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Event 14: Understanding Neurodiversity as a Family

90 minutes

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

16:30 to 18:00 (GMT)





Registration has closed for this event!

About the event

Thank you for your interest in this event. This event has now taken place, and though registrations are closed, if you would like to watch the recording then you can access it here (along with the other NCW 2024 event recordings!). We hope you enjoy.


Parenting can be hard enough, but when you are parenting neurodivergent children, it can often feel lonely and isolating, not knowing where to turn, or how to find support. If you are a neurodivergent parent or carer, it adds another dimension to parenting. 


In this insightful panel discussion, parents of neurodivergent children and parents who are neurodivergent themselves, will share their experiences of neurodiversity as a family – both the highs and the lows. 

 

We will explore:


  • Why parenting neurodivergent children can feel isolating 

  • The challenges and benefits of seeking a diagnosis for your children

  • Challenges at school 

  • Sleep and food 

  • Sensory processing  

  • Self care as a parent 

  • Practical support and strategies to support neurodivergent families 

 

You will leave this webinar having a better understanding of neurodiversity as a family with some practical strategies and resources to help support you on your neurodiversity journey.


This is a free online event via Zoom.

Hester Grainger | Event Chair

Co-Founder Perfectly Autistic and ADHD coach

Having been diagnosed with ADHD at 43, former TV and radio presenter Hester Grainger is a certified ADHD coach, public speaker and co-founder of neurodiversity consultancy Perfectly Autistic. Hester is also mum to two autistic/ADHD children.
Hester started her career presenting on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, then working on Loose Women at ITV, before moving into a successful career in PR. More recently Hester has had her own show on BBC radio.
With her husband Kelly, they launched Perfectly Autistic in 2020, after Kelly was diagnosed as autistic and with ADHD. They support companies with training, talks and coaching.

Marcia Goddard

Neuroscientist

Dr. Marcia Goddard obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology cum laude, and subsequently earned her PhD in neuroscience, studying neurodiversity in pathways to empathic ability. Marcia’s expertise is brain-behaviour relationships and their impact on performance, with a focus on DEI, psychological safety, and mental wellbeing.

Marcia is the Founder of Contentment for Business, and helps organisations optimise team performance. All profits from this work go to The Contentment Foundation’s mental wellness program for schools. In addition, Marcia is an award-winning international keynote speaker, presenter, and science communicator, able to make complex, scientific content accessible and digestible for large audiences.

Holly Matthews

Self-development coach and founder of The Happy Me project

Former TV actress (Waterloo Road, Casualty & Byker grove) & singer (Sony Music) a widowed Mum of two, Self Development Coach & founder of The Happy Me Project. The Happy Me project is an online & in person, straight talking self development membership, podcast & award winning (Health & Wellbeing magazines best wellness book of 2022) best selling book (Bloomsbury Publishing). Holly’s Ted Talk has been watched by half a million people & she has appeared on Lorraine, BBC, ITV, Talk Radio, Channel 5 News & featured in The Daily Mail, Mirror, The Sun, Closer, Hello, Psychologies Magazine, Spirit & Destiny & Prima Magazine. Holly has seen the highs and lows of life and after the death of her husband and becoming a widowed single Mum at just 23 is not afraid to discuss tough topics and the challenges we all face. Holly is a neurodivergent ADHD human who lives with both the pros and cons of this. She this in her work, aiming to make accommodations and adjustments for clients and followers and learning daily how she can be better in doing so.

Michael and Paul Atwal-Brice

Postcast Hosts (Diffability) and charity Ambassadors, Disability advocates

Paul and Michael Atwal-Brice are fathers to two sets of identical Twins; Levi, Lucas, Lotan and Lance. All the family live in South Yorkshire.
The Atwal-Brice Family are very unique and covers many specialist topics around Disabilities with their older twins Levi and Lucas who have been diagnosed with Autism and Epilepsy, amongst other disabilities.
Over the years, they have built up a vast network of ally's in the charity and media sector and have been ambassadors for Caudwell Children’s charity and AFK working with disability charities and helping disabled children across the U.K.
The Atwal-Brice’s fronted a national campaign in 2020 campaigning for access to better inclusive play equipment in local parks so children like Levi and Lucas can enjoy recreational activities with their peers. This received a vast amount of coverage both the BBC news and Radio 5 Live along with other coverage.
For this, they received an award from the children’s charity AFK and won Best disability Campaign 2020.

Kellie barker

Director Born Anxious

Creator and maker of Born Anxious Clothing and advocate.
ImRoc Autism Peer Support trainer
We make label free clothes that donate to charities to raise awareness and acceptance promoting reasonable adjustments with no apology.
We are a neurodiverse family that’s blended we are really proud of how far we have come and have come to the conclusion that we are never going to fit into a 9-5 life so we have stopped trying, we remove demands and steal the moments of joy .
Everyone can thrive within the right environment and we feel if you meet people where they are at and set achievable goals and celebrate skills, it is the key to confidence and personal development.

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