A Journey of Language, Growth, and Autism Perspectives: Stephen’s Evolution

Flourishing Like Trees - Growing Through Metaphors

• Stephen McHugh • Episode 49

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Imagine a world where the growth of autistic individuals is celebrated as uniquely as the "wood wide web" of trees. Join me, Stephen McHugh, as I share my personal journey through a nurturing junior school environment that identified my unique needs and allowed me to flourish. By weaving together stories of tailored educational support and my passions for music and nature, I illuminate how individualised attention can foster personal and academic growth. Discover how understanding and embracing our individual growth patterns can lead to harmonious environments where everyone, like the interconnected trees, can thrive.

Stay connected and be part of this exploration of interconnectedness by subscribing to the podcast updates through the 'Stay in the Loop' link on my website, stephensevolution.com. This episode underscores the importance of recognising our roles within a larger tapestry of existence, from trees to people to stars. 

As you tune in, why not reflect on your own growth journey and learn how to support the development of those around you. This way, I believe we can create communities that value diversity and celebrate individual potential. Join me in this discussion to try and deepen your understanding of personal and communal growth.

Send me your comments and questions


Thanks for listening. You can find me on my website stephensevolution.com, or on twitter here. You can sign up to receive news of new episodes when they're released here.


Artwork produced by Elena Designe
Music composed by Nela Ruiz

Stephen McHugh:

Hi there and welcome back to another episode of the Stephen's Evolution podcast. It is here where I explore the intricate connections between personal experiences and the world around us. I'm your host, Stephen McHugh, and in each episode, every two weeks, what I do is I try to delve into how various forms of language, including metaphors, illuminate my autistic experiences, experiences. Whenever I go out walking, I regularly pass my old junior school. It is here where I can't help but notice trees of the same species, including one big tree and two other smaller trees the same species as the bigger tree. I see them standing in relative close proximity to one another. It is this observation that sparked a recent thought in me. I wondered are the trees connected in some way? This question led me to a metaphor that I found resonated deeply with me. 'Like trees, being on the autistic spectrum can mean growing and thriving in different and unique ways, often needing unique conditions to reach full potential'. What this leads me to ponder is what if, instead of forcing all trees or people to grow, evolve and develop in the same way, we nurture them according to their needs and requirements?

Stephen McHugh:

For this episode, what I'm going to do is explore this metaphor further and examine how understanding and accommodating individual growth patterns may lead to more harmonious and thriving environments for all. Stay with me as I'm going to delve into the roots of this concept, and its implications for both personal and collective growth

Stephen McHugh:

For me in In the natural world, we can often see trees as growing alone, each competing for essential resources like water and other nutrients needed for growth and development. However, some scientific discoveries challenge this, revealing the secrets of how trees communicate beneath the forest floor and the floors of woods. Trees are found to be interconnected through vast underground networks known as the wood wide web. It is these networks that facilitate the sharing of vital nutrients, including water and carbon, among the trees ., In in a situation when a tree may experience a shortage of nutrients, it can send distress signals through these networks, prompting neighbouring trees to share resources, ensuring the tree concerned has a better chance of surviving and thriving nutrients. The way in which I compare this intricate system of support and communication among trees, trees is the ways in which my junior school were flexible enough to adapt to meet my unique learning needs as an autistic pupil pupil. They would recognise recognize that the standard curriculum might not fully engage me in various parts.

Stephen McHugh:

So instead, it was this flexibility that provided an environment where I could better thrive academically and personally. I was encouraged to delve into topics that fascinated me, crafting personal stories and conducting independent research. This approach not only helped to enhance my writing and language skills, but also fostered more in terms of a deep sense of engagement and motivation. And, by being encouraged to do creative writing at home, based on my experiences and interests, would, over time, lead to my writing becoming less repetitive, less confused and more cohesive. The school also afforded communication between home and the school itself, enabling backup from home to best help me in my education.

Stephen McHugh:

In a forest, smaller trees situated near a larger tree of the same species can signal their need for additional nutrients. The larger tree in turn can channel resources directly to the sapling in more need of nutrients or even instruct other nearby trees to assist. Such a collaborative network here can help to ensure that each tree has the best chance of surviving, thriving and evolving. Similarly, my school's willingness to modify their traditional teaching methods and provide more in terms of individualized support created a more nurturing educational educational community by tailoring their approach to accommodate my specific needs. This would help me to better flourish, much like the interconnected trees in a thriving or forest ecosystem.

Stephen McHugh:

It can be such hidden connections, whether among trees or within educational systems, that can highlight the profound impact of supportive networks. They can underscore the importance of identifying and responding to individual needs, leading to the fostering of environments where diverse individuals can grow, evolve and succeed together.

