Grit: The Reality for Neurodivergent Kids #substack #shorts

24 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this short monologue, the speaker reflects on the concept of grit and its relevance for neurodivergent children. They argue that grit is not a universal trait and that neurodivergent kids often face constant challenges because the world is not designed for them. Without sufficient resilience, these children may feel isolated and discouraged. The speaker contrasts differing levels of perseverance among their own children—one who pushes forward despite difficulty and another who gives up quickly. They suggest that rather than trying to force a one‑size‑fits‑all notion of grit, educators and parents should help neurodivergent children discover personalized paths that align with their strengths and needs, acknowledging that the environment itself can be a barrier.

Chapters

Chris and I talk about a lot is grit. Hmm. And that's always like the big thing we always go back to. How do we instill grit? Um, I think it's not a characteristic that everybody has, and especially with neurodiversity, everything is so freaking hard all the time. And if you don't have the resiliency to keep going, you just crumble and you isolate and, you know, it's, it's a dark place to be, right? A lot of people with neurodiversity have resilience. I mean, like my other kid is like, I don't care, I'll climb to the top of the mountain, where the other one might be like, no, I'll sit here. I'm not even gonna try. It's too hard. Yeah. Right? Right. And so I guess to like attribute that to the way the world works is the world isn't set up for you. The world isn't going to be easy for you. And I think the question or the way that we wanna kind of teach the kids is how do you find the right path that is for you?