Out of the box by Madonna King and Rebecca Sparrow

Described as a “one-stop guide to navigating neurodivergence” journalist Madonna King and teen educator Rebecca Sparrow gathered information from Australian families, teachers and global experts to bring together the latest tips and advice about navigating the world of a neurodivergent (NT) teenager and how some of the care, consideration and structure we can surround these kids with can also benefit neurotypical (NT) teens who can also  be struggling. The reader is provided with a useful glossary of terms, introduced to the language used and is asked to consider some pre-conceived ideas in the community about conditions like autism. It then moves on to diagnosis, labels and language, there are fly-out quotes from parents like 'I had no idea what ADHD was. I used to call her an airhead. Her year 3 teacher suggested there may be a problem' p. 16.

The rest of the book is divided into four parts under the headings of ‘Friendships’, ‘Education’, ‘Spreading Your Wings’ and ‘The Future Looks Bright’. In each section there are personal stories from parents and teens that are poignant, along with those of teachers who often find themselves untrained and unprepared for the adjustments they must make to accommodate the range of differences in their class. Their stories are backed up by experts in their field and a comprehensive section at the end of the book outlines resources for parents, educators and for ND kids and teens. I was impressed by the inclusion of specific examples of ways to improve outcomes for ND kids like Professor Linda Graham’s simple examples of how teachers and parents can provide repetition, issue instructions in brief sentences and ‘No soliloquies, where they just tell kids to do five things then wonder why they’ve only done one' p96. Interacting with ND teens will never be simple though and it was a privilege to read the personal stories shared by so many. This accessible book takes us through some of the nuanced divergences and helps us to understand and value the different perspectives ND individuals can bring to our lives.

Themes: Neurodiversity, Autism, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Sue Speck