This weeks blog is dedicated to author Matt Haig. For those of you who don’t know, Matt has spoken for the first time about his recent ASD and ADHD diagnosis and how it has put so many things into perspective for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His style is highly readable, switching seamlessly between humour and poignancy, but this conceals his pursuit of deeper literary concerns. In his adult fiction, in particular, Haig employs a succession of unusual narrators to dissect family life and dysfunction, exploring notions of anxiety, suppression and control in the context of familial relationships.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n British council literature<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt took to Instagram to explain how he has always felt a little different to his peers and that this has lead him to struggle with his mental health. Something for which I must say, he writes impeccably about. His books the “Midnight Library” and “Reasons To Stay Alive” were transformative for me personally. HOWEVER…<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why I feel so strongly about getting a diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For us, it has always made sense that having a label didn’t need to define Archie but we NEEDED that label to get the correct support for us, our son and his siblings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No one wants their child to be in a position where a diagnosis is necessary, but when you are in it, accept it, use it, learn about it and embrace it. It took us a couple of months to grieve (sounds weird but that’s how it felt) and then we were able to push on and educate ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe that, in the end, your child will thank you for it and that you, as a loving parent, won’t live in guilt regretting the signs that you ignored because it was all too much. AND IT IS, IT’S REALLY SCARY but it is also beautiful and life changing in so many positive ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think that your child may have ASD please click on this link<\/a> and it will take you directly to the National Autistic Society. They have so much wonderful and useful information for all families affected by autism. We have also attached a small clip that Archie made, explaining what his autism is like for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n