Blog Tour: Different, Not Less – Chloé Hayden

*I received a free DRC of this book, with thanks to the author, Murdoch Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Blurb: An empowering lived-experience guide to celebrating and supporting neurodivergence from 24-year-old actor, social media star and disability advocate Chloé Hayden.

Growing up, Chloé Hayden felt like she’d crash-landed on an alien planet where nothing made sense. Eye contact? Small talk? And why are you people so touch-oriented? She moved between 10 schools in 8 years, struggling to become a person she believed society would accept, and was eventually diagnosed with autism and ADHD. When a life-changing group of allies showed her that different did not mean less, she learned to celebrate her true voice and find her happily ever after.

This is a moving, at times funny story of how it feels to be neurodivergent as well as a practical guide, with advice for living with meltdowns and shutdowns, tips for finding supportive communities and much more.

Whether you’re neurodivergent or supporting those who are, Different, Not Less will inspire you to create a more inclusive world where everyone feels like they belong.

This book covers a variety of (often co-morbid) experiences, including autism, ASHS, chronic illness (POTS) and mental health/illness. The style and content are a mixture of factual research and personal research, making it both informative and easy to read.

I was attracted to review it because I am neurodivergent myself and finding out that the author also has a chronic illness (me too!) endeared it to me even more. Plus look at that bright, sunshiney cover! It makes me feel happy before I’ve even read a word.

I should warn that not everything contained in the book is as cheerful as the cover image. Some of the personal stories Chloé Hayden shares with us are intensely personal and distressing at times, but she does provide trigger warnings before any sensitive content, and her openness and innate positivity – that shines through every page of this book – are likely to be helpful to those who have had similar experiences.

This is not only a personal memoir either. It is packed with useful information and facts about autism in women, co-morbidity overlaps, mental health facts vs. myths, plus loads of tips and guidance on self-care, self-protection, self-advocacy, and not just surviving but thriving (‘Find your eye sparkle!’).

There was loads of experiences and feelings that I found I identified with here, and some that I didn’t but was fascinated to read about. And everything is written from the heart. It is so comforting and reassuring when you may be struggling to find your own Happy Ever After, to see someone facing similar struggles and finding theirs.

And as a final bonus, the end of the book is packed with more useful resources and references relating to everything the author has talked about.

Packed with positivity and resilience, Chloé Hayden has created a resource for neurodivergent people and those who love them that is both educational and entertaining, and leaves the reader with the urge to get right out there and find what makes their own eyes sparkle, and get started on their own Happy Ever After.

Purchase Link: Different, Not Less on Amazon

About the Author

Chloé Hayden is an award winning motivational speaker, actor, performer, author, influencer, content creator and disability rights activist and advocate, the heart of which these all intersect being her passion for creating change, celebrating diversity, and pushing towards a better future.

Diagnosed as autistic (and ADHD) at the age of thirteen and feeling ostracised from society, Chloe started an anonymous blog to share her feelings and to find a community, and ended up building something bigger than she ever dreamed.
Now, Chloé is a power house in advocacy and a worldwide known name, with platforms of half a million followers and nearly half a billion views, in-person presentations at seminars, conferences, schools and her own tours in three continents to over a hundred thousand people, as well as starring as one of the worlds first autistic characters, Quinni in Netflix’s Heartbreak High.

With her messages of ‘Different, Not Less’ and ‘Find Your Eye Sparkle’, Chloé is fighting for a better future for those who’s voices have been silenced for too long.