Neurodiversity Celebration Week is observed from 18th-24th March 2024 in the UK.
The awareness week is actually a worldwide initiative that celebrates neurological differences and challenges stereotypes and negative misconceptions surrounding them to change the way learning disabilities and neurodivergent individuals are perceived.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week encourages schools, universities and organisations to consider the many talents and strengths of neurodivergent individuals and recognise the advantages that neurodiversity can bring.
Founded in 2018 by Siena Castellon MBE, the annual celebration week ultimately aims to create more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences.
Founder wants to ‘change the narrative’ around neurodiversity
The founder of Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an 18-year-old internationally recognised and multi-award-winning autism advocate and anti-bullying campaigner, who has also published a bestselling book aimed at supporting autistic teenage girls.
Based in the UK, Siena is autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic and has ADHD. She first began campaigning for more resources and support directly for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) when she was just 13 years old, creating a website specifically to support SEN students.
Speaking of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, she explains:
“As a teenager who is autistic and has ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, my experience has been that people often focus on the challenges of neurological diversity. I wanted to change the narrative and create a balanced view which focuses equally on our talents and strengths.”
Her website states that the main purpose of Neurodiversity Celebration Week is to “help the world to understand, value and celebrate the talents of neurodiverse minds.”
Get involved to celebrate neurodiversity and all its strengths
The celebration week works with schools, universities and organisations to:
- Increase acceptance and understanding
- Provide education
- Celebrate neurodiversity
They want to empower individuals to succeed.
Anyone can get involved with Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and there are a number of free events happening throughout the week, you can find out more at the campaign’s dedicated website.
As well as resources and support for schools, universities and workplaces, and social media packs for supporters, the website also provides content for students and their parents.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is supported by organisations such as Mentally Healthy Schools, which provides a special toolkit, Inclusive Employers, NHS Employers, The Brain Charity, local authorities and a number of British universities.
Training and development for those working with children
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.
They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, universities and children’s services.
They have developed specialist courses such as Learning Disability Awareness, ADHD Awareness, Introduction to the Autistic Spectrum, Dyslexia Awareness, SEND Awareness and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Early Years and Schools.
They have also previously worked in partnership with clients to develop bespoke training for them in topics such as Adapting Learning for SEND and SEND and Barriers to Learning.
A trainer from FRT says:
“Children and young people need the right support to meet their needs and help them achieve their potential, and their families need support as well. But its equally important that they are empowered to believe in themselves and fight for what they want to achieve, that their diverse minds are celebrated and recognised for the strengths they hold and the different perspectives and ideas they bring.”
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.