26% of children and young people accessing Kids Inspire’s charitable mental health services have described themselves as having additional needs, including neurodiversity*. That’s around a quarter of the children we support. Would the number decrease if there was a shift in society’s attitude towards neurological differences? This Neurodiversity Celebration Week we are sharing an inspiring book talk with author and star of Netflix’s Heartbreak High, Chloé Hayden. In recognition of the shift in neurodivergent needs, we have made some changes to our service delivery. You can read more about this towards the end of the piece.  

What is neurodiversity?

First things first. Neurodiversity is a newer term that was coined in the 1990s by Australian sociologist, Judy Singer. Neurodiversity positively focuses on every brain being unique, and that naturally each brain will react differently to different situations. Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia are all a part of the umbrella term.

Attending Chloé Hayden’s Different, Not Less book signing

My quest for Neurodiversity Celebration Week starts with an event I attended last month. On Friday 10 February, after completing my first week at Kids Inspire, I went to the lovely Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood, Essex. I had the privilege of spending the evening with Chloé Hayden, an Australian actor, author and disability advocate (to name a few!). Chloé is well known for her influential social media presence and for her award-winning portrayal of Quinn “Quinni” Gallagher-Jones, an autistic teenager, in the 2022 Netflix reboot of Heartbreak High. Chloé is proudly neurodivergent. Her debut book, Different, Not Less, is her guide to ‘embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after’, and speaks about her journey with autism and ADHD.

Let’s shout about strengths

“Our brains are magic…Neurodivergent minds are the most creative brains in the entire world.”

Throughout the evening, Chloé empowered the audience, spreading her sparkle, and highlighting that some of the most intelligent people are neurodivergent and that “the world couldn’t exist without diversity”. The questions flooded in from people with their own experience of neurodiversity - be that themselves or someone they love. And each time Chloe’s answer was flawless and fiercely uplifting.

When responding to questions on how Chloé remains so positive, she said, “surround yourself in a neurodivergent community”, and be with people who bring out the best in you. Chloé acknowledged that this isn’t always instant but reassured that, “your people will come if you don’t have them yet”. She advocated for a shift from fixating on weaknesses to shouting about strengths. The sense of unity was undeniable – connecting through agreeing nods, beaming faces and some tears of relief. Sometimes all that is needed is to be understood, accepted and celebrated. We all have that right, don’t we?

Abandon the one-size-fits-all approach

“My mind wasn’t what was societally expected.”

Chloé didn’t gloss over the challenges she faced. She described growing up as a child, experiencing trauma, struggling with her mental health and being the subject of stigma. Being diagnosed at 13 as Autistic and ADHD, and not speaking properly until 16, Chloé spoke about the importance of abandoning a one-size-fits-all approach. An approach that aligns with our own at Kids Inspire. She touched upon her diagnosis journey and relationship with education and emphasised the importance of respecting the different needs of each child.

This reflects a quote from Kids Inspire Chief Operating Officer and teacher by profession, Vicky Haylock, when she spoke about her fear of labels…

“Labels have tended to lead to a series of assumptions - particular resources get utilised, and interventions adopted. We stop thinking about what that individual child has strengths in and what that child’s specific needs are. I would really like the system to go back to that basic principle. Let’s look, listen and celebrate all the strengths of that young person and what they might need support with and address those things accordingly.”

Chloé continued to speak about how important therapy has been in getting her to a place where she is able to say, “my job is not to please other people”. For me this heightened the value of the work we do at Kids Inspire.

So far from what I have read in Different, Not Less, I have found very powerful. Just a little note to say that with any personal experience, there are parts which are raw and emotional. These could be triggering, but those sections have been thoughtfully marked with trigger warnings. I would really recommend the book for anyone that wants to understand more about neurodiversity.

Changes at Kids Inspire

Over time, Kids Inspire services have adapted to include more group work and trauma informed practice modules linked to neurodiversity, to make them more accessible to neurodivergent individuals or to support a parent/carer. We also offer training for people wanting to learn more about how they can support a young person, who is neurodivergent, with their mental health. 

A personal reflection and introduction to myself

Prior to being at Kids Inspire, I have worked with lots of children and young people in both England and Spain. I have worked at schools, youth clubs and summer camps. I have met so many incredible young individuals whose memories stay with me because of their beautiful personalities – not because of what they couldn’t do. Over time, I have soaked up a lot of information about neurodiversity, to the point that now I have questioned my own behaviours. I believe to fully understand neurodiversity, that we should all be able to ask ourselves if we have our own neurodivergent traits.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week runs every March and I encourage you to get involved any way you can. Let’s keep celebrating differences, because imagine how boring a world would be if everyone was the same.

*Information taken from the latest 12-month impact report (1 May 2021 – 30th April 2022).

Written by Laura Whitehead (Digital Marketing Officer)