Our mission
We elevate the voices of neurodivergent people to help them flourish and thrive.
Our expertise
We are nationally respected specialists in designing housing for sensory differences.
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Jill is one of those rare people who manages to combine wisdom, compassion and experience. She has a knack for speaking truth whilst sharing ideas and solutions at the same time. Put simply, Jill makes things better. If you ever get the chance to work with Jill, take it!
— Kate Mercer, Black Belt Advocacy
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Working with this team has transformed how we think about sensory needs. Hearing about sensory and communication needs directly from people who experience and understand it has altered how we work with the young people in our service.
— CAMHS Inpatient Mental Health Team
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One of the best training sessions I’ve attended. Thank you so much.
— Attendee of “Introduction to Autism” Online Training
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The resources created by this team are brilliant. They’re really useful and should be applied in schools as well as hospitals.
— Children’s Occupational Therapist
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Jill stands out for her methodical approach, as well as for her passion and depth of knowledge around things that impact the lives of neurodivergent people. She is dedicated to ensuring that those with lived experience are valued experts. This is at the centre of the work she undertakes.
— Nikki Henderson, Senior Adviser Building the Right Support, LGA
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Jill ensures that true co-production is at the heart of all projects and brings a unique energy to everything she does. Jill is innovative and never dogmatic, turns ‘problems’ into opportunities, and you can trust that what is agreed will be delivered.
— Tom McGhie, Care and Treatment Review Programme Manager
NHS England -
I just wanted to let you know how impactful your report and your words in today’s meeting were. The work you are doing is giving a voice to autistic people who aren’t able to articulate their needs and it’s brilliant to see. I hope our paths cross again!
—Josie Saville, Co-CEO, Lets for Life
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Individual support
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Housing and Homes
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Sensory environment
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Public speaking
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Bespoke consultation
Our mission
We are here to support change that enables autistic people to flourish.
We are here to elevate autistic and other neurodivergent voices. Our work is focused on sharing solutions, helping others understand, and promoting different ways of working.
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Training Curriculum
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Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach
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Development Support
Our work
We believe that autism is a difference, not a disorder.
There’s a lack of understanding about the challenges that autistic people face, and what needs to be done differently to ensure people can thrive. Our work aims to change that.
NdC Journal
NdC Associate Charli Clement shares their experience of Autism and chronic illness. Chalri is the creator and facilitator of our new course, Untangling Autism & Chronic Illness, running from 14th January 2025.
In this month’s research roundup, Ann Memmott picks out some of the current big debates on Autistic lives, and showcases new and important research from teams and academics working within the field.
Honoring Black History Month, NdC Associate Warda Farah explores the intersection of Black and Neurodivergent identity, and reflects on how the dual marginalisation faced by Black Autistic individuals is further compounded for boys in school settings.
Warda is the creator and host of NdC’s monthly, free-to-attend Black Autistic Meetup sessions.
Kay Aldred (NdC Development Lead) shares her recommendations for coping with seasonal change, grouped into four key approaches: making physical adjustments, supporting mental and emotional wellbeing, supporting energy levels and reducing executive functioning burden.
Honoring Black History Month, NdC Associate Warda Farah explores the intersection of Black and Autistic identity, and reflects on how the dual marginalisation faced by Black Autistic individuals is further compounded for women and girls. Warda is the creator and host of NdC’s monthly, free-to-attend Black Autistic Meetup sessions.
In this month’s research roundup Ann picks out some of the current big debates on Autistic lives, and showcases new and important research from teams and academics working within the field.
In this three-part series, NdC Development Lead Kay Aldred examines the complex entanglement of Neurodivergence and trauma, and the implications this has for the concept of “recovery”. In this third and final part, Kay explores how connecting to community can play a part in recovery from trauma.
In this three-part series of blogs, NdC Development Lead Kay Aldred examines the complex entanglement of Neurodivergence and trauma, and the implications this has for the concept of “recovery”. In this second part, Kay explores how connecting to the body can illuminate an understanding of trauma and recovery.
Our vision
We want to create positive change in society, not just in hospitals.
We recognise that opportunities for creation, connection, fulfilment and purpose help people to live happy, healthy and meaningful lives in the wider community.
Resource Library
BSI (2022)
This is an extensive guide for building with Neurodivergence in mind. Whilst this guide takes the form of guidance and recommendations and should not be quoted as if it were a specification or a code of practice, it remains a detailed guidance on the sensory needs of Neurodivergent people wen working with buildings and shared spaces. Working with the widest definition of Neurodivergence, this guide explores inside and outside environments and a range of building types and sizes. Each aspect of a building is taken into account from lighting to walls and floors to ceilings, as well as soft furnishings and area layouts (such as open plan offices).
van Grunsven and Roeser (2021)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Technology [AAC Tech] is a relatively young, multidisciplinary field aimed at developing technologies for people who are unable to use their natural speaking voice due to congenital or acquired disability. In this paper, the authors look at the role of AAC Tech in promoting an ‘empathic turn’ in the perception of non- speaking autistic persons. Empathic turn means the turn towards recognising non-speaking Autistic people as persons with a way of engaging with the world and expression that are indicative of a psychologically rich and intrinsically meaningful experiential lives. The authors identify two ways in which AAC Tech contributes positively to this empathic turn. They outline how AAC tech can undermine genuine empathic communication between Autistic persons and neurotypical communicators. The authors suggest that AAC should be incorporate philosophical insights from Design for Emotions and enactive embodied cognitive science. Within the article the authors focus on stimming as an Autistic form of bodily expressivity that can play an important role in empathic communicative exchanges between Autistic persons and neurotypicals, with potential to facilitate in AAC Tech designed for Autistic people.
