Why It Matters to Listen to Your Neurodivergent Kids Growing up, I felt like I was never really taken seriously by my mom when it came to things that mattered deeply to me—like my emotions, my sensory struggles, or how certain situations made me feel unsafe or overwhelmed. I would try to explain, but it got brushed aside. I think a lot of it came down to her being more practical than emotional in her parenting. She wasn’t trying to hurt me. She just didn’t really understand what I needed. But the thing is—that misunderstanding still hurt. When you're neurodivergent, especially as a kid, you often don’t have the words to explain what's going on in your body and mind. I didn’t. I just knew that sounds were too loud, lights were too bright, and my emotions felt like tidal waves I couldn’t control. I didn’t need anyone to fix me—I needed someone to believe me. To say, “I hear you. That sounds hard. I’m here.” I know now that I was masking a lot—hiding t...