The Medical vs. Social Model

NeuroWild comic title panel with a thin gray border. Text: 'Let's take a look at our pets through the MEDICAL MODEL...' with 'pets' underlined. Below the text is a patch of green grass with a blue fish toy, a pink toy mouse, a bone and a red and white ball. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel with a thin gray border. A peach-colored cat and a gray dog with dark patches sit on a patch of grass. Text at top: 'Such cuties! Nothing wrong with either of these fur-babies, right?' with 'Such' and 'cuties' underlined. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. A cartoon bald man with round glasses wears a white lab coat with an orange badge reading 'MEDICAL MODEL'. He looks stern, holds up a small sign reading 'WRONG.' in one hand and a brown clipboard in the other, standing against a light blue background. Text beside him: 'Let's have a closer look.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. In a blue oval at top left, the cartoon bald man with glasses and a 'MEDICAL MODEL' badge smiles. A lilac banner reads: 'Here we have a very good boy. He loves people, loves a nice walk, and his tiny wiggly bottom brings JOY to everyone who sees it.' with several words underlined. Below, a gray dog with dark patches sits on a yellow patch of ground, with labeled arrows: 'Cutest ears in the world.', 'The very best boy.', 'Most adorable boop nose.', 'Loves a scratch', 'Sweet little paws.', 'Best tail.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. In a blue oval, the cartoon bald man with glasses and a 'MEDICAL MODEL' badge looks worried. A lilac banner reads: 'I'm afraid I have bad news. The other pet has deficits too many to name. I fear the next image may shock you.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. Title: 'Pet with severe communication + behavioural disorder (courtesy of the medical model)'. A peach-colored cat sits in the center of a lilac rounded panel, with arrows pointing at it from eight text notes: 'Disordered vocalisations- repeats 'meow' instead of 'woof''; 'Atypical physical features- medical intervention likely beneficial'; 'Disordered communication style- pervasive 'purr' noise for no apparent reason.'; 'Atypical play skills- very restricted interests, severe 'fetch' deficits'; 'Atypical social skills- often prefers to isolate self, dislikes humans.'; 'Behaviour issues- can be aggressive and hostile'; 'Lacking emotions- therapy to teach tail-wagging skills recommended.'; 'Severe language disorder- often doesn't respond to name or instructions.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. A cartoon bald man with round glasses wears a white lab coat with an orange badge reading 'MEDICAL MODEL'. He smiles and holds a brown clipboard. Text beside him: 'But don't worry! We can TRAIN your broken pet to behave just like your PUPPY- the bestest boy! We'll stop the meows, teach it to eat bones, and organise surgery to fix those awful ears!' with several words underlined. Then, in larger text: 'Won't that be a big relief?!' with 'big' and 'relief' underlined. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. The cartoon bald man with glasses and a 'MEDICAL MODEL' badge looks surprised while sitting inside a green trash can labeled 'TRASH' with the word 'EXPIRED' written near its base, against a light blue background. An arrow from the text 'This is the relief.' points at the scene. The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

NeuroWild comic panel. Text at top: 'We wouldn't do it to our PETS.' with 'PETS' underlined. A child with brown hair, a green sweater and purple pants, seen from behind, sits on a pink rug hugging a peach-colored cat. A speech note beside them reads 'Good kitty' with a small pink heart. Text at the bottom: 'So why do we do it to our KIDS?' with 'KIDS' underlined. 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.