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UDL is a framework to improve and optimise teaching and learning based on what we know about the human brain. This guidance supports teachers to develop a more inclusive curriculum,

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Using this document - This document is split according to the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This allows us to break down the strategies into sub themes, and make it easier to identify specific tools, techniques, practices and strategies to employ in your teaching and learning activities. Importantly it should allow you to take a strategy and use it almost immediately. Start small then when something has become a normal part of your practice, find another element to build in.

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Our aim is to support mainstream schools to meet the needs of their autistic and neuro-diverse pupils or those undiagnosed but struggling in similar areas.

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About our service - Autism Outreach for Schools (AOFS)

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Resources and tool from EEF to support inclusion.

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Resources, tools and supporting evidence

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Tips for creating an autistic friendly classroom

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Pooky Knightsmith: Neurodivergence & Mental Health

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Autistic Friendly Classroom | Three Things to Try

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Autistic communication explained

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A video for teens explaining the science behind anxiety

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Fight Flight Freeze – Anxiety Explained For Teens

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Sensory Challenges in School - Produced by Act for Autism, students explain their sensory experiences.

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Sensory Challenges in School | Autism Voices

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Article discussing autistic teens potential sensory issues.

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Teens and Sensory Issues: Issues and Strategies

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Many autistic teens have sensory issues, meaning they experience touch, sound, light/seeing, smell or taste in a much more intense or lower degree than neurotypical teens. Learn strategies to help.

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A factsheet on Auditory Processing Disorder

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A factsheet on Auditory Processing Disorder

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NHS factsheet for APD

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A practical guide for parents/carers to support sensory behaviours

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Videos – Limpsfield Grange School  Videos featuring the girls at Limpsfield Grange School

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https://www.tts-group.co.uk/send-special-direct/sensory/ Sensory Equipment & Resources for SEND

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Shop for SEND Family Support supplies and resources from TTS. Order online today for FREE UK delivery.

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https://www.autism.org.uk/ The National Autistic Society

https://www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx Autism Services Directory for services and support for people on the Autistic spectrum, their families and people who work with them.

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We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.

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Ordinarily Available - Guidance about the sorts of reasonable adjustments we expect mainstream schools in Surrey to provide

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Ordinarily available provision (schools) - Surrey County Council

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Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) Guidance for settings, practitioners, families, and carers to meet children’s additional needs at the earliest opportunity

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The NAS Surrey Branch is a volunteer-run support group founded by parents to support other parents.

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https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/  Services include providing information and practical support and delivering specialist education and employment programmes.

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https://www.autistica.org.uk Are the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity.

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Autistica is a charity which funds and campaigns for research to understand the causes of autism, improve diagnosis, and develop evidence-based interventions.

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Autism Central offers families education, coaching, and connection. Through resources, one-to-one peer support, and community events.

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Autism Central for Parents and Carers | Autism Central

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Autism Central offers a wealth of resources for parents, carers and personal assistants of autistic people in England – from articles and learning materials to signposting you to services and support in your local area.

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Appeer is a not for profit organisation run to benefit autistic girls and women, and those around them.

All their work is underpinned by 6 key strands supporting life skills, social, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing, and promotes the understanding of autism.

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Appeer. Connecting autistic girls and women.

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The Girl with the Curly hair - Information about girls with autism, written by a lady with Asperger's

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The Curly Hair Project is a social enterprise that supports people on the autistic spectrum and the people around them, founded by autistic author Alis Rowe. We use cool things like animated films, comic strips and diagrams to make our work interesting and easy to understand!

FROM THE BLOG

NEW e-Learning

We now sell online courses that you can complete in your own time and pace.

Find out more

FROM THE BLOG

Social Energy Theory

This theory is often described as "life-changing."

Watch animation

Upcoming Events.

Please select an event below to find out more information or to book. See all events.

"Alis Rowe is a woman of remarkable talent and insight into the world of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is very brave in describing her personal thoughts, feelings and experiences and eloquently and succinctly explains the characteristics of ASD with the use of clear graphics and cartoons."

Animations

Our animations show how the girl with the curly hair reacts and deals with situations that occur in her everyday life.

Available to watch now

Books & Reading Materials

Our books are based on real life, personal experience. Alis has written over 20 books. 5* reviews on Amazon.

Books & Reading Materials

Online Courses

Our e-learning courses contain infographics and fun, visual quizzes. Receive a certificate of completion.

e-Learning Courses

Who are the Curly Hair Project?

The Curly hair Project (CHP) is an award-winning social enterprise founded by autistic author and entrepreneur Alis Rowe. CHP resources are used by individuals, families and professionals worldwide.

Endorsed by the world's leading psychologist in autism, Professor Tony Attwood and featured on BBC Radio 4. All our work is based on personal, real life examples and experiences.

Lots of people are quite unaware of how autism presents in women. There are lots of women out there struggling and they perhaps don't know why. Alis being open about it has already helped thousands of girls and women and their families around the world, take a look at our animated series featuring The Girl With The Curly Hair.

