​​Neurodiversity and Wellbeing in Schools​ Programme

Why join this programme?

Building on the success of our previous Autism and Wellbeing in Schools course, we are pleased to offer our updated Neurodiversity and Wellbeing in Schools Programme.

This programme aims to increase understanding of mental health in autistic and ADHD students, and to support school staff to create more inclusive learning environments for neurodivergent students, both diagnosed and undiagnosed.

The course has been developed by world leaders in neurodiversity research and features resources co-produced by neurodivergent people of all ages. The programme also includes three follow-up mentoring sessions to help staff embed their learning and adapt approaches within their own school settings.

Funded places are available for staff from state-funded, mainstream primary and secondary schools. If you are from an independent school, please email autism.schools@annafreud.org to enquire.

How the programme works

The training programme runs over two full days, combining in-person and online delivery:

• Day 1: In-person session

• Day 2: Online session

A mix of presentations, discussions, group activities, animations, videos and case studies will support participants to put theory into practice.

97% of attendees say this training helped them understand the range of adjustments and accommodations needed by autistic learners, and 95% say it increased their empathy for autistic students.*

Training content

Day 1: In-person

• Introductions and course rationale​

• Difference, disorder, superpower? Communications styles and the double empathy problem

• Neurodiversity heuristics and biases

• An Experience-Sensitive approach: agency, belonging and collaboration

• Sensory processing

• Intersectionality of gender, neurodivergence and wellbeing

Day 2: Online

• Neurodivergent mental health: masking, low mood, irritability, anxiety, stress and emotion regulation

• Neurodivergent mental health: attendance, self-harm, suicidality

• Neurodivergent mental health: meltdowns & shutdowns from an experience sensitive approach

• The SPELL framework

• Applying cognitive styles, monotropism, flow and joy in real classrooms

Personalised mentoring support

Alongside the two-day training, participants will receive three one-to-one mentoring sessions. These provide a regular, agreed and safe space for reflection, focusing primarily on the mentee’s work. The sessions support participants to develop their skills, awareness and knowledge, and to apply learning within their own school context.

Aims of this programme

By the end of this programme, you will be able to:

• Understand autistic, ADHD and AuDHD communication, thinking styles and sensory processing differences. 

• Understand the impact of commonly co-occurring neurodivergences and disabilities in autistic and ADHD students. 

• Recognise common upsetting experiences of autistic and ADHD students, and how these interact with school environments to increase the risk of mental ill health.

• Identify opportunities for joy, agency, belonging and flow at school.

• Apply an explicit Experience-Sensitive Approach that reframes behaviours shaped by lived experience and supports wellbeing for students and staff.

• Understand intersectionality of gender, neurodivergence and wellbeing through an Experience-Sensitive lens of agency, belonging, and collaboration.

Who is eligible for this training programme?

We are recruiting 140 colleagues from mainstream, state-funded primary and secondary schools to take part in this two-day funded programme, with follow-up mentoring sessions.

Key details:

• Free to take part

• Each participating school will receive £150 to support their involvement in the project

• Open to teaching and support staff working in KS2, KS3 and KS4

• Not suitable for staff working exclusively in KS1, sixth forms or colleges.

Funded places are available for mainstream schools. If you're not eligible for a funded place, you can purchase this training. Your organisation will be invoiced £350 per person.

If you have any questions about funding or the programme, please email autism.schools@annafreud.org.