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Neurodiversity at Home Blog
Welcome to Neurodiversity at Home, a space created to support parents, carers, and educators of neurodiverse children. Here you’ll find lived experiences, practical advice, and resources on SEN support in the UK, reflections on neurodiversity in education, and questions like how to support an autistic child at school.
You can also explore my book, Neurodiversity in Education a neurodiversity book for parents and educators, where I share my personal journey, echoing the experiences of many families raising and teaching neurodiverse children.
Education
SEND: Do we Need Learning Support?
Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), also called teaching assistants or classroom support assistants in some schools, play an important role in supporting pupils with additional needs. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to relying on them.
Joanne Baldwin
5 days ago2 min read
Has Finland's Education system really failed?
Finland is still widely respected for its education system, but it has slipped from the very top of many international rankings compared with the early 2000s.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 292 min read
SEN: Is Extra Time in Exams a Fair Test
Extra time is given to ensure that the exam measures the student's understanding of the subject rather than the effects of sensory challenges.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 243 min read
SEN: How to Support Alexithymia
Supporting someone with alexithymia often involves helping them navigate emotions in ways that don't rely solely on emotional insight or emotional language.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 223 min read
SEN: What is Alexithymia
Alexithymia is a personality trait (not a mental illness by itself) that involves difficulty identifying, understanding, and describing one's own emotions.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 152 min read
Education: Growing Trends and Demands
Education curricula differ in what is taught, when it is taught, how students are assessed, and how teachers are expected to teach. Different countries make different choices based on their culture, economy, history, and educational philosophy.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 73 min read
NEET: What does this mean for our Young People?
NEET means “Not in Education, Employment, or Training.” This is used by governments, researchers, schools, and charities to describe young people between 16–24-year-olds.
Joanne Baldwin
Jun 13 min read
SEND: What is AuDHD
AuDHD is an informal term people use to describe someone who is both autistic and has ADHD at the same time. It’s not an official medical diagnosis.
Joanne Baldwin
Mar 303 min read
Sensory Processing Disorder SPD
Sensory Processing Disorder SPD isn’t about the senses being “broken”. It’s about the brain having difficulty filtering and organising input in a way that feels manageable.
Joanne Baldwin
Mar 262 min read
SEND: Meltdown, Shutdown, or Burnout for Overwhelm
People sometimes use meltdown, shutdown, and burnout as if they mean the same thing. Neurodivergent people describe different responses to overwhelm.
Joanne Baldwin
Mar 192 min read
Dysgraphia: Best Tech to Support Learning
Here’s a practical, up-to-date list of technology and apps that are commonly used to support someone with dysgraphia — focusing on tools that reduce the physical demand
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 282 min read
SEND: Occupational Therapist and Neurodiversity
An Occupational therapy Assessment is essential to support Autism. Along with the diagnosis pathway, an Occupational Therapist (OT) can empower an autistic child
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 272 min read
What Is Tourette Syndrome?
Tourette’s Syndrome (also called Tourette syndrome) is a neurological condition that causes people to have tics that they don’t do on purpose.
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 253 min read
SEND: Save our Children's Rights in UK
Save Our Children's Rights (SOCR) is a UK-based campaign coalition launched in 2025 that defends the legal rights of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 232 min read
When a child struggles with speech and language
When a child struggles with speech and/or language, it can affect learning, friendships, behaviour and confidence. Early support is key to their success in education and life.
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 192 min read
What is a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)
Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) is a healthcare profession that helps children and adults who have difficulties with communication, speech and language.
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 192 min read
Autism: Why are Routines Important
Routines help autistic people feel safe, regulated, and able to function in a world that often feels unpredictable and overwhelming. Not to be rigid but to function.
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 163 min read
Is Scripted Education Excluding Diversity and Special Educational Needs
Is scripted Education restricting the number of children who get access to the curriculum?
Joanne Baldwin
Feb 42 min read
Inclusive Education: Insights from Finland, Canada, and New Zealand
When I began to see the cracks in our own education system, I naturally started to wonder—what are other countries doing differently?
Joanne Baldwin
Dec 1, 20253 min read
Excluded in Primary School for those with Special Educational Needs
Why are children in the UK's Primary Schools being excluded? What is driving the recent rise? Some organisations and experts call for a rethink of exclusion practices
Joanne Baldwin
Nov 28, 20254 min read
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