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Make Space and Allah Will Make Space for You: The Story of Our Book Club
“Oh my God, I needed this so much.” “I feel so recharged and ready to take on the week.” “These get-togethers are so essential for self-care.” I’ve been to my share of social events: sisters’ nights out, kid-free mom gatherings, homeschool moms’ meetings. Every time, everyone seems to feel great afterwards—everyone but me, the one who’s completely drained every single time. Whenever I go to a social event, I block off the next two days on my calendar to recover my energy and feel normal again. Until I learned the importance of making space for myself, I thought there was no other option. Social spaces are usually built for neurotypical…
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When Interests Become Anchors: Understanding special interests in neurodiverse families
When I listen to a conversation, I imagine a tennis match. It might be a hard analogy for most people to understand. To my brain, it’s simple: one person serves, then the other returns. Sometimes the ball bounces while the one on the receiving end thinks of a response. Other times, the person runs up to the net if they’re ready with a quick-witted response. I taught myself the back-and-forth of conversations as a child using tennis. Eventually, the rally ends, and it’s time to serve again with a new question or conversation topic. I even learned that often the best play is to hit the ball just inside the…
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Faith as a Compass: The Real Effects of Neurodiversity on Prayer
It’s commonly thought that autistic people are more likely to be atheists. Personally, I strongly believe that autism is what led me to Islam. While some like to people-watch, when I was 19, I used to nature-watch. I loved being in nature, away from anything human-made, and just watching. Watching the trees blow in the wind, watching a butterfly visit flowers, watching birds dance in the sky. You can see signs of Allah everywhere in nature. Belief in God was something obvious to me, but it was also private. I didn’t like people telling me what to believe because I already knew what I believed. Then I picked up a…
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A Neurodiverse Homeschool Journey: Welcome to Raising Comets
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Homeschooling with Neurodiversity: What We’ve Learned So Far
Homeschooling can feel like stumbling in the dark, especially when you add neurodiversity to the mix. After nine years of teaching my children at home, I still don’t have it all figured out, but each year, each experiment, and each misstep has taught me something useful. I want to share our lived experience: practical strategies, gentle mindset shifts, and hard-won routines that have helped our family learn with more ease and joy. I hope these lessons shorten your detours and give you confident steps to try at home. Before I share the lessons we’ve learned, I want to go back to the foundations. The most important lesson I have learned…
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A Neurodiverse Homeschool Journey: Welcome to Raising Comets
Welcome to my blog! I’m Suhaila. Whether you’re navigating homeschooling, neurodiversity, or simply looking for tips on raising your brilliant ones — I’m glad you’re here. I’m here to share the messy, lived experience of a neurodiverse Muslim family learning to chart our own path.
