The Library of Neurodivergent Alexandria
An open archive of neurodivergent voices: writing, talks, podcasts and stories, gathered by the NeuroHub community.
A hall of the Library
Assessment queues, rationing and 'overdiagnosis' headlines, and what they really mean for neurodivergent people trying to be recognised.
Waiting lists are usually discussed as an inconvenience. New research suggests that for ADHDers, they are a question of risk. A meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open links ADHD to a 70% higher…
If you are Autistic, waiting for an assessment, or supporting an Autistic child, you have probably seen the headlines. People “incentivised” to get diagnoses, an overdiagnosis crisis, a government…
Welcome to October’s Neurodiversity Newsletter October is both AAC Awareness Month and ADHD Awareness Month, designed to dispel myths and spread understanding. Augmentative and alternative…
Content Note: This essay discusses sexual assault on college campuses and in the military, including specific cases and how institutions responded to them. It names what happened without graphic…
Waiting lists are usually discussed as an inconvenience. New research suggests that for ADHDers, they are a question of risk. A meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open links ADHD to a 70% higher…
I was 40. I was at a conference. The energy! I was among my people (I thought) feeling like I belonged — really belonged! It was heady, something I had really never felt before. I had knowledge and…
Content note: this post discusses psychosis, psychiatric diagnosis, burnout and dehumanisation. It does not describe self-harm or crisis in detail. Support links are at the end. In Brief Symphrenia…
.png)
Introduction Welcome to our special edition totally dedicated to the subject of mental health. This is being published in the lead up to world mental health day on Saturday October 10. There will be…
Content note: this essay discusses psychosis, psychiatric diagnosis, burnout, and the institutional treatment of Mad people. It does not describe self-harm or crisis in detail. Support links are at…
I met a woman this weekend who recently recognized her neurodivergence. She is a creator, a writer, an artist. She’s had an amazing career. Now she is asking existential questions and expressing a…
Introduction Well it's been a bit of a week. Welcome to a special edition of THE MAG packed to the brim with listings for the neurodivergent communities of East and West Sussex. A heavy cold has…
Wyrd was Old English for fate. It became weird, and then weird became a diagnosis. A sheet on the demotion of a word, the Weird Sisters, changelings, refusal, and an idea of normal barely two…
Introduction Another week and here we are again with edition three of THE MAG EXTRA. It's even longer than last week's epic and there will be some additional articles added this weekend. Believe me,…
I am Autistic. I know this, not only because I was diagnosed after extensive assessment, but also because of my feeling of belonging within the Autistic cultural ecosystem. I am, however, plagued by…
I am Autistic. I know this, not only because I was diagnosed after extensive assessment, but also because of my feeling of belonging within the Autistic cultural ecosystem. I am, however, plagued by…
Introduction Welcome to THE MAG EXTRA which is packed with news, reviews, previews and feature articles. There’s everything from basketball to comics and artwork to panto (oh yes there is) so I hope…
The next MAG EXTRA is almost with us, it just needs the images inserting. It's 14,000 words long, so as a taster here's a list of some of the top events taking place in the coming weeks in Brighton…
If you are Autistic, waiting for an assessment, or supporting an Autistic child, you have probably seen the headlines. People “incentivised” to get diagnoses, an overdiagnosis crisis, a government…
Introduction Welcome to another MAG SPECIAL which is absolutely packed with information. This time around we have a review of the Autistic Pride event held in Brighton last weekend. Then we look at…
THE MAG PRIDE SPECIAL Introduction Welcome to THE MAG PRIDE SPECIAL. It's going to be a busy few weeks in Brighton & Hove with so much going on.. Anyone who lives in this city will be used to the…
Diagnosis has a terrible history. That is not a sentence therapists say often enough. We like to imagine the history of mental health as a steady march toward truth: each generation becoming more…
THE MAG EXTRA Introduction Welcome to THE MAG EXTRA, my companion blog to THE MAG which was launched at the end of June. Thank you for the positive response shown to that and it is well worth paying…
If someone had suggested to me a few months ago that I would be writing this blog, I would have probably looked at them in sheer disbelief. I turned 65 on June 19 but it was only in mid-May of this…
THE MAG Welcome to THE MAG by Stephen Ashfield July is going to be a very busy month on the Brighton autism/ADHD scene and just wait until August comes along. There are plenty of events taking place…