Navigating Neurodiversity as a Mum with Disabilities: Storytelling for Family Connection

Neurodiversity and Parenting Challenges

Discover how a bedbound mum found purpose through storytelling, embracing neurodiversity to support her children and grandchildren with compassion, connection, and gentle bedtime tales.

Living with complex physical disabilities and mental health challenges shapes every part of life. For many years, belonging felt out of reach. Jobs provided income but not purpose. Friendships and relationships often ended painfully. Parenting felt like an uphill climb, weighed down by a heavy sense of failure and regret. If I had known then what I know now about neurodiversity, those overwhelming moments could have felt more manageable.

Discovering neurodiversity changed everything—not just for me, but for my children and grandchildren. Through learning and lived experience, I found clarity, compassion, and a new sense of purpose. Writing gentle bedtime stories became a way to soothe and support my family, and now I want to share that comfort with others.

What Neurodiversity Means for Families

Neurodiversity recognises and respects the natural variations in how people think, learn, and experience the world. For families like mine, it offers a framework to understand behaviours that once felt confusing or frustrating.

My daughter Meg, our son Riley, and granddaughter Aurora each experience the world uniquely. Riley, though biologically our grandson, has been part of our family since he was two days old officially, unofficially since he was a few hours old. He calls us Mummy and Dad by choice, and we proudly call him our son. His perspective has been a guiding light, helping us see beyond traditional expectations.

Learning about neurodiversity helped me:

• Recognise that meltdowns and dysregulation are not failures but signals of unmet needs.

• Develop patience and empathy for myself and my children.

• Find strategies to support emotional regulation and communication.

• Not be afraid to seek outside help.

  
  

This understanding transformed parenting from a source of stress into a journey of connection.

A motorised wheelchair parked next to a bed with soft blankets, symbolizing home and comfort

Finding Purpose Through Storytelling

As I deepened my knowledge through college courses and personal experience, I began writing bedtime stories tailored to my children’s needs. These stories are gentle, calming, and designed to help regulate emotions before sleep.

Writing became more than a creative outlet—it became a way to:

• Provide comfort during moments of anxiety or overwhelm.

• Build routines that signal safety and calm.

• Foster imagination and joy in a world that often feels limiting.

  
  

From these stories, Neurodiverse Tales was born. The goal is simple: to offer families stories that soothe, support emotional regulation, and carry away the worries of the day.

Practical Tips for Supporting Neurodiverse Children

Based on my journey, here are some practical ways to support neurodiverse children, especially when physical disabilities or mental health challenges are part of the family dynamic:

• Create predictable routines Consistency helps children feel safe and reduces anxiety.

• Use calming storytelling Gentle stories with familiar characters can ease transitions and bedtime struggles.

• Recognise triggers Pay attention to what causes distress and develop strategies to manage or avoid those triggers.

• Encourage self-expression Allow children to communicate their feelings in ways that work for them, whether through words, art, or movement.

• Seek support networks Connect with other families and professionals who understand neurodiversity to share advice and encouragement.

  
  

These steps helped me navigate parenting with more confidence and less guilt.

A handwritten bedtime storybook with colorful illustrations resting on a bedside table, evoking warmth and comfort

Embracing Growth and Connection

My journey is ongoing. I continue to learn, grow, and adapt as a neurodiverse mum and grandmother living with physical disabilities. The challenges remain, but so does the hope and purpose I found through storytelling.

If you are a parent or caregiver feeling overwhelmed, know that understanding neurodiversity can open doors to compassion and connection. Writing or sharing stories might be a way to bring calm and joy into your home.

The stories I write are not perfect solutions, but they offer a gentle hand to hold during difficult moments. Through them, I hope to help other families feel less alone and more understood.

Neurodiverse Tales & Hoggy 🦔

Every family’s journey is unique, but none of us are alone. Through Neurodiverse Tales, I hope to share comfort, connection, and the reminder that neurodiversity is not a challenge to be fixed, but a gift to be embraced.