Hi, I'm Alana
I’m a late diagnosed ADHDer and researcher raising a neurodivergent family.
Like many moms I have very few photos of myself and even fewer of me without my kids so you'll have to settle for a poorly lit photo of me and my border collies.
My Story
I spent the better part of my life unsure of why I was different... why social interactions could be confusing and were always draining, why I had many aspirations and very little follow through.
In high school, I skirted by.
University was a different ball game and I was dropping the proverbial ball. I sought an assessment but, like many other neurodivergent females was dismissed. I hobbled through to finish my degree. But because my grades ran the alphabet, I knew I couldn't get into grad school.
My twenties and most of my thirties were marred by difficulties with executive dysfunction and self-loathing. On a whim, I went back to school just before the pandemic hit because I wanted a shot at grad school. My BA2 (second bachelor’s) was formative in that I was identified as neurodivergent (finally), studied through the pandemic with a child climbing on my lap, and took courses in intergroup relations (social justice) and developmental disabilities.
Since then my research has been focused on families like my own and understanding neurodivergence as a cultural minority.
I defended an honours thesis that examined parental perceptions of autism. I graduated with grades that would merit distinction if it weren’t my second degree ( #ableism ) and was accepted into a highly competitive graduate program. The counselling psychology masters tends to have ~400 applicants for 12 seats. Now, I’m in my second year seeing my first clients and working on a masters thesis. The plan is to explore the barriers parents like us face and how may of us need to adovcate to have our children’s needs met.
I am anything but an expert, but am comitted to continuing to learn both through my lived experience, reading about others lived experience, and through research.
Follow along and share your own insights as I invariably make typos, post and share regularly-ish and likely hyperfixate on dogs completely out of context…
Contact
Let's connect. Follow me on social media or send me an email with your thoughts, questions, or insights.