Jordon Steele-John, Disability Rights Advocate and Australian Senator 'Chlo's spirit in the face of adversity had me cheering!

I've even had friends of mine watch her videos and TikToks of her openly stimming while seeing sharks and say things like "I'm not saying that you two are the same person, I'm just saying we haven't ever seen the two of you in the same room. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. She's very sincere, positive, and enthusiastic about empowering the reader and "finding your happily ever after.Different, Not Less will inspire you to create a more inclusive world where everyone feels like they belong. I personally believe that anyone - be it teachers, partners, parents, friends - who shares their life with an autistic person should at least read Chapter 3: Sensory Issues, Stimming, Meltdowns, Shutdown and Burnout. I feel like the assumed readers are kids/teens with similar interests to Chloé who would enjoy all the fairy tale analogies and find something new in the advice about school, dating, self care, socialising, and adulting.

Her unrelenting positivity regarding the future felt a bit like being kicked while you're down when she failed to acknowledge how her privileges have made her success possible/accessible in the first place. When a life-changing group of allies showed her that different did not mean less, she learned to celebrate her true voice and find her happily ever after.The areas of life in which I have the highest support needs - parenting and "running a home" (whatever that means) - aren't mentioned.

As an autistic person who was taught to mask 24/7 through what I now believe was something ABA-adjacent, it's so hard to imagine a life where I am able to function in society comfortably. I was diagnosed with autism last year at the age of 24, however, it was something that I had suspected for quite some time. This book reminds me that I should be able to do that without fear of being judged or other reprocussions and that I DESERVE to feel comfortable. Payments made using National Book Tokens are processed by National Book Tokens Ltd, and you can read their Terms and Conditions here. The title and the word “neurodivergent” suggests that this book is about different conditions that fall under the umbrella term, but it is mainly about Hayden’s own experiences with her being autistic.Vil spesielt anbefala an fordi an tar utgangspunkt i ein enkeltpersons opplevelser, i stedet for typiske kalde fakta som bøker om disse temaene ofta tar for seg. With more and more people identifying with autism, ADHD, OCD, mental health challenges and other forms of neurodivergence, it’s time to celebrate – not stigmatise – the beauty of difference.

In the same way that I found Chloe's channel when I needed it most, my greatest hope is that someone will find this book at any stage in their diagnostic journey, and feel the same sense of acceptance and relief I did. By writing this book, by sharing her story, Chloé has helped me to accept myself as I am, and to realise that my neurodivergence doesn't make me unworthy of a happily ever after. A wonderfully inclusive - and often wonderfully funny - exploration of neurodiversity that never fails to celebrate the positive, Different, Not Less resounds with the lived experience of its gifted author. Additionally I noticed that Hayden tries to use Disney fairytales as an analogy and stylistic device throughout the book but she’s not very consistent with it. Everyone should pick up this book and give it a read, broaden your horizons and learn about neurodivergence and disability and how we can better accomodate for our neurodivergent/disabled friends in society!It was clear to me throughout the entire book that Hayden comes from a background of immense privilege - she has always had access to people who support her and to the financial resources necessary to access supports and opportunities (a large supportive family, a full suite of medical testing, horse riding, surfing, overseas travel, private schools and home schooling, etc. This is a book to change lives, to inspire and has completely altered the way I see myself and my neurodivergence. I’ve been looking for books about neurodivergence written by neurodivergent authors and this has been a great place to start.