Category Archives: Neurodivergence & Identity

When Background Noise Feels Like Chaos: AuDHD and the War on Sound By Michelle Labine, PhD September 2025 I love music. Give me a good playlist and I’ll dance in the kitchen like no one’s watching (except maybe my dog, who tilts his head like, “Really? That’s your move?”). I enjoy TV too…when I’m actually […]

When “No” Feels Impossible: Demand Avoidance in AuDHD Women By Michelle Labine, PhD  September 2025 For many late-diagnosed AuDHD women “demand avoidance” is a nervous-system response that often gets misunderstood as laziness, defiance, or flakiness. In truth, it’s a strategy shaped by years of masking, perfectionism, and living in a world that rarely matched our […]

Sorry, I Have a Follow-Up Question… and Another By Michelle Labine, PhD   September 2025 “So anyway,” I said to a friend recently, “that’s why I’ll never buy another scented candle.” Without missing a beat, I immediately followed it with, “Do you think pigeons have regional accents?” Smooth, right? This is what living inside my […]

The Push and Pull: Living with Both Autism and ADHD By Michelle Labine, PhD   September 2025 Sometimes it feels like there are two people inside me; one who craves structure, sameness, and predictability, and another who craves novelty, stimulation, and change. Both are me. Both are real. And both often clash in ways that […]

The Autistic Way of Eating: Comfort, Consistency, and Enoughness By Michelle Labine, PhD September 2025 If I lived alone, I’d probably eat the same three things over and over: crackers, eggs, maybe a smoothie on a good day. Not because I lack imagination, but because it’s simple, predictable, and doesn’t overwhelm my senses. But I […]