In today’s blog, we look at a typical day for a neurodivergent child; a day in the life of a child living with a neurodiverse condition. Neurodiversity and neurodiverse conditions in children are heard of more as they are being diagnosed at earlier stages of childhood. Parents themselves have become more educated around what their children are thinking, and how they involve themselves with the world around them. However, there are still some parents who do not discuss their child’s diagnosis for fear of it being a taboo subject in their culture and how society might react and treat them differently.
A Typical day for a Child with a Neurodiverse Condition
Waking Up
Waking up in the morning as a child with a neurodiverse condition such as autism or ADHD can often be challenging. Not because of what lies ahead in the day, but actually getting out of bed. The bed is a nice, warm and safe place and moving from it can be discomforting, making it hard to process getting out of bed. Eventually, getting out of bed is needed, and some support from parents is sometimes needed to make it happen.
Preparing for the Day Ahead
The day ahead is likely already planned out by the child and or parent, knowing exactly what they want to do and making sure they know what they’ve planned will happen. Taking a shower or a bath might be too much in the morning for a child suffering from a neurodiverse condition, but breakfast can often be a good way to wake up. Usually, the type of breakfast won’t change too frequently as children know what they like, and are happy to stick to it.
Even putting clothes on can be tough, but finding the right outfit with the help of parents can be a fun way to find comfortable and nicely fitting clothes for your child. It is not always straightforward, but the right clothes can often be found quickly.
Starting School, or the Day
School can often be hard for children who have a neurodiverse condition, as other children with neurotypical minds will not understand the differences well enough to support friends or classmates with neurodiverse conditions. Schools in the UK have started to help children with learning support, as the education syllabus can be tough for people with neurodiverse conditions.
Educational support is a great benefit to have during school, because everyone learns differently, especially people who have neurodiverse conditions. Concentration in school with one of these conditions can also be challenging, as a condition like autism can lead to extended periods of concentration, whereas ADHD may feature shorter attention spans, meaning lesser periods of concentration.
Unexpected Feelings during the Day
There’s no question that when living with a neurodiverse condition, unexpected and often unwanted feelings can creep into your child’s mind, causing panic or distress. They may feel someone is judging them, or maybe when they couldn’t complete a task or school project they were left out or “lesser” compared to their classmates – this can all occur on a daily basis is there are no systems and processes in place to support your child. Thankfully, there are exercises that can help children understand what they’re feeling and manage them. These are called ASD.
Watching TV
Watching TV for a child who has a neurodiverse condition can be a great way to find peace with their mind and thoughts at the time. Although a child with autism, ADHD, and Tourette’s syndrome may find themselves watching the same show or film every few days – this is because it’s a child’s happy place. They know it’s safe, and that they enjoy it. This is part of the repetition often found in a child with neurodiverse conditions.
Bedtime
Going to bed can be easy for a child with neurodiverse conditions as this is just a normal task that everyone does in their days, both neurotypical and neurodiverse. Although conditions such as ADHD can make a child restless, hopefully, food and a few activities before sleeping will help make them tired so sleep can be easy, and they are refreshed and ready for the next day.
Conclusion on a Typical Day for a Neurodivergent
Overall, having a neurodiverse condition as a child can and will impact childhood and neurotypical childhood activities on a daily basis. As much as having one of these conditions is a blessing and comes with many advantages, there are still many challenges to overcome. Professional help and friendly support are available, so if you’re struggling with your child, reach out to your doctor and you can always find support and guidance at The Neurodiversity Hub.