Your Child Is Not Broken

Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles

By: Heidi Mavir

Narrated by: Heidi Mavir

This audiobook is passionately and evocatively read by the author, Heidi Mavir.

An updated edition of the Sunday Times bestseller.

Your Child Is Not Broken is THE book for parents who need permission to do things differently.

An unapologetic, deeply moving manual for parents of neurodivergent children from Heidi Mavir, a late-identified, neurodivergent adult and parent to an autistic/ADHD teenager.

This updated edition includes information on Pathological Demand Avoidance, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, an interview with Heidi's son Theo and more.

Follow Heidi's irreverent and brutally honest story of her fight to be seen, heard and supported, while swimming against a tide of parent blame, ableist stereotypes and the weight of other people’s opinions.

Your Child Is Not Broken is a call to arms for parents and carers of autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent children. It is the book that no one has dared to write but every parent needs to read. Heidi’s hilarious anecdotes and heartbreaking storytelling offer validation, comfort, reassurance and wisdom to parents who need it the most.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Heidi Mavir (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Validating

Well written account of a parent's experience with ASD PDA and neurodiversity in a neuro typical world. Calling out the misunderstanding parents feel daily under the facade of help, and offering parents unapologetic permission to support your child.

Like a best, sweary friend who gets it

This is my first ever review, and I just had to say how much I loved and appreciated Heidi’s book. Her honesty, vulnerability, humor, and comfort (plus her accent and cursing) are just fantastic. We only recently learned about PDA for our kid and this book helped me feel like we’re not alone. Highly recommend!

Loved every word! Will listen again

I got this book to better understand my 12 yr old ASD boy who doesn’t quite fit the diagnostic mold, to say the least. It would take me writing a book to describe the struggles he and I have faced. In short, listening to Heidi’s story was like talking to a friend who gets it; who gets what it’s like as a parent and a human trying to fit the mold.
I’m trying to have grace with myself and my child, when no one else does. It’s a lonely place if you allow it. Finding peace in the chaos through laughter, creative outlets, lots of wine and potty mouth is my saving grace! Thank you Heidi! I wish I knew you personally, because you’re a bad ass bitch!

Love the cursing

This book was so inspiring and reassuring. It acknowledged our struggles. And the cursing made me feel like I had a friend talking to me.

A much needed voice of comfort

Exactly what I needed. This book is reassurance that parents of PDA are not alone.

Great book!

Informative and still entertaining. Easy to read and understand. The information, advice and experiences from autistic voices is so important when learning to support autistic children (and adults). Highly recommend!

Thank you for this book!!

I think this book will make an extraordinary difference for my family. I am profoundly grateful to you Heidi, and to Theo, for bravely sharing your own story. And I now have a sense of just how deeply my ableism runs. That alone is an invaluable lesson but I also learned the extremely important difference between the medical model and the social model of neuro divergence, and that again is a game changer for me. I can't thank you enough!!

My figgin' family

Currently on leave myself for the second time in a month. My son has experienced has experienced a lot this treatment and phrases of what aren' t you doing parent. I have RSD, Asperger's, OCD, PTSD, GAD, depression. My children have DMDD. Trying to get a 504 is like pulling teeth without numbing. Denied an iep( dropping the bingo chips here), he doesn't look autistic, observed on halloween(how valid), "He played nicely and ate his candy like a well behaved boy. He only meets 2 markers for adhd and 2 markers for asd. That's not enough. We need him diagnosed. " Went to psycholgist, psychiatrist. They diagnosed him DMDD. Ex wife has bipolar. I may too. A year later, still no 504. He's getting good grades. That doesn't negate his rsd and pda. Whole figgin' book on point. This book on audio has inspired me as an educator of 17yrs, the advocates for all NT and ND students, though imperfectly to keep going. I cried, I laughed I related to the whole thing F*ck you Nigel. Get a straw and suck on this review, because it is a doozy you 2m pile of shite.

Just read it and immediately reading again!

Within the first sentences, I felt seen. As the parent of a neurodivergent child, this book is beyond validating. It is EXACTLY what I needed/need. Seriously— I’m starting it again as soon as I finish this review. Thank you, Heidi

I wish I'd had this book 16 years ago <3

i wish every single Healthcare and educational professional in the world would read this.