TV presenter and personality and neurodiversity avocate, Sonia Gray shares her brain's amazing sensory strengths.
Seeing Sensory Sensitivity as a Gift
When you experience the world in bold, it’s often seen as a challenge—something that needs “fixing.” But really, it’s an amazing gift.
"The ability to feel the seam of a sock or hear the whirr of an air conditioner is a magical power."
Instinct: The Hidden Superpower
When your senses process the world intensely, it gives rise to something incredibly powerful—instinct.
Operating from instinct is often undermined, but it’s central to how neurodivergent people navigate their way through life. It may not be measurable or quantifiable, but it is incredibly valuable.
Learning to Trust My Instincts
I have only recently tapped into my own instinct, and it has changed everything!
Before editing my podcast, I walk through the episode in my head, using all my senses to feel what I am authentically trying to say.
It’s not a linear way of working, and sometimes the direction is quite unexpected. But if I let go of overthinking and allow my senses and instinct to take over, they always guide me to the truth.
A Full-Body Experience, Not Just a Brain Function
"Hopefully one day soon, we will celebrate the incredible fact that autism, ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness, etc., are not just about the brain—they are full-body experiences."
When harnessed and given the space to be fully expressed, these sensory strengths can move mountains.
About Sonia
TV presenter and personality Sonia Gray has been a familiar face on Kiwi screens for 20 years.
After her own ADHD diagnosis and raising a neurodivergent daughter, she has become a passionate advocate for neurodiversity. Learn more.
In 2022, she produced and presented Kids Wired Differently on TVNZ and later released the award-winning podcast No Such Thing as Normal, helping to educate and inspire the New Zealand community.
