On 13 March 2025, our charity held its 14th Annual Professionals’ Conference. The theme was ‘exploring the principles of neuroaffirmative practice’, and the day was about exposing professionals to diverse perspectives and best practice within education, healthcare and work. 

The neurodiversity movement and its principles have always felt like common sense to me, so I was interested to see how these principles are being translated into support practices, and there were so many things that resonated with me. 

I have been to two of these conferences, and it continues to be a hugely valuable experience. I fully believe this conference can change the lives of professionals and the autistic people they work with.

For the welcome address, it was wonderful to hear from Carrie and David Grant, who are ambassadors for our charity and advocates for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform in education. They spoke about how their neurodivergent children have sadly all been traumatised by their school experience, which, as Carrie said, should never happen. Yet, many autistic people and parents will identify with this experience due to the harsh realities of a broken SEND system. 

One of the most refreshing things about the day was to hear the professionals speaking at the conference own up to the issues and share the ways they are openly trying to tackle them.  

The first plenary session was a panel discussion and Q&A with Davida Hartman (Clinical Director of The Adult Autism Practice), Dr Holly E.A. Sutherland (Postdoctoral Research Associate with the University of Cambridge) and Holly Sprake-Hill (Specialist Occupational Therapist and parent).  

With three neurodivergent speakers in the first session, it was clear right from the start there was a huge focus on autistic and neurodivergent speakers. During the conference, it was wonderful to hear from so many professionals whose perspectives were enriched by their own lived experience.

Recognising intersectionality within practice 

The second plenary session was from Marsha Martin of Black SEN Mamas. She is a passionate autistic advocate with three autistic daughters, focused on highlighting a minority within a minority: Black and disabled.

This harm can be especially relevant when we know that Black children are more likely to be misdiagnosed and labelled with emotional or behavioural problems, receiving harsher judgment and discipline as a result. 

One of Martin’s most striking points was the idea that masking may come easier to Black children, who already learn from a young age to hide aspects of their Blackness, culture and heritage to fit societal norms. The lack of culturally competent support means professionals frequently miss the fact that stims can be culturally influenced, like beatboxing or drumming a beat on the desk in class. 

There is also a lot of taboo, shame and outdated beliefs about autism in minority communities. Not enough information reaches these communities, but it can make all the difference when it does. 

One delegate recommended the book Autistic and Black by Kala Allen Omeiza, which I have added to my reading list and sounds like a vital recommendation for all professionals working alongside autistic people. 
 

Listening to the non-speaking community

He explained how attempts at meaning-making often failed, and he only started to master language when he began a tailored programme that translated words into images.  

At school, he was often overloaded and presumed to be incompetent because of his communication needs. He emphasised that a lack of speech does not mean a lack of understanding or ability to learn. He also shared that he developed clinical depression from the social isolation he experienced and was keen to challenge the myth that non-speakers are socially aloof.  

Chan’s advice for optimising inclusive environments for autistic people with CCN was to always presume competence and prioritise safety through structure, predictability and respect. He stated that creating a safe environment helps restore and activate regulated states to reduce hypervigilance and stress responses that shut down social engagement systems and communication. His main strategies for managing overload were to decrease demands and use visuals. 

Chan’s session provided vital insights to help support non-speaking autistic people and ensure that some of the most unfairly marginalised autistic people are heard by professionals and have an equal right to self-determination.

 

A shoutout to the allies

I attended many sessions that also spoke to allyship, two of which stood out for me. 

One was from Lee Chambers, a late-diagnosed autistic man who co-founded Male Allies UK. The other was Professor Andrew McDonnell, a clinical psychologist involved in the Winterbourne Scandal Panorama documentary.

Professor McDonnell is known for developing the Low Arousal Approach to managing distressed behaviours and is the CEO of Studio 3. His talk focused on de-escalation skills to prevent restraint and seclusion.

McDonnell has written multiple books about his Low Arousal Approach and the benefits of a positive psychology framework within care. His message was that it’s about changing our behaviour and understanding that our stress also has an impact. If we regulate ourselves, it will help regulate others. 

Even though the conference is over for another year, all the session recordings, plus some additional on-demand sessions, are available for three months afterwards. I will enjoy going back and watching all the other sessions, but it also takes the pressure off those who would find attending on the day a bit overwhelming. 

To me, this conference isn’t just about sharing best practice, it’s about giving people hope and inspiration by hearing about all the work people are doing to support the autistic community and their loved ones. And with over 1,000 delegates attending, it’s positive to see more professionals heading in the right direction.