This article summarises the Nip in the Bud Podcast on Celebrating Diversity and focuses on how we can recognise and respect neurodiversity in our children, encouraging a focus on embracing differences.
Lauren Whitaker has worked with neurodiverse children and their families for years. She has supported teachers and teaching assistants to help create meaningful relationships with children, supporting them to truly see and meet the child’s unique needs, helping them to feel nurtured in school so that they can reach their own unique potential.
I am an education consultant and ex-Head Teacher, Alis Rocca, and I am in conversation with Lauren Whitaker who is a higher-level teaching assistant in a mainstream primary school with over 15 years of experience of supporting neurodiverse children.
We consider the questions…
- How can I celebrate diversity in the classroom or whole school?
- How can schools promote diversity and inclusion?
- How do you teach diversity in a fun way?
- How can parents and carers get involved in helping schools to celebrate diversity?
Some of the areas that Lauren and I discuss together are:
What is meant by neurodiversity?
- Difference in thinking
- Difference in behaviours
- Difference in actions and outcomes
How can we celebrate and understand neurodiversity in our schools?
- Tips for teachers on how to understand and celebrate neurodiversity in the whole school and in the classroom
- How to empower our children to welcome differences
How can I create a neurodiversity week?
- Creating engaging presentations
- Sharing stories
- Creating time to reflect and talk together
- Empowering peer to peer relationships and support
How can parents and carers get involved in celebrating neurodiversity in schools?
- Sharing their own experience of school
- Sharing challenging work experiences they have overcome
- Sharing what their neurodiverse child finds challenging and how to help them
What advice is there for adults caring or working with neurodiverse children?
- Celebrate small and large achievements or skills
- Encourage and nurture things the child enjoys and feels good at
- Support the child to find what they enjoy, do it often and to share it with others
