When My Brain is Messy

By Tania Wieclaw

Intended Audience: 3-8 year olds as well as carers, educators, or others trying to promote and foster understanding of neurodivergent individuals.           

Written By a Neurodivergent: Yes

Audio Companion Available: Yes, unofficially on YouTube

Neuro Affirming Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

For many neurodivergent children, overwhelm, frustration, and big emotions can feel like a tangled mess—difficult to process and even harder to explain. When My Brain Gets Messy by Tania Wieclaw, an autistic and ADHD author, is a gentle, validating, and neurodiversity-affirming picture book that helps children understand and navigate these experiences in a compassionate and accessible way.

The book introduces young readers to Theo, a child whose brain sometimes feels “messy”—a feeling that many neurodivergent kids will immediately relate to. Using simple language and engaging illustrations, Wieclaw normalizes the experience of emotional dysregulation while offering concrete, child-friendly strategies to help kids find calm.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

• Validates Emotional Dysregulation – Helps children recognize that feeling overwhelmed is okay and not their fault.

• Provides Self-Regulation Strategies – Introduces gentle, practical techniques to help kids manage big emotions.

• Encourages Self-Compassion – Shows children that their struggles are valid and manageable, fostering a sense of self-acceptance.

• Uses Neurodivergent-Led Representation – Written by an autistic and ADHD author, ensuring that the experiences of neurodivergent children are portrayed with authenticity and care.

  
  

When My Brain Gets Messy empowers neurodivergent children to understand their emotions, recognize their needs, and find supportive ways to navigate their experiences. 

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ABOUT THE READER

Elisabeth Anderson is a neuro affirming neurodivergent school psychologist with 10 years of public service and is the owner of Connected Family Practice. She is also the Director of Assessment for The ABLE Center.  Elisabeth has been recognized by families, colleagues, and school administrators for her leadership and knowledge as a policy writer, consultant and trainer. Elisabeth’s insights have made her a sought after internship supervisor.  Elisabeth believes that families should be able to find the supports they need both during and after the identification process to build greater understanding of neurodivergent brains, their needs, and potential support options. 

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Elisabeth’s Neuro Affirming Likert Rating Scale

⭐️: The resource contains language or content that perpetuates stereotypes, stigma, or misinformation about neurodiversity. It fails to use respectful and inclusive terminology, and may even promote harmful attitudes towards neurodiverse individuals.

⭐️⭐️: The resource makes some attempts at inclusivity, but still falls short in using affirming language and portraying neurodiversity in a positive light. It may contain instances of language or content that could be perceived as insensitive or exclusionary.

⭐️⭐️⭐️: The resource generally demonstrates a decent level of neurodiversity affirming language and content. It makes efforts to use respectful terminology and accurately portrays neurodiverse experiences, although there may still be room for improvement in certain areas.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: The resource consistently uses affirming language and content to depict neurodiversity in a positive and respectful manner. It actively challenges stereotypes and promotes understanding and acceptance of neurodiverse individuals and communities.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: The resource excels in its use of neurodiversity affirming language and content. It goes above and beyond to accurately represent the diverse experiences of neurodiverse individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment. It serves as a valuable resource for promoting inclusivity and understanding in both neurodiverse and neurotypical audiences.