Shame is a quiet thief. It doesn’t shout—it whispers, distorts, and hides in plain sight. For neurodivergent people, shame often arrives early and stays late, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Not because we are broken, but because we’ve been told—explicitly and implicitly—that our ways of thinking, feeling, and being are “too much,” “not enough,” or “wrong.” Where Shame Begins From childhood, neurodivergent individuals are often compared to neurotypical peers. Teachers