September 18, 2024

Conversation | Kieran Rose

1 hour 23 minutes

What does a meaningful conversation with a neurodivergent child actually look like? Mark chats with inspirational autism advocate Kieran Rose to unpack language and communication, and offer some fascinating insights into the different communication styles between neurodivergents and neurotypicals.

They discuss situational mutism, hyperverbalism, small talk and monotropism to shine a light on why conversations don’t always sound like we expect.

Kieran shares incredible insight from both personal and professional perspectives to explain how traditional communication expectations can alienate autistic, PDA and ADHD children, and how to create connection through listening, adaptation and patience.

A standout episode for any parent who’s ever worried they’re not ‘getting through’ to their child - and a brilliant reminder that connection comes in many forms.

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

Neurodive Podcast - https://soundcloud.com/neurodivepod/kieranrose

Kieran's website - https://theautisticadvocate.com/

Maori word for autism - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-40493398

KIERAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER READING:

A short (and very inexhaustive) list of Autistic advocates and allies no longer with us, who have made a phenomenally constructive difference to the narratives around Autistic and Neurodivergent people, but who never get the recognition of lauded non-Autistic people:

Jim Sinclair

Don't mourn for us - Jim Sinclair wrote one of the pivotal texts in the reframing of Autistic experience (opens as a PDF):

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://philosophy.ucsc.edu/SinclairDontMournForUs.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwik86zq-smIAxWCWUEAHQ2NH5UQFnoECCQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3WfDEINrbr2olYTgiO6ZKl

A book about Jim:

https://amzn.eu/d/3qalj4l

Donna Williams

Conceptualised a model of advocacy based on an inside-out approach - that observation based on your own or a normative experience can only take you so far.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Williams

She produced a massive number of books:

https://uk.jkp.com/collections/author-donna-williams-pid-199891

Mel Baggs:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Baggs

An old (quality is indicative of its age, so please bear with it) video on two parts that off a deep challenge to normative assumptions around communication and experience:

https://youtu.be/JnylM1hI2jc?si=IaPhwkiYn1vRmmlp

Dinah Murray

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinah_Murray

Co-creator of the theory of monotropism:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1362361305051398

A basic introduction:

https://youtu.be/qUFDAevkd3E?si=SMiSDEoiNcDtV2eg

Steve Silberman

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Silberman

The author of Neurotribes, a game changing book that brought a model of different, not less into the mainstream:

https://amzn.eu/d/clw0AD8

If you have any feedback about the show, ideas for topics or suggestions for neurodiversity champions you'd like us to give a shout out to, you can email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/neuroshambles

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Neuroshambles

Threads: www.threads.net/@neuroshambles

CREDITS

The Neuroshambles theme tune was created by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/

...more

View all episodes

By Mark Allen

33 ratings