About our family

Welcome to Our "Neurospicy" Corner of the World !

Hello and welcome. If you have found your way here, you might be feeling exhausted, misunderstood, or perhaps just looking for a sign that you aren’t doing this alone.

I’m Joanna, mother to three incredibly wild and wonderfully complex children.

We are what we affectionately call a "Neurospicy" family. Our home is a dynamic mix of big emotions, executive dysfunction, sensory quirks, and profound love. We don’t fit into the standard boxes society tries to squeeze families into, and for a long time, we tried to hide that. Now, we are learning to build a life around it.

Who We Are

Like many parents of our generation, my husband and I were raised as "neurotypical". In the 80s and 90s, you were generally labeled either "autistic" or "normal", with very little nuance in between.

As we began navigating our children’s diagnoses, we held a mirror up to ourselves. We are both self-diagnosed Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) and navigate our own forms of ADHD (leaning toward the inattentive side).

Our children are the heartbeat of this journey:

  • The Eldest: Our daughter is largely neurotypical, though she navigates some anxiety and has the sensitive soul of an HSP.
  • The Boys: Between our two sons, we manage a unique and potent cocktail of neurodivergence, including ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), ADHD, Dyslexia, HSP and HPI (High Intellectual Potential - also known as Giftedness).



Why This Space Exists

For years, I found it incredibly isolating to navigate a society that still carries deep stigma regarding neurodivergence. I felt the gap widening between us and the parents of neurotypical children… the "easy" playdates and the intuitive school runs that felt like climbing Everest for us.

We faced the lack of adapted support in traditional schools. We faced the exhausting, bureaucratic maze of getting accurate diagnoses for complex cases. We faced the judgment of a world that viewed our children’s meltdowns as "bad behavior" rather than a distress signal.

We took it one challenge at a time, one discovery at a time, one solution at a time. It was difficult, time-consuming, and deeply impacted our mental well-being.

Finding Our Own Way

Eventually, we realised we couldn't wait for the world to change for our children; we had to change our world to fit them.

This led to some radical decisions, including leaving the traditional school system and also moving to the countryside. We realised that for our neurodivergent little people to thrive, they needed a safe, calm, and regulated environment… something a noisy, crowded city and/or classroom simply couldn't provide. We enrolled them in an accredited online school, which has been the best decision for their education and our family’s sanity.

We also overhauled how we play and live. We are intentional about the toys, games, and activities we choose, prioritising tools that help them regulate rather than over-excite their already busy brains.

A Realistic Promise

I want to be very clear: We have not "fixed" our children’s neurodivergence.

They still have meltdowns. We still struggle… a lot. But we have finally seen the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. By understanding the complexity of their brains and implementing real changes, we have built a life that feels safe to live in. We finally have room to be all of us.



Let’s Build a Village

I created this website to share the wealth of information, research, and personal trials we have accumulated. I want this to be a legacy for other parents, so you can find your way a little faster than we did.

This is a space anchored in science, but driven by a strong personal touch. I am not here to sell you a magic cure. I am here to share:

  • Useful insights on parenting neurodivergent kids.
  • Honest reviews on products and regulation tools that actually work.
  • Societal reflections on the challenges we face.
  • A sense of belonging.

 

Join the Safe Harbour 🌈 ♾️

We must create our own village in a world that doesn’t quite speak our language, yet. I hope that by reading our story, you feel a sense of relief and think, "Yes, that’s what I feel. I am not alone in my fears or my questions".

To make this village a reality, I have also created a dedicated Parent Support Hub on Facebook. It is a safe harbour designed specifically for the "multi-neurodivergent" family... a place where science meets raw, lived experience.

Here, we stop the translation. Here you don’t have to explain why a sock seam caused a meltdown, because we already know. We gather to troubleshoot the cocktail of diagnoses, focus on regulation over compliance, and lower our collective stress through genuine connection. 

If you are tired of feeling that "Invisible Wall" between your reality and the rest of the world, come sit with us. There's a spot for you at our table.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingneurodivergentchildren

Welcome to the village. We are so glad you are here.