Autism

NeuroWild panel. Purple hand-lettered title: 'IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW A BIT ABOUT AUTISM.' Blue blob: 'There are all kinds of brains in our world. Autistic brains are one kind.' Green blob: 'Other types include ADHD, dyslexic, dysgraphic, Tourette's, and neurotypical brains.' Pink blob: 'Neurotypical brains are the ones that people are most used to. This doesnt mean that they are better - just more familiar.' A smiling pink cartoon brain with stars holds a sign with a gold infinity symbol and says in a speech bubble: 'The GOLD infinity symbol represents Autism. Fun fact: the chemical symbol for GOLD is Au!' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Orange hand-lettered title: 'AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME.' Four white ghosts on a yellow band: one wearing green headphones, one reading a purple book, one wearing glasses, and a small one hugging a teddy bear who says 'No one else is exactly like ME!' Text: 'ALL people have different opinions, preferences, needs, challenges, and stuff they're good at. Sometimes Autistic people have more in common with other Autistic people. That can mean it's easier to get along with them (but not always).' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. In a pink blob, rain falls on two potted plants. A leafy green plant in a purple pot smiles and its thought bubble says 'I really NEEDED this water!' A succulent in a yellow pot looks worried and its thought bubble says 'Oh no. This much water isn't good for me.' Text bubbles below: 'Sometimes people think it's better when everyone gets the exact same things.' 'This just doesn't work when people need different things.' 'It's better when everyone gets the type/amount of support that they actually need.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Purple and blue hand-lettered title: 'EVERY PERSON NEEDS DIFFERENT SUPPORT.' Green blobs: 'Some people need support a lot of the time, and others need support every once in a while.' 'Some people need a little bit of support, and others need a lot.' 'Autistic people don't always need the same kind/amount of support every day. It can change all the time.' A white ghost points at a tall purple measuring bar and says in a speech bubble: 'Today I need a lot of support. Yesterday I didn't need that much.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Purple hand-lettered title: 'WAYS TO HELP in a meltdown'. Four blobs with small drawings. Purple: a light switch and a crossed-out speaker, 'Turn off bright lights, music, or noisy toys'. Pink: a blanket and a toy bunny, 'Deliver comfort items like blanket, toy'. Orange: two ghosts side by side, 'Offer company or space'. Green: three purple question marks, 'Avoid asking questions, try to stay calm.' Two more items without blobs: 'Remove unsafe things' and 'Make a plan to reconnect'. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Blue hand-lettered title: 'MELTDOWNS may look like...' Four blobs: 'Intense EMOTIONS e.g. sadness, anger, frustration, confusion'; 'Sudden ACTIONS e.g. running, crashing, throwing, hiding'; 'Changes in Communication e.g. not being able to talk, trouble expressing needs.'; 'Losing CONTROL of your BODY and THINKING.' Text: 'Meltdowns often happen when an Autistic person's important needs have not been met. They can be very upsetting and exhausting for the person. It can be scary to not have control over your own body.' and 'They can also be very upsetting for us to see. Maybe you want to help but don't know how.' A white ghost lies flat on a blue patch. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Two cloud bubbles at top: 'The world is so loud, bright, and fast. It can be a lot for Autistic people.' and 'Constantly dealing with so much extra information is exhausting and stressful.' A sad white ghost with clasped hands stands in a blue blob surrounded by the words 'ANALYSING PEOPLE', 'TASTES', 'DISCOMFORT', 'SMELLS', 'NOISE', 'THINKING', 'LIGHTS', 'TEXTURES', 'TEMPERATURE', 'CHANGES', 'BIG EMOTIONS'. Blue hand-lettered text at the bottom: 'SOMETIMES THESE THINGS can cause MELTDOWNS.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Green hand-lettered title: 'AUTISTIC PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY.' A worried white ghost covers its nose in a purple blob, surrounded by a ringing bell, a bright light bulb, zigzag noise lines and a lit candle. Green blobs: 'They might find some lights, smells, sounds, and textures really overwhelming and upsetting.' 'They might be extremely bothered by things that others don't even notice.' 'It's important to to know the sorts of things that can really overwhelm our Autistic family members. Often we can change some of those things so that they are more comfortable.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Yellow hand-lettered title: 'SOMETIMES OTHERS MIGHT SEEM TO GET MORE THAN YOU...' Three small white ghosts on a light blue blob: one holds a single green balloon, another has four balloons (blue, orange, pink, yellow), and a third looks sad holding two (purple and green). Text: 'This might sometimes feel unfair, especially if there are different rules for different people in the family.' 'It's good to remember that different people need different things.' 'Autistic people can sometimes need extra time, space, and help to do the things that you can already do pretty well.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Title in purple and orange hand-lettering: 'DON'T FORGET THAT YOUR NEEDS ARE IMPORTANT TOO.' A large white ghost hugs a smaller ghost on a pink blob. Orange speech blobs: 'Who are you able to talk to about your needs?' and 'Are there any needs you have that I don't know about?' Text below: 'It can be really tricky making sure that everyone in the family is ok at once, especially when everyone needs different things. We try our best. Do you have any ideas about how we could do it better?' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Blue hand-lettered title: 'THINGS WE MIGHT DO TO LOOK AFTER EVERYONE'S NEEDS'. A white checklist on a light blue background with ten empty checkboxes: 'Wear headphones', 'Serve safe foods', 'Be flexible', 'Have a clear routine', 'Go to appointments', 'Have sensory spaces', 'Home school', 'Avoid distressing places', 'One size does not fit all', 'Figure out what works for our family'. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Purple hand-lettered title: 'AUTISTIC PEOPLE often have DEEP INTERESTS.' with a small note 'This could be a game, series, historical event, species, or literally anything else.' Blue blob: 'Deep interests can be extremely important, joyful, and calming. Some Autistic people like to spend lots of time talking about or focusing on their deep interest. They often become experts!' Green blob: 'An Autistic person may have strong feelings if someone else is unkind about their deep interest, as it is often an important part of their identity.' Green blob: 'Sometimes it's hard swapping from a deep interest to a different topic or activity. Knowing about the swap beforehand can make it easier.' Two white ghosts on a periwinkle blob: one says 'Can I look at your special shells too?' and the other, holding shells with more shells on the ground, answers 'Ok!' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Orange hand-lettered title: 'SOME OTHER STUFF ABOUT AUTISTIC PEOPLE...' Four colored blobs linked by curly lines: 'They might communicate differently, like talking in scripts, repeating words, being very direct, or talking with an IPad.' 'Many Autistic people prefer when things stay the same. They might love to eat the same foods, watch the same show, and wear the same clothes every day.' 'They often have different ways of socialising and making friends. Lots of Autistic people become friends with others who have similar interests.' 'Sometimes Autistic people and non Autistic people find it hard to get along. This is often because each person has a different style of communicating and socialising.' Two ghosts peek up at the bottom. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild panel. Green hand-lettered title: 'DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT BRAINS, IDEAS AND TALENTS.' Four white ghosts on a pink band: one smiling with arms out, one with glasses, one upside down, and a small one who says in a speech bubble 'This variety makes our world stronger, smarter, & more interesting!' Text below: 'And the great news is, if we are not sure about the way that someone else does something, we can simply ask. When we are curious, we are ready to learn new things. And when we learn new things from people with different brains, we are making the world a better place for everyone.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

About The Artist

NeuroWild is a comic strip series created by Emily Hammond. Emily is a speech pathologist with ADHD and Autism herself and a proud mother to neurodivergent children. Click here to learn more about the artists we promote and how to support their work.