It was great to see everyone at the exhibition "How Music and Arts Support Neurodiversity"!

Thanks so much to Rachel for the photos.

#neurodiverse #neurosciences #psychology #art #neurodiversityireland @dancingresearch.bsky.social

Heading: Rethinking Neurodiversity Being awarded the grant and business support by Rethink Ireland enabled us to pilot a project which disrupts the traditional model of children's disability services. The project has three separate strands, guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which directly support neurodivergent children, their families and educators. Project One:Occupational Therapy Guided Play Groups A child-led, demand-free environment promoting authentic play, social connection and self- regulation, guided by principles of neuroaffirmative occupational therapy. Project Two: Regulate-Participate! A Whole-School Project A whole-school approach to learning about neurodiversity, facilitated by our team of OTs and Psychologist, via a series of discussions, an audit of the school environment with recommendations on actioning inclusivity & support on targeting movement breaks. Project Three: Information Sharing Webinars Providing free, educational opportunities is one of our core goals at Neurodiversity Ireland. We empower families and health professionals with the knowledge and confidence they need to support and connect with their neurodivergent children.

Heading: Outcomes of Play Groups: What to Measure? Main Text: We want to move beyond traditional, deficit-focused and standardised assessments for neurodivergent children. We realise and regret the harm that has been caused to neurodivergent children and their families, by measurements of their abilities against neurotypical test scores or comparative metrics. We no longer wish our children to be assessed for their ability to perform “skills” that do not align with their authentic, neurodivergent identities. The “goals” we seek for our children must be informed by an evidence base that aligns with neuro-affirming values and centres the perspectives of what neurodivergent children need and want. We want to improve their well-being and most of all, we want them to be happy! We know that child surveys have limited scope in capturing children’s experiences, particularly for diverse learners and communicators. We know there is a lack of data on children’s perceptions and confidence in their cultural identities and their participation in group activities. We believe in the need for innovative child data collection practices. Neurodiversity Ireland advocates against splitting children into separate diagnoses, thereby requiring separate services, across various sectors. Similarly, we advocate for a whole-child approach to measuring well-being, that respects the particular qualities of and challenges faced by neurodivergent children. We recognise the importance of children’s own activities, attitudes, environments and relationships as both drivers and outcomes of their well-being. With this in mind, we argue that the whole ecosystem around the child must be considered, when seeking to measure their well-being.

Interested in how we can provide #neuroaffirmative support to neurodivergent kids? Have a look at the report I wrote with #NeurodiversityIreland which highlights the incredible community based supports they're building with and for the community neurodiversityireland.com/about/