspective of echolalia that has largely remained silent in literature: echolalia as an expression of neurodiversity. Participants push back against the status quo of intervention, reclaiming echolalia as being a part of their child’s identity. Participants want their children to not only enjoy their echolalia but to fully embrace it as being a part of their individual identity. We propose alternatives to a purely clinical perspective of echolalia; alternatives that may place the neurodiversity-affirmative perspectives of our participants in a co-existing tension with clinicians. Read the article
Researched and written by Eli G Cohn , Matthew J Harrison and Keith R McVilly. Faculty of Arts, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
September 2024
Each month, Neurodivergence Monthly presents excerpts from and commentary about the most significant articles in our digital library. We present reviews about and introduce to you important books on the subject. Third, we highlight the biography and the work of scholars and clinicians in the area of autism and neurodevelopmental science.
Welcome to myNDCRC.org, the Neurodivergence Community Research Center & Digital Library. I am Dr. Mark Zuccolo, Founder and Executive Director. In our center, we delve into the fascinating world of neurodivergence and explore the spectrum of neurodiverse conditions. Neurodivergence refers to natural variations in the human brain, encompassing conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and many others. Understanding and embracing neurodivergence is crucial for creating an inclusive society that values and supports individuals with diverse neurological profiles. We believe neurodivergence encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions that are characterized by unique strengths and challenges. Join us in fostering a deeper understanding of neurodivergence and embracing neurodiversity. By becoming part of the Neurodivergence Community Research Center and Digital Library you will help us advance knowledge, promote acceptance, and empower individuals with neurodiverse conditions to thrive. Join us today!
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression Paperback – May 19, 2015 by Andrew Solomon (Author)
The Noonday Demon is Andrew Solomon’s National Book Award-winning, bestselling, and transformative masterpiece on depression—“the book for a generation, elegantly written, meticulously researched, empathetic, and enlightening” (Time)—now with a major new chapter covering recently introduced and novel treatments, suicide and anti-depressants, pregnancy and depression, and much more. The Noonday Demon examines depression in personal, cultural, and scientific terms. Drawing on his own struggles with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, doctors and scientists, policy makers and politicians, drug designers, and philosophers, Andrew Solomon reveals the subtle complexities and sheer agony of the disease as well as the reasons for hope. He confronts the challenge of defining the illness and describes the vast range of available medications and treatments, and the impact the malady has on various demographic populations—around the world and throughout history. He also explores the thorny patch of moral and ethical questions posed by biological explanations for mental illness. With uncommon humanity, candor, wit and erudition, award-winning author Solomon takes readers on a journey of incomparable range and resonance into the most pervasive of family secrets. His contribution to our understanding not only of mental illness but also of the human condition is truly stunning. Buy this Book
Dr. Temple Grandin
She may be the most prominent autism researcher of all time. Temple Grandin is an autistic person with a doctoral degree in animal science and a renowned author and autism researcher. She has shared her story of growing up on the autism spectrum and how that has influenced her life skills and development. I had the pleasure of attending one of Temple Grandin’s motivational speeches shortly after my younger son, Joey, was diagnosed with autism. Much of her focus was on her autism research and how it helped her with her animal science studies. She is unique and one-of-a-kind, and I highly recommend any parent of autistic children listen to her speeches.
By Jeremy Brown June 6, 2024 Autism Parenting Magazine
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