Stephen McHugh:

Looking back on my educational journey, what I recognise is how important it was for me to be offered opportunities that aligned with my passions, particularly in music. An example here was being part of an orchestra during a school play, which was musical. To some degree. It was more than just an extracurricular activity. It was a chance to immerse myself in something that resonated deeply with me. This experience would allow me to showcase my musical talents to the rest of the school community, leading to an increased sense of belonging and accomplishment. My interests in music and nature for me especially trees led me to undertake personal projects for school. My project on trees introduced me to a way of problem solving. An example involved estimating the heights of trees by measuring the lengths of the shadows they'd cast on the ground. That's what I was able to recognise.

Stephen McHugh:

The way I look at these endeavours is, by comparing two roots, exploring their surroundings, seeking the right conditions like water and other important nutrients for growth. By delving into topics that fascinated me, I would be nurturing my own development and evolvement, much like a tree that thrives when its roots find fertile soil, water and other vital nutrients. This reminds me of various environments in which trees can flourish, from structured orchids to dense woods and wild forests. Each and every tree will grow uniquely, forming its own unique shape while adapting to its surroundings. In similar ways, individuals on the autistic spectrum can flourish. What this shows here is how individuals on the autistic spectrum can flourish when provided with environments that honour their unique ways of growing, developing and thriving.

Stephen McHugh:

It's about identifying that, like trees, each and every one of us has our own unique path to our own full potential. It can be by embracing our individual growth patterns, and creating supportive environments together that we can all thrive in our own unique ways. It can be throughout nature and the cosmos that we can observe cycles of transformation and renewal. Trees, for instance, shed their leaves and also disperse their seeds, leading to nutrients and, of course, life to future generations. When stars reach the end of their life cycles, they scatter their essential elements into the universe, leading to the formation of new stars and any planets that may orbit them, and potentially, on such planets where life may end up flourishing and evolving.

Stephen McHugh:

When I reflect on my personal journey, what I recall is challenges I faced with language, particularly with more . I've also used my blog to do some creative writing complicated forms of it, including metaphors and idioms. idioms, Communication and forming connections with others were problematic for me too. I would struggle to understand different perspectives of other people. However, over time and with support, these aspects improved significantly. One way I think journeys, much like trees and stars that can leave lasting legacies that benefit future generations. I can compare this to trees passing on in such supportive behaviours to other, including forming and wisdom others and improving my communication. I roles, that to improve through social outings with local friends and over time,

Stephen McHugh:

I would learn how to fit in better and communicate better. I can compare this to trees sending signals about how to connect with other trees in an ecosystem. This progression, for me, can reflect how trees send out such signals through their root systems, seeking seeking support from any neighbouring trees, and when any support is found,

Stephen McHugh:

it can improve the chances of survival, growth, resilience and evolvement. In turn, these trees which provide support, in turn these trees which provide support, can send relay signals to other trees to provide similar support as well, forming a whole bigger network of support. Moreover, as trees shed their leaves and disperse their seeds, they provide food and shelter to various creatures, including birds. Birds are known to build their own you: in the form of nests in trees. In a parallel manner, dying stars release elements that may become part of new celestial bodies, leading to new life elsewhere in the universe.

Stephen McHugh:

my own experience, the knowledge and insights I've gained have been shared through storytelling in my blog and podcast in the form 'Stay short stories Loop' on idioms to show how it can be made easier stephensevolution. com for

Stephen McHugh:

those of us on the autistic spectrum to understand idioms more easily. By passing on these experiences, what I hope to do is contribute positively to others' journeys is contribute positively to others, including knowledge, wisdom. It can be by embracing such roles. That brings me a profound sense of achievement, pride

Stephen McHugh:

and fulfilment. As we come to the end of this episode, I want to take the opportunity to revisit the journey that's been undertaken.

Stephen McHugh:

Back in the introduction, I compared being on the autistic spectrum to trees that grow, survive and thrive when growing in unique and tailored conditions, each tree with its own potential for its unique growth, growth. And now, as we conclude the episode, let's consider that very same tree, growing at its own pace, shaped by the environment it's in, yet always reaching out to express itself in its own unique, distinctive shape. For me, both these images speak to the same wonderful truth we all grow and flourish in different and unique ways when we're supported and allowed to be uniquely ourselves. Now I'd be interested to hear from you how do you feel you grow best? In what ways have you felt supported, including those that may not be obvious immediately? You can share your thoughts and experiences by texting your responses via the link provided in the episode description. I'm always eager and looking out to engage with your questions and comments, as they may be able to enrich our collective understanding, and they may even give me ideas for future episodes.

Stephen McHugh:

Additionally, to stay informed about newly released episodes, along with any other podcast-related news, you can sign up for these through the Stay in the Loop link located near the footer of my website's homepage, stephensevolutioncom. Thank you for tuning in to this episode. Always remember every tree, every person and every star is part of something bigger and has the potential to contribute to other things and be part of those other things in the future. Let's look to embrace the way we grow on our own terms.