Lola and Jasmine’s Pet Show

It’s not unusual for parents of neuro-divergent children to be told, “…your child needs to be more resilient.” While it may be well-meaning, it displays an alarming ignorance about being neurodivergent in a world full of systems designed for neurotypical people.

A dictionary check will tell you that resilience is, “the ability to successfully adapt to stressors, maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adversity. It’s the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences.”

Autistic young people don’t necessarily need to work on their resilience. Some are already hugely more resilient than their peers. Take Lola for instance. She’s 14 and for the past year, has been educated by her parents at home. Social interaction, particularly with her peers is hugely challenging and trips out can be very difficult. The solace she finds in her pet dog, Jasmine though has been the secret of her reconnection with the outside world as she walks her and even takes her to the occasional dog show.

You might imagine that a worrying diagnosis by the vet would set back Lola’s progress. Earlier this year, Jasmine became ill with tests revealing that she has Autoimmune Meningitis. A blow for the whole family but a blow that stirred Lola’s desire to throw her energy into raising money for local animal charities.

Lola and Jasmine’s Online Pet show took to Facebook at the end of the Summer and now boasts more than 500 members. Lola and her mum, Helen swiftly immersed themselves in a new industry- making rosettes. Lola is the powerhouse behind the operation, planning classes, judging entrants and sending out prizes and rosettes to contestants. Each month, she produces a detailed list of costs that need to be covered before making profits. Those profits are donated to animal charities which Lola is now reaching out to connect with.

Helen says that just a few short months ago all this interaction would have been unimaginable. “ Although Lola struggles to feel proud she knows what a great achievement this show is. It has been and continues to be a great focus for us as a family.”

Spurred on by her progress, Lola is now working on a business plan to produce and commercially distribute her rosettes hoping to secure her first orders in the coming year. Resilience it would seem is a quality she is not lacking in.