MUSIC BUILT FROM REAL LIFE
Original words, Northern grit and sixty second previews before you choose where to listen.
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My brain has Autism.
My brain has ADHD.
That means some things feel different to me,
some things move fast,
some things need time,
and some things that look easy to you…
might not feel easy to mine.
My thoughts can bounce like rubber balls,
one, then two, then twenty more.
I walk upstairs to find my socks,
then wonder what I came up for.
I start a drawing, spot a book,
remember something I should do.
Then halfway there I find a Lego,
and suddenly I’m building too.
My ADHD can make me race,
ideas rushing everywhere.
It doesn’t mean I’m not listening,
there’s just a lot going on up there.
My Autism likes to know the plan,
what happens next and where we’ll go.
A sudden change might look quite small,
but my brain needs time to know.
If Tuesday always means swimming,
then swimming feels like Tuesday should.
Change it quickly without warning,
and I might not handle it so good.
Tell me early, show me clearly,
give my thoughts some time to land.
I’m not trying to be difficult,
I’m trying hard to understand.
My brain goes fast, my brain goes slow,
there’s loads inside you might not know.
Sometimes I’m loud, sometimes I’m still,
sometimes I really, really feel.
I’m not naughty.
I’m not lazy.
I’m not choosing to struggle today.
I’ve got Autism and ADHD,
and my brain does things its own way.
I might bounce my leg beneath my chair,
wiggle, fiddle, tap or spin.
Movement helps me sort my thoughts
when there’s too much going on within.
I might flap my hands when I’m excited,
hum a tune or rock a bit.
Please don’t tell me to stop being me,
if it helps my body sit with it.
Sometimes sitting perfectly still
makes concentrating twice as tough.
If I’m moving while you’re talking,
I might actually hear more stuff.
Sounds can sometimes feel much louder,
lights can feel too sharp and bright.
Clothes can itch like tiny nettles,
busy places don’t feel right.
You might hear a little hand dryer.
I might hear a roaring plane.
You might barely notice flashing lights.
My brain might shout about them again.
So if I cover up my ears,
leave the room or need a break,
I’m not being rude or silly.
My brain’s had more than it can take.
Sometimes feelings come in massive,
before I’ve worked out what they mean.
I can go from fine to overwhelmed
much quicker than it might seem.
I might cry.
I might get angry.
I might hide or not know what to say.
Sometimes all my words go missing,
even though they were there yesterday.
Please don’t shout when I’m overwhelmed.
That won’t help my brain come through.
Give me space, stay calm beside me,
then I’ll find my way back to you.
Then there’s things I REALLY love,
and trust me, you will know them soon.
I can tell you every tiny fact
from breakfast until afternoon.
Dinosaurs, football, maps or trains,
animals, planets, games or space.
When something grabs my interest,
you can see it written on my face.
Don’t laugh because I talk about it.
Come and see what I can see.
The things that others call “too much”
might be something brilliant in me.
My brain goes fast, my brain goes slow,
there’s loads inside you might not know.
Sometimes I’m loud, sometimes I’m still,
sometimes I really, really feel.
I’m not naughty.
I’m not lazy.
I’m not choosing to struggle today.
I’ve got Autism and ADHD,
and my brain does things its own way.
And grown ups…
Please remember this bit.
Behaviour is sometimes communication
when a child can’t find the words.
The child hiding under the table
might not be misbehaving.
The child walking around the classroom
might still be listening.
The child who won’t look at your eyes
might hear every word you say.
The child having a meltdown
isn’t giving you a hard time.
They might be having a hard time.
Some days I can manage loads of things.
Some days tiny things feel tough.
That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped trying,
sometimes my battery’s had enough.
I need people who learn beside me,
not people changing who I am.
Help me find the things that work,
and give me time to make a plan.
Because Autism is part of me.
ADHD is part of me too.
Neither tells you all I am,
there’s a whole lot more for you to view.
My brain goes fast, my brain goes slow,
and every year I learn and grow.
I notice things you might walk past.
I think things deep.
I feel things fast.
I’m not naughty.
I’m not lazy.
Please look deeper than what you see.
I’ve got Autism and ADHD…
But most importantly,
I’m still me.
So learn my brain.
Ask what helps.
Listen when I show you who I am.
Because kids shouldn’t spend their childhood
learning how to look like everyone else.
Sometimes the world needs to learn
how to understand us too.