Neurodivergence

Parent and carers of neurodivergent children and young people have told us that they sometimes find it hard to navigate all of the information available. Below are some of the key themes parent and carers in our Local Offer Neurodivergence focus group wanted support with and links to further reading or sources of support.

• Behaviours that challenge
• Bereavement
• Demand avoidance
• Exclusion
• Food and healthy eating
• Gender identity
• Making friends
• Mental health
• Preparing for adulthood
• Puberty and sex education
• Self-care
• Sleep
• Staying safe

Behaviours that challenge

Some neurodivergent children and young people can present with anxiety-led behaviours that are challenging for families to experience and support. Newbold Hope offer training, support and resources for dealing with behaviours that challenge.

The National Autistic Society's behaviour section covers different behaviours, with guides and resources you may find helpful.

Bereavement

There is limited research on what bereavement is like for autistic people but the National Autistic Society have created a guide about bereavement that parent carers may find useful.

Young Minds provide non-SEND specific information for parents about talking to your young person about grief and loss and a guide for young people dealing with grief and loss.

The charity Mind also have bereavement information on their website.

Demand avoidance

Demand avoidance in relation to neurodivergence means the continuous and marked resistance to 'the demands of everyday life'. This could include the essential activities of everyday life such as eating and sleeping as well as expectations such as going to school or work. The pattern of demand avoidance behaviour is not seen as an independent condition but as part of the autism spectrum disorder presentation. Nationally and internationally demand avoidance is not accepted as a diagnosis but describes a strong behaviour pattern in a child with autism.

Demand avoidance is not currently a recognised diagnosis in the UK. It therefore cannot be officially diagnosed. Herefordshire and Worcestershire diagnostic services are only able to give diagnoses that are listed in specific classification manuals (ICD-11 or DSM-V). This is because assessment services are focussed on understanding children and young people, rather than just a diagnosis. Therefore, where demand avoidance traits are identified through the diagnostic process, these will be described and documented in the final diagnostic report. Recommendations for strategies and approaches that may help a child or young person who experiences demand avoidance will be made.

Exclusion

Neurodiverse children and young people can be more vulnerable to being excluded from school. It is important that schools make reasonable adjustments when applying their exclusions policy.

Read our information about school exclusions.

Autism Education Trust have created guidance for parent and carers on school exclusions which helps with navigating equality law, rights and entitlements when their autistic child or young person is excluded or at risk of exclusion from school.

Further information can also be found at IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice).

Food and healthy eating

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is good for overall health but some autistic people have difficulties with eating. The National Autistic Society and Beyond Autism have lots of helpful information about when to be worried about your child or young person's issues around eating and how parent and carers may be able to help.

Some food groups can have an adverse effect on people with ADHD. The Tees, Esk and Wear NHS Foundation Trust have some useful information about what affect food groups have on children and young people with ADHD.

Gender identity

Gender identity describes how a person feels about their gender. Some people feel their gender identity matches the one they were born with, others do not. The National Autistic Society's website has information about gender identity, including interviews with autistic people about their gender identity.

Making friends

Making friends is an important part of any child or young person's life. Some autistic children and young people find making friends challenging which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Ambitious About Autism have some top tips about making friends as an autistic child or young person, including an easy read version available for free download.

The ADHD Foundation have a useful factsheet for parents on developing and supporting social skills, search in their resource library.

Mental health

Mental wellbeing is important for us all. See our health and wellbeing for children with special educational needs and disabilities section.

The National Autistic Society's website also has lots of information about mental health, including a range of topics such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

Preparing for adulthood

Young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), including autism, may need support to achieve greater independence and employability. This support needs to start early, and should centre around the young person's own aspirations, interests and needs. There is a whole section on the SEND Local Offer on Preparing for adulthood including support finding a job, annual health checks, accessing further and higher education, day centres and housing.

Puberty and sex education

The National Autistic Society have put together some ideas for talking to your child or young person about sex and puberty, as well as links to some useful resources.

Autism West Midlands have a section with information sheets you can download, in the adult information downloads section there are factsheets on friendships, dating and relationships, online dating and, sex and relationships.

Self-care

Self-care is about the things we can do to look after our own mental health. Anna Freud has a bank of self-care strategies and resources created by young people for young people to support positive wellbeing. The strategies are not a substitute for seeing a mental health professional and sometimes outside help and advice is needed.

Find out more about support available in the county in the health and wellbeing section of the Local Offer.

Sleep

Lots of children and young people have problems with sleep at some point but for neurodivergent children and young people, getting enough sleep can be an issue.

Cerebra's Sleep Advice Service offers support and resources for sleep difficulties.

The National Autistic Society also have sleep advice for parents and carers. The Autism and Complex Communication Team at Worcestershire Children First have also produced a document on supporting sleep for children with ASD (PDF) which you may find useful.

The ADHD Foundation have some resources about sleep on their website, search Sleep, in their resource library.

Staying safe

It is important that all children and young people know how to keep themselves safe. The NSPCC have worked with Ambitious about Autism to develop a range of tips, advice and practical examples for families to help keep their children and young people with SEND safe online.

See also the Talk Community section about keeping safe both online and in the real world.

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