Dean's Neurodiversity Sensory Space Fundraiser

My name is Dean, and I am Neurodiverse... I am Autistic, and have Asperger's Syndrome, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. I have suffered life-long stress and hardship because of their effects on myself and all those around me, but only recently had a final diagnosis.

I recently received the news that I have a degenerative brain condition which is going to significantly reduce my lifespan. I want to use some of what's left of my energy to drawing as much attention as I can to the subject of Neurodiversity in all its varied elements.

I also want to help bring about a practical solution to numb the negative effects caused by daily restrictive routines on the minds and lives of Neurodivergent young people, and everyone supporting and living with them. We experience a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting rollercoaster every day.

The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brain works differently from what would be considered normal. In the daily routine and life in general, 'They/We' have a different manner of responding to the various challenges and situations in life from decision making, communicating feelings, understanding subtleties and carrying out tasks. These elements include Autism, Asperger's, ADHD Anxiety, OCD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and others.

I am hoping to put in place a Community Sensory Space called 'The Awesome Hearts Centre' for everyone in the area affected by Neurodiversity, from parents and guardians, children and young people, support workers, teachers and so on. Whether diagnosed or not, they will be welcomed one day per week, to come and enjoy a hot or cold drink, experience Sensory Stimulants, soak-up a calming atmosphere, make like-minded friends, and socialise with others in the same situation. A listening ear will be waiting for visitors to share experiences, ask questions, discuss related issues and obtain solutions - and everything in between.

The facility, which I plan to establish and manage, will hopefully open in March 2024, if I am successful in raising the funds needed.

The funds I raise will help pay for all of the Equipment, Resources, Toys and Sensory Experiences, Comfortable places to sit and rest, craft materials, a computer, ambient lighting and everything else required to create the centre. If I am successful, I will try to work with other communities in-line with the energy I have, to establish further locations with the same aim. I have prepared a Website to accompany the project, which is awesomehearts.co.uk which will launch soon.

A bit more about Neurodiversity:

One in 5 children in the UK (and that's the best official estimate) is affected by some element of Neurodiversity.

There is also a massively unknown population of adults both young and old who are Neurodivergent, yet have only recently or maybe never have been diagnosed.

These individuals deserve the same opportunitites and quality of life as everybody else, yet they are missing out in many respects because they think, act, react and communicate differently from siblings, parents and peers, and they struggle with many of the aspects of everyday existence that most people take for granted. Factors such as Attention Span, Emotional Responses, Empathy, Memory, Reactiveness and even Physical Actions can be slow, heightened and even almost non-existent.

This has an especially tough impact on the day to day life of Neurodivergent children. Although the intentions of their inner minds are probably eager and positive, neurodivergent children can struggle to get across in a meaningful and obvious way what they are thinking or what they want.

In many cases people around may never know exactly what a neurodivergant child is trying to say or express. This can make people uncomfortable and even nervous around children in this situation, and it can also evoke less patience. So very often neurodivergent children are avoided, shunned and even bullied. This is so sad because it largely stems from a lack of awareness and understanding, and in some situations the bullying is even blatant.

Furthermore this avoidance, shunning and bullying is experienced much of the time by adults in college, university, the workplace and in general society.

This is a subject and situation that touches and affects so many people just like myself!

A bit about me:

For as far back as I can remember, I have lived my life trapped inside a cage of cognitive impairment, stress, fear and disappointment. I cannot maintain eye contact, express my feelings or show empathy or excessive affection. I struggle with making decisions, recognising opportunities and dealing with complex situations. I can't defend myself or tell if someone is being sarcastic, and I sometimes have very embarrassing meltdowns if situations become too much for me to process.

My childhood Neurodivergent traits included quietness, the need for regular isolation in my bedroom, routine events such as watching specific programmes just to hear the theme tunes, having a cup of tea in the morning before school, sitting at the back of a bus and saying hello to old ladies, using coloured chalk to write the day and date on the blackboard at the start of 'every' school day in class before assembly.

If of any of these things were missing, I could not have a restful mind and my whole day would be one of staring into space behind a closed door, silent rocking or whining, suddenly shouting at people, going on long lonely walks and so on.

My age and body may have grown now, but most of my Neurodivergent traits are exactly the same today and some even more eccentric, but in my heart I love people and only want to do my best to help. Nonetheless, I have endured many years of bullying, avoidance, aggression and shunning because I cannot express what I am thinking and what I really want in a way that people are able to understand.

Aside from my Neurodivergency, as a result of my health diagnosis, I suffered a very severe breakdown, because I couldn't cope with the sheer level of issues surrounding me. I realised that I had to cease working and reduce time spent in my practical hobbies, in order to try and limit the level of pain and fatigue I feel constantly. Of course, most people I associate with don't know about my depression because my personal sadness is hidden behind a positive smile.

I do have a wonderful wife Yvonne who is my carer and my rock.

My situation is not unique, but think about this... If I find it so extremely difficult, traumatic and exhausting to deal with all of the physical and emotional challenges associated with everyday life, just imagine how much more so it is for a child in the same situation, and for the people around them.

I feel that much more physical solutions need to be in place; more needs to be done to teach and inform society about awareness of the real difficulty surrounding Neurodiversity in young people; also, society needs to recognise the signs and behavioural traits so as to be more tolerant, empathetic and understanding.

But I believe that this won't happen quickly unless people like myself who are living examples with a lifetime of experience that isn't out of books or informative websites - but real life, step up, tell our stories and take action to make it happen. If you are like me and you feel the same way, please support my cause.

Thank you very much from the heart to everyone who reads this, whether you're able to donate to my cause or not, simply sharing this with all of your friends and family will move mountains.

Best wishes, Dean Shaw