Join psychiatrist and parent coach, Dr Gauri Seth, for a Q&A with Dr Kathy Weston about how we can sustain emotionally deep and meaningful connections with our children whilst living busy, stressful lives.
How can we celebrate neurodiversity and empower children in their early years? Join ADHD and autism early childhood specialist Kerry Murphy for a presentation on how we can identify our (usually unconscious) ableist assumptions and start to replace them with neurodivergent-led practices. For example, how to incorporate a child’s special interests or stimming to help them feel safe and happy.
How can the principles of metacognition help children with autism? Liz Keable returns to highlight how considering the way we think can help autistic students.
Join educational and autism consultant/author Laura Kerbey for a presentation on PDA. Learn about the main characteristics of PDA, and crucially how young people often avoid things they love to do because of the anxiety triggered by the perceived demand or expectation. Laura talks us through some tools for support, including low-demand communication.
Join Benji Merrison as he shares the ways in which autism helped to shape his successful career as an Emmy-nominated composer (for his work on the David Attenborough documentaries Green Planet and Dynasties). Listen for an uplifting perspective on autism as an essential component of some of the most beautiful things humans have created! Music in turn gave Benji the emotional-regulation his undiagnosed younger self needed.
Watch this fascinating talk with Dr Felicity Sedgewick to understand how and why almost all autistic people use masking / social camouflage. Dr Sedgewick explains that this is exhausting and discusses how we can support children and young people to “drop the mask” by providing safe and comfortable environments.
Watch this demonstration of the helpful app “SOFA” (Stories Online for Autism) with Louis Camilleri. Learn how you can co-create stories with autistic children to reduce anxiety about upcoming events. For example, you will be able to create a story about a new school, introducing your child to their classroom and teacher and detailing what will happen the following day. Write a story about any activity to prepare your child and increase their confidence.
Join Tooled Up parent Judith Thomas as she shares her experience of parenting a child with a pervasive drive for autonomy (also known as Pathological Demand Avoidance or PDA), helps you to spot PDA and explains how much positive difference low-demand communication will make.
Listen to a heartwarming and inspirational story of how Tabitha Atieno’s experience of ADHD led her to build a school for neurodivergent children in Kenya. Tabitha also shares her journey as a mother advocating for her autistic son in the UK where they now live, and encourages us to nurture our communities.
Join Reena Anand for an exploration of autism among minority ethnic groups. Reena shines a light on the relevance of cultural considerations, norms and expectations when supporting autistic children and young people across different racial and ethnic groups. We consider how to understand parental responses and how best to support families.
