My eldest is three, pantless, tiptoed on a stool. He holds in his hands a glass teapot the size of his head, sloshing tea into a cup. The spout is submerged, but he doesn’t stop. He’s fiercely focused – a regular occurrence – on filling the cup to the rim. ‘Nottoomanymuch….’ he whispers to himself. He’s playing chicken with the overflow, vibrating with the thrill.

 

When I reach him he charms me with a grin. And thus the phrase was born.

 

Odd phrases, invented words, scripting and echolalia are common autistic traits. They’ll tell you it’s a deficit – medically, it can be. But atypical speech is also just another way autistic people communicate. It’s creative, fun and unique.

 

‘Nottoomanymuch’ has infiltrated our speech and some of our friends’ language too. It reminds me that while it might be overwhelming, there’s so much good in a neurodivergent journey. You might need to learn to see it, dodge prejudice – and spilled tea– but I promise there is So. Much. Good.