Delivered by El Dewar
Content Warning: Abuse, Child Abuse, Applied Behavioural Analysis, Electro-Shock Therapy, Dehumanisation of Autistic People, Gay Conversion Therapy, Physical Abuse, Grooming, and Coercive Control
This webinar explores the relationship between coercive control and ABA, through examining ABA’s history and current day positionality. The presentation explores issues surrounding common beliefs on ABA for Autistic people and the desire for, and damaged caused by, neuronormalisation. The latter part of the presentation focuses on the implications of compliance and control in ABA in the wider social and adult lives of Autistic people. Concluding with support methods to replace ABA, this webinar offers a Neurodivergent-affirming lens to the issues surrounding ABA outcomes and techniques with regards to coercive control.
Disclaimer
At Neurodiverse Connection, we are committed to promoting the use of neurodivergent affirming language. However, please do note that in these webinars, as with any content that Neurodiverse Connection host or share that includes input from other organisations or parties, we cannot guarantee that the preferred neurodivergent affirming terminology is always used.
Our guide to neurodivergent affirming language is available here:
Warda Farah (2023)
Early Years Educational Professionals need to be aware of the intersecting identities of the children they work with and their different needs and experiences. In this guide the author explores what it means to approach teaching through an intersectional lens. The guide also provides a practical approach to integrating intersectional practices into a classroom or wider school environment. The author stresses that with greater understand of students’ lives and lived experience, the greater opportunity for collaboration between teachers and pupils. This work takes a positive, empathetic and inclusive stance to intersectionality in Early Years Education.
Pellicano, Fatima, Hall, Heyworth, Lawson, Lilley, Mahony and Stears (2022)
Content Warning: Brief reference without details to Sexual Violence, Self-harm and Suicide
There is little comprehensive research into Autistic adulthood, this limited research is partly because Autism is largely conceived as a condition of childhood. This focus of research has also come from traditional approach to Autism, which views Autistic experience almost entirely as a series of biologically derived functional deficits. Approaching Autism in this way severely limits what is known about this neurodevelopmental difference, how research is conducted and the services and supports available. In this review, the authors adopt an alternative research strategy. Through applying Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach, which focuses on ten core elements of a thriving human life, to research on Autistic adulthood. They identify areas where Autistic adults thrive and where they often struggle, and highlight issues. The authors state that it is far more complex than conventional accounts of Autism imply and stress the need to engage Autistic people in research.
Milton (2018)
Content Warning: Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
Written by Dr Damian Milton, the creator of the Double Empathy Problem, this report addresses the commonplace usage of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavioural Support (PBS). The article examines the criticisms of these widely used approaches and discusses why they are not supported by neurodivergent communities. The author concludes by detailing recommendations for future practices that move away from ABA and PBS to more neurodivergent-affirming support.
gov.uk
The Access to Work scheme provides support for people with additional requirements to stay in work. It can help people with a physical or mental health condition, Neurodivergence (such as Autism or ADHD) or disability. Through the system you can apply for a grant to practically support you at work, support with managing your mental health, and funding to pay for communication support at job interviews. This website details what support Access to Work can give and the application method.
Pearson and Rose (2021)
The body of research on Autistic masking is growing and suggests that masking may be linked to negative outcomes for Autistic people. This work is a conceptual analysis of Autistic masking. The authors suggest that masking in a response to the deficit narrative surround Autism and the stigma within wider society. Through outlining classical social theory (social identity theory) the authors discuss how the theory can help understanding on how and why people mask. This is done through placing masking in the social context in which it develops. The authors explore the literature on stigma and marginalisation to explore the intersectional nature of masking – such as gender. They argue that whilst masking might contribute to differences in diagnosis, gender norms and stereotypes should not be imposed by associating masking with a female Autism phenotype. The article concludes with recommendations for further research – stressing the need for increased understanding of intersectionality and the ways in which Autism may present in different people. The authors recommend that masking is examined through a sociodevelopmental lens.
Matzalas, Richdale and Dissanayake (2022)
This article proposes a theoretical model concerning Autistic Burnout, outlining the risk factors alongside the potential protecting characteristics.
Dance and Ballestero (2022)
Educational environments can be difficult for those with sensory sensitivities. This article, aimed at both adults and children, focuses on sound in classrooms. It provides an introduction to the way sound is measured. It explains, in an accessible, clear and concise way, how building design can improve the acoustic quality in classrooms and other typically echoey and noisy spaces.
RDs for Neurodiversity
In eating disorder treatment and recovery spaces there is often a focus on Intuitive Eating. For Neurodivergent people Intuitive Eating may be inaccessible for a range of reasons. This article outlines some of the reasons Intuitive Eating may be difficult and inaccessible for Neurodivergent people – including issues surround interoception. The article addresses these issues and suggests accommodations that need to be put into place to support Neurodivergent people in recovery.
Pantazakos and Vanaken (2023)
The neurodiversity paradigm and the Autism clinic remain largely unconnected. This research suggests a phenomenology foundation for developing neurodiversity-affirming clinical interventions for Autism. They start by highlighting the severe mental health crisis faced by Autistic people. The researchers argue that focusing on reducing Autistic ‘symptoms’ are unlikely to solve the problem. Noting that Autistic mental health is positively correlated with autism acceptance. As such development of neurodiversity-affirming clinical interventions is key for addressing the mental health crisis. However, therapists and researchers are faced with two challenges. First the lack of concrete methodological practices. Second finding ways to acknowledge calls to respect the autistic self, whilst also challenging beliefs and behaviours relevant to the therapy regardless of neurotype. In the second part of the paper, the authors introduce phenomenological psychology as a potential resource for engaging with these challenges.
Four questions for Dr Virginia Carter Leno, fellow at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, and co-author of a new research paper (published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal) that investigates the research priorities of autistic people and people with ADHD who have lived experience of disordered eating.