That's not me shaming anyone for what they love - I just *don't* relate to the genie from Aladdin in a very significant way, nor do I necessarily agree that Rafiki in The Lion King is coded as having ADHD. It was only after a life-changing group of allies showed her that different did not mean less that she learned to celebrate her true voice and find her happily ever after. And it feels a bit like this book is a speech asking for change and man, I fully agree but I already knew this. Katie Koullas, CEO, Yellow Ladybugs'The guide to life that I wish I'd been handed when I was an undiagnosed Autistic kid, unsure of my place in the world . Taryn Brumfitt, Founder of The Body Image Movement and Director of Embrace and Embrace Kids'Chlo's heartfelt and powerful writing had me glued to my seat and turning the pages, which is no easy feat for this ADHD-er .

She moved between 10 schools in 8 years, struggling to become a person she believed society would accept, and was eventually diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Whether you're neurodivergent or supporting those who are, Different, Not Less will inspire you to create a more inclusive world where everyone feels like they belong. highly recommend to all people, but especially to anyone who is on the spectrum themselves, loves and cares for anyone on the spectrum, or just wants to educate themselves better on autistic people.it is such a beautiful listen and read, that covers a variety of neurodivergent identities but obviously centered around chloe’s personal experiences and studies into autism, adhd, and depression from a young age through now, weaving in writings from the time certain events happened in her life as well as hindsight understanding and interpretation. Ableism is so ingrained in society and this book is here to challenge all those attitudes that people hold about us, even the ones that are so deeply embedded that we internalise the idea that we are less than. Different, Not Less is a moving, at times funny story of how it feels to be neurodivergent as well as a practical guide, with insights on how autism and ADHD present differently in females, advice for living with meltdowns and shutdowns, tips for finding supportive relationships, communities and workplaces and much more. I feel like this book is for other autistic people, whether you learn something new about (your) autism or just want to hear another story that might be similar to yours, “Different Not Less” is an interesting read, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it to my friends and family to be honest, because it’s just not coherent enough. Definite must read for anyone neurodivergent or anyone with ND loved ones or anyone who wants to be an ally or really just anyone.

The title and the word “neurodivergent” suggests that this book is about different conditions that fall under the umbrella term, but it is mainly about Hayden’s own experiences with her being autistic. This doesn’t have to be a contradiction but in “Different Not Less” these two genres feel so isolated and don’t play well together. Reading Different, Not Less brought me a sense of reassurance that there was a place for me in this world, that I would find my happily ever after. I wanted to give Chloe the biggest hug because so many of the experiences she had were ones I could relate to.

This book is raw and at times it is sad and scary but it's packed full of HOPE and LOVE and EYE SPARKELS! i wish i had this book growing up instead of wanting to off myself for how my brain works and thinking i was just broken and wired wrong. Unfortunately, there is a lack of materials within the autistic and neurodivergent community that are actually written and from the perspective of actually autistic and neurodivergent people! I personally believe that anyone - be it teachers, partners, parents, friends - who shares their life with an autistic person should at least read Chapter 3: Sensory Issues, Stimming, Meltdowns, Shutdown and Burnout.