Therapeutic Gaming, Fantasy Role-Playing and Neurodivergent Mental Health: What the Research Shows
Exploring the Canadian and international research behind belonging, immersive gaming experiences, collaborative fantasy adventures, and neuroaffirming mental health programming. What Does a Good Quality of Life Look Like for a Neurodivergent Child? Every parent wants their child to experience a fulfilling life. One that includes happiness, emotional well-being, meaningful relationships, opportunities to pursue their interests, […]
How Gaming and Fantasy Adventures Can Support Neurodivergent Kids’ Mental Wellness
Exploring how immersive worlds, shared adventures, and meaningful connections can help children and youth experience belonging. Every parent wants their child to have a good life. To feel happy, confident, understood, and accepted. To develop meaningful friendships, discover their strengths, and find places where they genuinely belong. But what happens when your child wants connection […]
Aging with ADHD and Menopause: Why Many Women Feel Alone, Foggy, and Misunderstood
I was well into menopause and just beginning to understand my ADHD when I started searching for answers. I had finally made sense of my brain — the years of pushing harder, compensating, finding workarounds just to keep up. For the first time, there was language for what I had lived. There was relief in […]
Preparing Neurodivergent Kids for the Holidays: Reducing Stress and Creating Meaningful Traditions
The holiday season often comes with high expectations and a desire to create the perfect day. Parents may feel pressure to prepare beautiful meals, find the right gifts, and capture those picture-perfect moments. However, for many neurodivergent children, the holiday hustle and bustle can be overwhelming rather than joyful. Instead of excitement, they might experience stress, […]
Women Working Later in Life: Rewriting the Midlife Script
When I look back at my mother’s generation, many women had already stepped out of the workforce by their early 50s. Some never even entered careers in the paid labour force at all. Retirement was often expected — sometimes even encouraged — whether or not they were ready. Their lives revolved around home, family, and […]
The Core Principles of Neurodiversity Affirming Care at NeuroNest
Many parents come to us after trying approaches that focused heavily on compliance — often because that’s what funding covers or what professionals recommend. While these methods may produce short-term results, parents often share that they don’t sit right in the long run. That’s because real growth doesn’t come from forcing compliance. It comes from […]
Coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder: Finding Light in the Darker Months
As the days grow shorter and the nights stretch longer, many people begin to notice shifts in their mood and energy levels. Around December 21st, the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in Canada, bringing with it the least amount of daylight. Coupled with the clock change in early November, when we […]
How to Bring Neurodiversity Affirming Care Into Schools and Everyday Life
If you’ve begun using gentler, neurodiversity-affirming approaches at home, you may already notice small but meaningful shifts—perhaps fewer power struggles, calmer mornings, or your child feeling more understood. However, many parents share a common concern: “That’s all good at home, but school is a whole different story.” The school environment can feel overwhelming when teachers expect strict […]
Everyday Ways to Bring Neurodiversity Affirming Care Into Your Child’s Life
Parenting neurodivergent children, especially those who experience intense emotions, school avoidance, or high anxiety, can be overwhelming. Many parents have been advised to “hold firm,” “not give in,” or simply “outwait” their child during moments of distress. If you’ve ever found yourself locked in a power struggle with your child, feeling stuck and exhausted, you […]
Holding Gratitude in a Season of Change
This Thanksgiving, I’m approaching the season with a quieter, deeper kind of gratitude. Life has been moving quickly — we’ve been growing our team, expanding our programs, and reaching more families than ever before. We are just completing a major clinic expansion, more than doubling our space to welcome new programs, create a gross motor […]