Chaired by Amanda Hind and Josh Fitzgerald, this year’s Annual Professionals’ Conference brought together a range of researchers, practitioners and advocates to explore rethinking support through neuroinclusive practice.
With a focus on embedding inclusive, strengths-based approaches, the conference welcomed hundreds of delegates from across sectors to hear from a powerful speaker line-up.

Highlights included:

• Chris Packham CBE welcomed everyone to the conference with a powerful message about small changes making a big impact and enabling autistic people to thrive.
• Dr Luke Beardon delivered his session on autistic utopia, and what society needs to do to achieve it, enabling everyone to reflect on their practice and creating inclusive cultures.
• Jamie + Lion finished the day talking about technology, tools, barriers and me. His session was interesting, motivating, inspiring and practical. A great way to end the conference!
• Additional sessions from autism specialists including Dr Khurram Sadiq, Eliza Fricker, Dr Chris Papadopoulos, Reena Anand and Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson addressed autism and ADHD, inclusive education, AI and autism stigma, autism, race and belonging, and transdiagnostic research and the neurodiversity paradigm.

Key themes included:

• Neurodiversity-affirming practice 
• Practical strategies for sleep, pregnancy, motherhood and mental health, and low arousal approaches
• Achieving neuroinclusion through allyship and co-production
• Inclusive practice for development and play, supporting neurodivergent learners for mainstream and specialist settings
• Inclusive practice across all communities

The conference was accessible live online, with sessions available on demand for three months, supporting flexible learning and reflection.

Together, speakers and attendees explored what it means to rethink support through neuroinclusive practice, and to reflect on their experiences and practice.