…More Than Quirky

More Than Quirky seeks to empower neurodivergent people through understanding and conversation.

By sharing information, as well as directly answering questions from parents and teachers of neurodivergent children, More Than Quirky seeks to highlight the strengths of neurodivergent people, and to explain any behaviours or hurdles that neurotypical people struggle to understand, in order to increase positivity in the neurodivergent community. More Than Quirky wants to bridge the gap between neurodivergent and neurotypical people by educating both sides on each other’s needs and developing a sense of compromise and mutual understanding, rather than encouraging neurodivergent people to mask or forcefully learn neurotypical behaviours.

QUIRKY. SHE’S QUIRKY. SHE’S JUST QUIRKY.

When I pursued confirmation of autism for my own child, I was met with multiple renowned paediatricians who dismissed her as “quirky”. She’s verbal, gifted, has solid social relationships, could answer their questions, wears a mask better than Batman, and didn’t stim in public. According to those paediatricians I was impatient, frustrated by normal child behaviours, needed to improve discipline and take a parenting course or seven to handle her “tantrums”, and should do a million things I was already doing consistently and had been doing for years.

According to them, she wasn’t autistic. She was quirky.

But she wasn’t quirky. She was more than quirky.

More than quirky in that she was clearly neurodivergent and needed this recognised in order to her the support and understanding she needed – and deserved – at school, at parties, at family events, at extracurricular classes. It’s astounding how different the response to crying at swimming lessons is when you say, “I think she’s just tired or having a bad day,” opposed to, “She’s autistic, she’s finding this scary, and she’s trying her hardest.” It’s appalling how the poor schools need that official piece of paper in order to get the funding to support the kids who need some extra help, even if they’re willing and able to flag those kids for extra support without it. She’s more than quirky, in that she’ll fly under the radar for months without teachers recognising her giftedness, or noticing her learning difficulties.

More than quirky in that she’s not just her “diagnosis”. She’s not amazing despite her autism; she’s autistic and amazing. She’s more than quirky; she’s incredible. She is empathic and affectionate and kind, she can solve problems and puzzles faster than most other kids her age and in ways most people wouldn’t even consider, she’s creative, she’s got a fantastic sense of humour, she’s feisty and stubborn and determined, she’s independent and autonomous, she’s a steadfast and devoted friend. She’s more than quirky. She’s more than her quirks. She is her quirks and more.

All neurodivergent people are More Than Quirky. They are amazing. Just as neurotypicals are. We all are.

More Than Quirky hopes to reduce the stigma, the taboo, the boundaries, the misunderstandings, the shame, the guilt, the fear, and more, through conversation, communication, information, and understanding.

…Jen

Jen is a neuroaffirming autism advocate and neurodivergence communicator. She is autistic, has ADHD and a number of other neurodivergence-related acronyms under her belt, and is also a parent to neurodivergent kids.

Jen has extensive experience working with children and teenagers with complex health conditions and additional needs, and as an expert communicator.

She is especially passionate about educating the parents, family, and teachers of neurodivergent kids, to allow ND children to be their best and happiest selves without the need for masking or forced neurotypical behaviours. Jen’s approaches are all neuroaffirming, and are both lived-experience and research informed.

Jen’s educational background includes a Psychology degree and Education qualifications from Macquarie University. As a NESA-registered teacher, she has been known to dabble in casual teaching when she needs a dose of fun and a reminder that thinking and behaving like a child can be of huge benefit to everyone.

Outside of her neuroaffirming and NFP work, Jen is an accomplished writer and artist, particularly in watercolours.

She lives with her husband, three children, two cats, and dog, in Sydney, Australia.