What You Need To Know If You’re Raising A Child With Autism Who Is Struggling

Image: Chloe Hayden Instagram

AUTHOR: Shevonne Hunt

As an undiagnosed neurodivergent child, Chloe Hayden found school a living hell. Everything was hard, from the lessons to making friends with other kids. Her teachers didn’t understand why she always lost things or hid by herself in the library. Kids were cruel and scared of her difference.

Chloe says expecting a child who is different to fit into a rigid school system is like “expecting a fish to walk.”

In all her years at school there was only one teacher who understood and embraced her difference. This was one blissful year when she was in primary school.

“Wendy saw me for who I actually was and would tell me ‘this is one time in your life and you’re going to thrive when you find your people. You just have to get through this period.’ I genuinely think that Wendy saved my life. Everything else was really, really hard and the entire schooling system was really hard. Wendy was the only shining light I had.”

When Chloe was finally diagnosed at the age of thirteen, her parents pulled her out of school and started teaching her at home. It was only then that Chloe’s eyes started to sparkle again, and she hasn’t stopped sparkling since!

After starting to blog, the now 25-year-old has racked up an Instagram following of almost 80K and a whopping 347.6K on TikTok, and has written a book, Different Not Less: a neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after.

Now, starring in the new series of Heartbreak High, Chloe has joined me on my podcast Feed Play Love and explained how her life is a fairy tale – one that began as many tales do with a challenge, followed by adventure and finally now, her happily ever after.

Take a listen:

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