This week, my school homework is to create something associated with the theme “When I grow up, I hope to…..”. I have chosen to write a blog, because this – and art of course! – is how I like to express myself. I hope you find it interesting.
When I grow up, I hope to continue to campaign to raise awareness of neurodiversity, in particular to improve SEND support and mental health support in schools. I hope to do this by continuing my Twitter campaign, my blog, and by protesting and writing articles and speaking in public. I know that not everyone can talk about the way their neurodiversity and their mental health affects them, and I worry when vulnerable people in our country don’t always have a voice. By being brave enough to talk about these things myself, I hope I can show others that they are not alone, and inspire them to get the support that they need. I hope I can use my art to express my feelings, and also to help people who do not find reading the easiest way to communicate.
Since I got my ADHD diagnosis, I have been inspired by meeting and hearing about other people with ADHD who have been successful in the areas that I hope to make a difference in when I grow up. For example, Siena Castellon has shown me that it is possible to campaign and write books, Richard Branson has shown me that it is possible to be a successful entrepreneur, Simone Biles has used her creativity to be an Olympic medal winner, and Emma Watson has used her voice to empower women across the world. It is so important for children like me to have role models, especially when ADHD is not very well understood by my friends. These role models make me feel a bit relieved that my feelings have a name, and that I am not alone but other people understand the way my brain works. When I grow up, I hope to set up a “pairing up” programme. This would pair up children and young people with neurodiverse grown ups who are working in the area that the young people would like to work in. I think that these grown ups will understand the challenges that children and young people like me face better than people without the same diagnosis. I hope that these grown ups can offer young people practical advice and guidance and can also inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams.
Thank you for reading this blog, I hope you find my ideas interesting and that I can count on your support when I set up my pairing up programme! I believe that it is important that people work together to help children across the world to achieve great things.
*Thank you to @ChatterPackUK for making my artwork look great and for providing such great information about ADHD and SEND*