Meet Brianna and NdN
My name is Brianna. I’m a wife of over 20 years, a Jill-of-all-trades, a crafter, artist, and writer.
More than that, I’m a mother and caregiver. I often think outside the box and come up with creative solutions when problems arise.
Neurodivergent Necessities came about in a very organic method. My son, C, was receiving in-home occupational therapy and I was having a conversation with our wonderful therapist. She asked if I knew of any place where a person could rent or borrow items for use in therapy. I mentioned the local “Library of Things” that our library system had in place but that was all I knew of. At the next therapy session, we talked about this a bit more. She had investigated the Library of Things and, while it was full of amazing things, mostly they were not things that could be used in therapy. I mentioned that she was welcome to borrow from our plethora of board games and various items if she wanted. Idly, we agreed it would be amazing if there was a place like we were discussing.
Over the next few days and weeks, I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea that we needed a local place that has access to therapy items. Our family had amassed many board games, fidgets, and other therapy items over the years, often finding they didn’t quite work for our boys. It was frustrating to have to order items online only to find out they didn’t work or were only used occasionally before interest was lost. Hey, we have a lot of things…maybe I should open a shop… And, as they say, “the rest was history.”
I have a wonderful husband, B, who has recently realized that he is almost certainly on the Autism spectrum, though not seeking a diagnosis currently. He is employed full-time but has the privilege of working from home. This has been a blessing for us as he was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Though not common in men, it fits the various health changes we were seeing. Due to his neurodivergence, we realized he feels the pain more intensely than those who are neurotypical. Fun times.
We have two teenage boys (E, 16, and C, 13) both diagnosed as being on the spectrum as well as having sensory processing issues, ADHD, possible Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), anxiety, and depression. C, unfortunately, also deals with spina bifida occulta, which has caused a multitude of GI-related issues over the years.
Unfortunately, we spent our early family years without support and guidance, which means I did a lot of research and reading to understand my children. My hope is to provide another resource for you, to be another support person for you, and to offer ideas, equipment, or solutions to assist you on your journey in this neurodivergent universe.