It is an altruistic theme, set to inspire a big global shift, this year for Autism awareness. The call to us all to ‘Embrace Difference’ evokes the deep human feelings of wanting to be and do better for a better world. It is a call we should listen to and act on.

First, we are alarmed, we are told there is something serious to worry about, we enter the intense stress state of ‘fight, flight, freeze’, then the action we are told to do is freeze – that’s your only option, and that doesn’t work well for most of us. It’s been going on for so long, and in some parts of the world so severe, that there would be identifiable changes in brain structure and function as a result.

OK, Team…we’ve got, give or take, 6 weeks or 42 days of school holidays to survive, thrive and make some happy holiday Family memories!

2020 has been a massive year! So we are going to go big and serve up 42 inspirations for you to whack on the fridge and check off those that sound like great ideas for your Family. In our next article, we are going to explain why these activities are brilliant for your brains too. We have done our best not to repeat any suggestions from last year, so if you are looking for even more you can always download the 2019 list and pop a big bright magnet on it as well.

Everything that is involved in preparing for and having a new human enter your world should be able to be on the table, no judgement. This is a time of mammoth change, especially if this is your first child. It is a transition period in your life that is worthy of even more dedicated time and energy as getting married; building a home; or learning to drive…having a baby involves elements of ALL big life events in ONE.

Is the prevalence of ADHD higher now than at any point in history?

The evidence leans both ways on this one. In the UK it appears to have plateaued; in the US it is on the rise; in Japan and Finland rates of diagnosis are very low. Regardless of the debate on the ups or downs, we know ADHD is the most common brain-based challenge facing Australian children and adolescents.

In a world that seems full to bursting with humans all shouting about “Right now!” and “Change today!”, it can be hard to find the right words to help people to think about the far off (but not that far) future. When we talk about dementia, most evidence suggests that informed preventative thinking and acting, right now, is the wisest choice and most significant action we can take for a brighter tomorrow.

When we worry too much, the visible structure and the way our brain functions changes. Day-by-day, night-by-night, we design it to create, feed and fuel worry, stress and anxiety. The very architecture of the brain becomes a home for agonising anxiety, instead of a calm abode for appropriate action.

What if someone told you that your pain from a physical injury is not a bad back, it’s not wrecked knees, or a frozen shoulder. What if you were told it’s your brain that’s hurting, not your body? You’d probably need a damn good explanation and some solid science to start thinking differently, wouldn’t you?

In a tough time, it seemed easy to take the well-worn start of looking at the definitions of working, together and ‘working together’ to help frame what this theme actually means. All the while considering, why do we still need to be told to work together? Are we all still trying to get on board with it because we all define the deeper meaning of ‘working together’ differently?

World Autism Awareness Day was on the 2nd of April 2020. Was it?

How many meaningful events have come up in this unprecedented calendar and been modified, moved or missed completely?