Don’t get me wrong. As I have grown up, there have been a fair few times someone has made a remark about my brother which has resulted in me wanted to punch them (I’m not a violent person in any way!) I’m sure many siblings and family’s of neurodiverse children will have felt the same way at some point in their lives. My mum always said this to me when I was younger, but I never really understood it until now. She’d say, ‘there is no point getting all wound up and upset with someone who simply doesn’t understand’. It’s that last bit that sticks with me the most. It’s just that someone doesn’t understand! They are either lacking in emotional intelligence, spiteful or just ignorant. But whatever they are, instead of getting all upset about a remark they may have made, why don’t we try and educate instead?

This is one of the reasons that motivated me to create this platform. To allow people who do get ‘it’ to feel as though there are actually others out there who also get ‘it’. I would love for there too be a younger version of me out there with a neurodiverse sibling to read my blogs and find comfort in them. That is why I wanted to make this website.

When I have spoken to other siblings of neurodiverse children they have all had similar experiences. Whether they be more extreme or less, everyone is in the same boat. All of these people now see that they wasted so much time and energy getting wound up by the 1% of people who simply just do not get ‘it’. That 1% of people could take up 99% of your energy… is that worth it? Now of course I know that it is easier to say than to do, trust me I do. But if as a community, rather than fighting that 1%, we try to influence and educate them, then maybe that next generation of us wouldn’t waste 99% of their energy on that person who just doesn’t get ‘it’.