Natalie Cunningham, Girl in the Shadow (PEOPLE 2022)

It is tragic to think that many young girls who are neurologically different to their peers learn to blend in and not draw attention to themselves out of fear of judgement from others and/or even themselves. I live in hope that the need to conform to societal norms diminishes as we redefine Autism, ADHD and other neurological differences as not something to fix but rather understand the need to look deeper and deliberately cultivate an environment which values them as human beings, nurtures their strengths and makes their eyes shine so brightly that it melts the shadows away.

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