Different Not Less by Chloé Hayden @RandomTTours

A neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after
By Chloé Hayden
An empowering guide to celebrating and supporting neurodivergence from Netflix’s Heartbreak High 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? None of it made sense.
Chloé desperately wished to be part of the fairytales she so dearly loved. A world in which the lead is considered a hero because of their differences, rather than excluded and pushed aside for them.
She moved between 10 schools in 8 years, struggling to become a person she believed society would accept. After years of being ‘weird, quirky, Chloé’ she was eventually diagnosed with autism and ADHD. It was only after a life-changing group of allies showed her that different did not mean less that she learned to celebrate her true voice and find her happily ever after.
Different, Not Less is a moving, at times funny story of how it feels to be neurodivergent as well as a practical guide, with insights on how autism and ADHD present differently in females, advice for living with meltdowns and shutdowns, tips for finding supportive relationships, communities and workplaces 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.

When I received the invite from Anne Cater for this blog tour I jumped straight away at the chance to take part as I had already preordered the book! Neurodiversity, especially in young adult girls is a subject that I am INCREDIBLY passionate about and to have a book like this published by someone who can give others a personal perspective is a HUGE deal for me. As some of you probably know, ADHD and autism are part of our everyday family life at home and also for me as part of my professional life so I knew I wanted to read and love this book which I am happy to report that I have!

Chloé comes across as such a likeable and empathetic person and it’s hard not to become emotionally involved with her journey so far and often I forgot whilst reading that she’s still only 25 years of age! But she has a maturity beyond her years as she uses her life experience so far to help others with a similar diagnosis to hers and for their friends and family members who want to understand how best to support them. Girls often present with very difficult traits and many of them aren’t the ones you would expect so Chloe goes through all of the symptoms she showed and ones she didn’t but that others may relate to.

Some of the subjects she discussed had trigger warnings attached so you can skip over these parts if you don’t want to trigger yourself, a brilliant idea that many readers will be thankful for. The honesty behind many of the subjects is so important and will be so well appreciated by readers struggling to make sense of their feelings and experiences in a world that doesn’t cater for neurodiversity. I brought the book to help myself and my family understand the world that our family member lives in and when they are a little older they will read it themselves (I’d say it’s suitable for older teens age 14+ due to subjects such as sexual assault but you know your child best ofcourse!)

I found Different Not Less a fascinating and helpful guide for everyone involved in the lives of those living everyday with neurodiversity. It’s funny, heartbreaking but unapologetic in its advice on supporting others to feel like they belong. An important, inspiring and influential insight that was a joy to discover and will hopefully go some way towards helping to create a more inclusive society. Highly recommended.

Chloé Hayden is an award-winning actor and disability advocate, motivational speaker and social media influencer. Whose story of being ‘different, not less’ has attracted a worldwide following. She is currently appearing in Heartbreak High, the Netflix remake of the iconic Australian series

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