Growing up with a female family member with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), my sister now in her late twenties sharing to be pregnant, I as a young female understand and physically see the daily struggles of systematic neglect for neurodivergent women and its impact. I assume that what she already faces becomes a huge challenge in taking the caregiver position within a system that does not support divergent lives. It scares me to imagine what the well-being of her future could look like. This process of witnessing from the sideline raises my fears, frustrations as well as questions, causing my interest in exploring the realms of structuralism, patriarchal motherhood, neurodiversity and care.

With this practice I aim to investigate and stretch the boundaries of our known patriarchal motherhood and gender bias by deconstructing modern beliefs and societal structures. Women on the spectrum scratch many borders of man-made behavioral laws, especially in motherhood, causing them to a position of precarity, excluded from understanding and equal care. How can I, as a creative female artist, contribute in shifting our patriarchal perspective on motherhood and societal understanding and exclusiveness on neurodiversity?

With The Interconnected Reef , I share my care for systematically including (neuro)divergence in parental care.

This clothing piece is created to support neurodivergent mothers with their emotional regulation while being able to physically stay in their prominent care role and connect to one's newborn child. It can be used as a tool to find comfort in staying in the motherly role when overstimulated, which helps to support mothers' emotional regulation and at the same time feel connected to one's child. Putting outdated beliefs about Theory of Mind to the discussion, the purpose of this piece is to redefine the stereotype and focus on connection through sensory touch, sound and play.

Finding inspiration for emotional regulation in nature, this piece will have the shape of a coral reef and the tactility of the comfort of a bed supporting a mother's stimulation. Coral has a relaxing and soothing effect, balances emotions and strengthens intuition, which I would like to emphasize to the mothers with this practice. When the piece is on, mother and child can touch the coral and by touching each coral a different meditative sound is activated, being able to compose their flow of being together. This way, through play, mother and child can find ease in sound, focus on their personal regulation and be in connection by doing so. Being inspired by the first connection of mother and child through the umbilical cord, I created a physical object that reminded me of algae strings, which I associated with coral reefs.