My Short Stories
Through my stories, I share real thoughts, feelings and experiences about growing up with a different brain, in the hope that other children feel understood and adults understand a little more too.
My Stories
When The World Feels Turned Up Too Loud
Sometimes shopping and crowds can feel really overwhelming for me. It can feel like everything is closing in and all the noises, lights, colours and people suddenly get turned all the way up. My brain finds it hard to sort everything out at once, and it can make me feel stressed, panicky or upset really quickly.
It doesn’t happen all the time though. Sometimes I can be completely fine, and other times even a small busy shop can feel too much. It can depend on how tired I am, what mood I’m in, or how full my brain already feels that day. I think that’s something lots of people don’t understand, just because I managed it one day doesn’t mean it will feel the same the next time.
There are things that help me when this happens. I use my Loop earplugs to make things quieter, and I have a sunflower lanyard that helps people know I might need a little extra understanding. Sometimes I just need a short break somewhere quiet. And sometimes the best thing for me is leaving completely and that’s okay too.
Things That Help Me In Busy Places
- 🎧 Wearing my Loop earplugs helps make the noise feel quieter.
- 🌤️ My sunflower lanyard helps people understand I might need extra support.
- 🧍 Having space around me can help me feel calmer.
- ⏸️ Taking little breaks somewhere quiet really helps my brain reset.
- 🫶 Staying close to someone I trust makes me feel safer.
- 📱 Sometimes listening to music or using my iPad helps me focus on one thing.
- 🚪 Leaving early is okay if everything starts to feel too much.
- 💜 Being patient with me helps more than people realise.
My Stories
It's Not Really About The T-Shirt
The other morning, I needed a particular piece of clothing for my school show. Everyone kept telling me not to worry because it would be ready in time, but my brain wouldn't let the worry go. The more people reassured me, the more stuck I felt. When I ended up being five minutes late for school, everything felt even bigger.
Today was a dress-down day at school, and I couldn't decide what to wear. My penguin T-shirt felt too childish. My Star Wars T-shirt felt wrong too. I worried people might comment on what I was wearing. The more I thought about it, the harder it became to choose. In the end, everything felt too much and I had a meltdown.
When this happens, it helps when people stay calm. Sometimes I need reassurance, sometimes I need choices, and sometimes I just need everyone to stop talking for a bit. Going low-demand helps because my brain already feels overloaded. Sometimes talking about a plan, a shopping trip, or what we can do next helps me feel safe again. And sometimes I just need time.
Meltdowns aren't me being difficult. They're what happens when my brain gets overwhelmed and gets stuck. What looks like a problem about clothes is often really a problem about worry, pressure, uncertainty, or feeling like everything is happening at once.
💜 Things That Help Me
- Stay calm, even if I am not.
- Give me a little space if I need it.
- Offer a couple of choices instead of lots of options.
- Keep demands low when I'm overwhelmed.
- Help me make a simple plan.
- Don't rush me to make a decision.
- Remember that my meltdown is usually about feeling overwhelmed, not about the thing I'm upset about.
- Give me time to recover afterwards.
My Stories
The Secret Whisper Clouds
Sometimes my brain gets full.
Not because anyone has been mean.
Not because I'm upset.
Just because sometimes being with people uses up my energy.
When my "people battery" starts running low, I know what I need.
I go home.
I spend a few days doing things that make my brain feel calm again.
Reading.
Drawing.
Playing games.
Watching my favourite shows.
Then, when my battery has charged back up, I'm ready to see my friends again.
I don't mind if my friends spend time together while I'm resting.
In fact...
I'm glad they're having fun.
But sometimes something makes my tummy feel wobbly.
It's when people whisper.
Whisper...
Whisper...
Giggle...
My brain starts wondering...
"Are they talking about me?"
"Have I done something wrong?"
"Do they still want to be my friend?"
The funny thing is...
I don't even mind if they're making plans without me.
Really!
Sometimes I wouldn't even want to go because I know my brain needs a quiet day.
I just wish people wouldn't make it into a secret.
Secrets can make people's imaginations work overtime.
Kind words don't have to be whispered.
If someone said,
"We're going to the park tomorrow."
I'd probably smile and say,
"Have fun!"
Because I know there will be another day when my battery is full again.
Good friends don't have to do everything together.
Good friends tell the truth kindly.
Good friends understand that everyone needs different things.
Some people need more adventures.
Some people need more quiet.
And both are perfectly okay.
💜 Things That Can Help
😊 It's okay to have other friends.
Nobody has to spend all their time together. It's normal to have different friends and do different things.
💬 Try not to whisper in front of people.
Even if you're not talking about them, whispering can make someone wonder if they've done something wrong.
🗣️ Just be honest.
If you're making plans with someone else, it's kinder to say so than to make it feel like a secret.
🔋 Everyone's social battery is different.
Some people can spend all day with friends. Some people need quiet time to recharge. Both are completely okay.
📩 Keep asking.
If someone says "No thanks" today, don't stop asking them next time. They might just need a break.
💜 Don't make people guess.
Guessing can make people worry about things that aren't even true.
🌈 Everyone is different, and that's a good thing.
Some people love big groups. Some people like one friend at a time. There's no right or wrong way to be a friend.
⭐ The best friends help each other feel safe.
You don't have to be perfect. Just be kind, honest and let people be themselves.
My Stories
Chaos Mountain
If you looked at my bedroom, you might think...
"Wow! What happened in here?"
Sometimes it looks like there has been a tiny tornado.
Clothes are on the floor.
Books are in funny places.
There are cups that somehow appeared from nowhere.
I don't even know how it happened.
The strange thing is...
I don't like it.
I love looking at pictures of tidy bedrooms.
I even ask ChatGPT to design beautiful rooms for me.
When I see them, I think,
"That's exactly what I want!"
So why doesn't my room stay like that?
I ask myself that too.
When there are only a few things to put away, I can usually do it.
But then life happens.
I come home from school.
I get changed.
I start drawing.
I find something I've been looking for.
I get distracted.
One thing becomes five things.
Five things become twenty things.
Then one day I look around and...
My brain freezes.
I don't know where to start.
Every toy...
Every sock...
Every pencil...
Every pile...
Feels like it's shouting at me all at once.
The mess doesn't just fill my room.
It fills my brain.
Sometimes I stand there wanting to tidy it.
But instead...
I walk away.
Not because I don't care.
Because I care so much that I don't know what to do first.
When it gets really bad, my Granma helps me press the reset button.
We tidy it together.
Suddenly I can breathe again.
I always tell myself,
"This time I'll keep it tidy."
Sometimes I do.
Sometimes I don't.
And that's okay.
I'm still learning what works for my brain.
Maybe one day I'll find the trick.
Until then...
I'm trying my best.
And sometimes trying your best is enough.
💜 Things That Can Help
🧸 Don't tell me to tidy my whole room.
That feels much too big.
📦 Help me choose just one thing.
One shelf. One drawer. One corner.
⏰ Ten minutes is easier than one hour.
Small jobs don't feel as scary.
🎵 Sometimes music helps my brain get moving.
🤝 Sometimes I need someone to help me start.
Once I've started, it gets much easier.
🌈 Please don't think I'm lazy.
I really do want a tidy room.
💜 Every reset is a fresh start.
It doesn't matter how many times I need one.
Would You Like To Share Your Stories?
“I would love to hear your story too. Sometimes sharing our feelings can help other people feel less alone.” — Maddie
