Venturing out into the city I love after more than a year of shielding has given me loads of opportunities recently to see the world from new angles. Last night I did this in a very literal and dramatic way.

Bovie and I had been for a swim at my local hydrotherapy pool.…

While Bean is very curious and asks lots of questions, one thing she’s never asked me is why I use a wheelchair, she’s always just accepted my chair as part of me.

Since she was tiny, I’ve tried to find books or toys that include disabled characters because I want the things around her to reflect her world and family.…

My niece Bean was four at the weekend. She’s been enjoying telling me her new age, and I’m continuing to enjoy watching her grow in independence and chattiness.

The pandemic’s meant that Bean and I haven’t been able to hang out together as much as either of us would like.…

As a child I loved Lego and it’s younger sibling Duplo. I was a proud member of the Lego Club – in fact 35 years on I still have my membership badge!

And I still love it, but as a dyspraxic with Tourettes, the fine motor control required for more grown up Lego projects has always been in scarce supply for me.…

It’s early Friday evening and London’s bathed in gentle sunshine and I’ve just had some spontaneous interactions with girls which were simultaneously blissfully mundane and soul-enrichingly exceptional.

Claire and I went to meet Bean and Fat Sister in the park after nursery.…

It’s almost the end of the Easter holidays and I’m back at work after some much-needed time off. But it’s not just regular holidays that are important to my wellbeing: short breaks every day have always been crucial to helping me study, work and stay focussed.…

This evening I got a call from my brother-in-law King Russell and my three-and-a-half-year-old niece Bean, who had an urgent question for me:

“Do you need help choosing what to put in your bath?”

My instant reply, ‘Of course!’.

This is one of a few small new routines we’ve created to stay connected over the last year.…

In February last year, we celebrated Touretteshero’s 10th birthday with a big party in Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall. The place was packed with the love and laughter of those who’ve helped us transform Touretteshero from an idea into an organisation with a mission to change the world.…

A few weeks ago, I drew a treasure map for my niece Bean. It was a way of playing with her, creating memories and feeling connected without getting too close or breaking any lockdown rules. I created some for other children too.…

Back in July, researcher Evie wrote a guest post about her project looking at tics and mealtimes. Back then she was recruiting young people to contribute their experiences. She’s back today but this time she’s looking for parent perspectives – over to Evie with more.…