My most-read articles from the past month
Spring is coming!
We live in Manitoba, Canada, a province which experiences some of the coldest winters anywhere. Our capital city, Winnipeg, was listed at #28 of the 30 coldest cities on earth!
As someone who loves being outside, camping in particular, winters can be tough. I do enjoy hockey and skiing, but I am very much looking forward to another summer adventure.
That said, if I’m going to spend 6 weeks on the road again this summer, I’d better keep myself very busy writing over the next couple of months. I published 24 stories on Medium this month (this will be #25), and 30 in January!
I didn’t even realize until now I had done that, it might be the most I’ve published in one month in my nearly two years writing on Medium. With that, I will share with you the five most popular articles I posted in the past month.
5) The Kids Aren’t Alright
Trying, once again, to be heard by the powers that be during inclusive education month. Last year I wrote an open letter to our Minister of Education, after trying in vain to get his attention through various means.
4) Nobody Owes You Nice
Respect is important, but nice is overrated.
Being nice is not more important than being thinking critically and calling out problematic behaviour. People’s feelings are not more important than social justice, especially when those feelings are fragile privileged ones.
3) Autism “Bewareness” Campaigns
This April, pease don’t light it up blue or use puzzle pieces for “awareness”.
The best way to be an ally to a marginalized group is to actually listen to them. I realize that most neurotypical (NT) people who use these symbols have good intentions and are trying to support Autistic people.
Autism “Bewareness” Campaigns: A Cautionary Tale
2) Organization Strategies for Neurodivergents
(and everyone else)
Help overcoming executive functioning challenges and inertia. I’m standing in the middle of my home office. The surface of my desk is covered with papers, sticky notes, and dirty coffee mugs. I take a few steps towards it, then stop…
My most popular article from this month was boosted by Medium staff!
1) Our Kids Are Already Resilient
We don’t need to teach them hard lessons, they’re already learning them.
“There is nobody more resilient than a child who has fought hard to function in a world not built for them.”
— Heidi Mavir
Resilience versus compliance
The definition of resiliency is, “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change”.
The definition of compliance is, “a disposition to yield to others; the act or process of complying to a desire, demand, or coercion”.
Why the English lesson? We need to remember the difference. Sometimes we use “resilience” to mean “this person should do what we want them to”, rather than helping them develop the skills needed to meet their own goals.
Our Kids Are Already Resilient
Coming up
February was inclusive education month, and March is Women’s History Month. March also includes international women’s day, brain awareness week, and the Spring equinox!
April is Autism Acceptance Month (formerly autism “awareness” month), so you can expect a lot of content related to Autistic self-advocacy and Autistic appreciation.
Stay tuned!
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB
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Honourable mentions
Three additional articles that did really well this month.