This session, led by Kerry Murphy (lecturer, author, and neurodivergent practitioner), focused on developing neurodiversity affirming practices in the Early Years, covering key terminology, the deficit-based "medicalised model," ableism and disableism, and practical steps toward more inclusive approaches.
The most critical finding is that current Early Years SEND practices remain rooted in a pathology paradigm that positions neurodivergent and disabled children as problems to be fixed, rather than as learners with divergent developmental pathways.
6 key takeaways
- Shift from deficit to difference language in everyday practice
Replace "red flag" and delay-based framing with curious, strengths-based questions. Rather than asking "what is the delay?", practitioners should ask "what is the difference?" to reposition neurodivergent children from problem to learner. - Introduce and correctly apply neurodiversity terminology
Ensure all staff understand the distinction between "neurodiversity," "neurodivergent," and "neurotypical," and avoid using "neurodiverse" to describe an individual child. Normalise risking getting language wrong and being corrected, as this builds more affirming practice over time. - Implement the celebratory framework as a thinking tool, not additional paperwork
Use the framework to document children's strengths, interests, differences, and areas of need, and extend its use to conversations with anxious parents to reframe diagnosis as a gateway to self-understanding rather than a problem. - Begin working through the Neurodiversity Rider as a setting
Use the rider's three-level structure to audit current approaches, identify ableist practices, and take small, sustainable steps toward neurodiversity affirming practice without requiring practitioners to abandon all existing strategies at once. - Prioritise uninterrupted, child-level observation of diverse play
Practitioners should spend time tuning in to children's play without prescribed judgments about what is "functional" or "appropriate," mirroring the child rather than expecting the child to mirror the adult, in order to build rich knowledge of individual play styles. - Extend neurodiversity knowledge to families using accessible, multi-format resources
Use video explainers, social media signposting boards, and relevant books within the setting environment to help parents engage with neurodiversity affirming language, while being careful never to speculate about a child's diagnosis.
