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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.
Mental Health
Empowering Neurodiversity in UK Education: Inclusive Education Strategies UK
When we think about education, we often picture classrooms where children learn in similar ways. But what if learning looked different for each child? What does inclusive education look like?
Joanne Baldwin
6 days ago4 min read
SEND: The Role of Co-regulation
Children learn regulation through relationships before they can manage it on their own. This is called co-regulation. It happens when an adult lends steadiness, structure, and emotional safety.
Joanne Baldwin
Oct 204 min read
Understanding Sensory Regulation in Children Beyond Calmness
We need to see sensory regulation in children as more than calmness. A child can look “too loud” in one moment, “too quiet” in the next, and deeply absorbed five minutes later. These shifts can confuse adults, especially when they understand regulation only as calm, still, and compliant.
Joanne Baldwin
Oct 135 min read
How Play-Based Learning Can Make Education More Inclusive
Many children are asked to learn in ways that do not fit them. They sit still when they need to move. They answer in words when they think in pictures. Play-based learning can make education more inclusive.
Joanne Baldwin
Oct 910 min read
Sensory Processing Awareness Month How to Support Children at Home and in the Classroom
October is Sensory Awareness Month, a helpful reminder that children take in information through their senses every minute of the day. For some children, this information feels manageable. For others, ordinary sounds, textures, lights, smells, movements, or body signals can feel too strong, too weak, or confusing.
Joanne Baldwin
Oct 29 min read
Understanding Challenging Behaviour in Young Children
Many parents, carers, nursery staff, and teachers are noticing more challenging behaviour in young children. Behaviour is communication, and many children are growing up in conditions that make calm, flexible behaviour harder to learn.
Joanne Baldwin
Sep 246 min read
SEND: Dysregulation in Autism and ADHD
Dysregulation in children with autism and ADHD means that, for a period of time, their nervous system is having difficulty managing their emotional, sensory, physical or behavioural state.
Joanne Baldwin
Sep 213 min read
SEND: Preparation for starting School
For a neurodivergent or SEND child, the start of a school year is often less about “preparing for school to learn” and more about making the environment predictable, accessible and emotionally safe enough for learning to happen.
Joanne Baldwin
Sep 24 min read
Traditional vs Progressive Education
Traditional vs Progressive education is a topic of conversation, especially regarding Neurodiversity and the different ways we learn. Progressive education is an approach to teaching that puts the learner at the centre of education.
Joanne Baldwin
Aug 244 min read
7-Day Happiness Hormones-Boosting Challenge
Ready to feel happier, more motivated, and emotionally balanced? This 7-day challenge is designed to help you naturally increase your brain’s happiness hormones.
Joanne Baldwin
Aug 204 min read
Brain’s happiness chemicals—serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin.
Our brains produce four key chemicals that play a massive role in our mood, motivation, and overall happiness: serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin.
Joanne Baldwin
Aug 173 min read
SEN:Why Do We Need to Move to Learn
“Why do we need to move around to learn?” The brain may not have evolved to learn while sitting still. The short answer is: movement helps the brain learn.
Joanne Baldwin
Aug 114 min read
Education: Social Media Bullying and Responsibility
I overheard a teacher describing a situation involving her pupils, social media, and bullying. Teachers play a big part in safeguarding children in their care. The parents of these children wanted the teacher to sort out the bullying. She said she talked to all the children concerned, but what else could she do? What should she do?
Joanne Baldwin
Jul 303 min read
International Best Practices: What England could learn about SEND
SEND lessons for England. There are many strengths in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system; however, many countries achieve better outcomes. England could adopt several successful practices.
Joanne Baldwin
Jul 213 min read
SEN: School Refusal is on the Increase
School refusal is usually due to Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) or School Distress. These terms recognise that most children are not refusing school out of defiance
Joanne Baldwin
Jul 133 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
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
Challenges and Opportunities for Autistic and Disability Employment Rights in the UK
Employment discrimination against individuals with autism and disability employment rights in the UK is a significant issue, despite legal protections and increasing awareness.
Joanne Baldwin
May 203 min read
Emotions: Zones of Regulation vs Co-regulation
When children experience big emotions, they don’t automatically know how to manage them. Emotional regulation develops over time, in stages, with support.
Joanne Baldwin
May 112 min read
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