This Neurodiversity Week, we’re celebrating the different ways our brains work and the amazing strengths that come with them.
Meet Electra, a CREATE Young Consultant from Queensland, who is helping us #SnapThatStigma around neurodiversity.
Hi, I’m Electra!
I use they/them pronouns and I’m a proud Queer, Gender-diverse Biripi person.
For most of my life, I didn’t know I was neurodivergent. I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD when I was around 19 or 20. Getting that diagnosis helped me access support and understand myself better. Now I’m learning to be kinder and more compassionate to myself every day.
Sometimes it’s still hard to accept that I need more support than the “average” person – but that doesn’t make me any less capable or valuable.
“I am learning to be more accommodating and compassionate towards myself.”
Snapping the stigma
One stereotype Electra wants to snap is the idea that neurodivergent people have less to offer society.
“Lots of neurodivergent people can and do work. But even for people who can’t, we still have so much value. Our stories, our voices, our passions, and the relationships we build with others all matter. Making money isn’t the only way to measure someone’s worth.”
Feeling misunderstood
Electra says they’ve often felt misunderstood because of the way their brain works.
“You don’t have to understand everything about someone’s experience. What matters most is believing them, respecting them, and taking what they say seriously.”
Why voices matter
Electra says it’s especially important for neurodivergent young people in care to have a voice.
“We can be more vulnerable to being misunderstood or mistreated. Our experiences and needs deserve to be heard and taken seriously.”
Electra’s message to workers, carers and decision-makers is powerful and clear: “Believe us, and support us.”
Something Electra is proud of
Electra graduated high school top of English and Literature, second in Visual Art, and received several awards.
Now they’re studying a Bachelor of Arts at university, majoring in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and Writing.
Thank you for sharing your story and being an inspiration to others Electra!