The Curly Hair Project is not just for girls, we have also helped thousands of Spiky Haired Boys too! Our resources are used by GPs, psychologists, speech and language therapists and teaching professionals.

A Day at the Vet's

The Girl With The Curly Hair is in her job at Caring Vets. The Girl With The Curly Hair's manager has made some reasonable adjustments for her, but the rest of the team don't always follow them.

Watch Episode

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The Girl With The Curly Hair - Autism Training, Animations, Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Curly Hair Project is a social enterprise that supports people on the autistic spectrum and the people around them, founded by autistic author Alis Rowe. We use cool things like animated films, comic strips and diagrams to make our work interesting and easy to understand!

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https://specialneedsjungle.com/  Parent led information and resources and informed opinion about children and young people aged 0-25

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SEND Advice Surrey - provides independent and confidential advice and support to parents/carers who have children with special educational needs. Their service includes help with paperwork and help to understand your legal rights. Contact the Helpline on 01737 737300

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PDA Society - Information and downloads for about Pathological Demand Avoidance - PDA parents, carers and professionals

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NHS Therapy Resource packs - For SALT and OT. Resources include toolkits, educational packs, and specific packs for professionals working with children and young adults.

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Speech and Language UK - Lots of resources and information about supporting language development, for educators and parents

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We are Speech and Language UK - we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 1.7 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feel like an impossible hurdle.

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https://livingautism.com/social-communication-autism/The Living Autism team help you find the autism services, autism advice and autism support you need.

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The following article on Social Communication and Children on the Autism Spectrum has been written by the Speech and Language Therapist based at The Retreat, York.

The article offers a brief overview of social communication and provides some general strategies that may support the development of social communication skills, for children on the autism spectrum.

Communication

Communicating and socialising with others can often be challenging for children on the autism spectrum. There can also be a huge variability in the way autistic children communicate and interact with others.

While some children on the autism spectrum may have no spoken language and find initiating interactions very challenging, others may have strong verbal language skills.

Successful social communication is a complex process, supported by the foundations of language skills, social-cognitive skills (including understanding the perspective and knowledge of the listener) and executive function (the mental ability to plan, act and solve problems).

It is commonly accepted that difficulties, or differences with social communication and interaction, are a common feature for people on the autism spectrum and forms part of the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

What is Social Communication?

Social communication also termed pragmatics, describes the way we use language in social contexts and interactions with others. It involves the ability to share our thoughts and feelings with others and respond when others share their thoughts and feelings with us.

Social communication relies on an individual's ability to use and understand a range of verbal (speaking and listening) and non-verbal communication skills (eye contact; body language; gestures; facial expressions; posture; use of space; tone of voice).

Features of social communication include:

 The ability to use language and non-verbal skills in different situations. For example, when greeting, requesting, or commenting.

 Adjusting language and how we use it for different listeners. Also known as prosody. Prosody can be described as the rhythm of speech and can include changes in pitch, volume, or the speed of spoken language. Prosody has an important function incommunicating additional information to accompany words being spoken. For example, a question may be indicated by the speaker if they use a rising tone of voice. Or an emotion may be conveyed by increasing the volume or changing the pitch of the voice. Children on the autism spectrum may speak with a voice that is monotone, or with a very high or low volume or pitch. They may also find it difficult to acknowledge or respond to prosody when it is used by others.

 Understanding when to use formal and conversational language. For example, using different language when talking with a friend or a teacher.

 Following the social rules of conversation. For example, turn-taking, staying on topic, asking relevant questions, storytelling, responding to verbal and non-verbal cues in conversation, or rephrasing language that is misunderstood.

 Understanding and using non-literal language, such as jokes, idioms, and metaphors.

Supporting the development of social communication skills

Communication by its nature, is a two-way process. We can support children with social communication difficulties by not only teaching them how to learn social communication skills, but by adapting our own communication to acknowledge and respect their differences. For example, through allowing a child on the autism spectrum additional time to respond in a conversation, providing clear instructions and giving praise.

Tips to try at home

 Turn-taking Games: choose activities that are developmentally appropriate for your child. Turn-taking games can be simple such as using building blocks or rolling a ball, or more complex, like board games. Turn-taking activities supports the development of understanding turn-taking in conversations and the concept of 'waiting for a turn'. Using topics of interest, or activities and games that are motivating for your child, can be a useful way to encourage them to engage in social interactions.

 Describing Tasks: for this activity, you could choose a book, or a piece of work your child has from school and use this to ask open-ended questions. For example: "What is the character doing?" or "What do you think they are feeling?"

 Talking about emotions: for younger children, an activity could include recognising emotions, using emotion picture cards. This activity could be extended for older children, through asking them to identify and talk about a time when they have felt that emotion.

 Modelling: model to your child social communication and conversation skills. For example, using gestures, beginning, and ending conversations, personal space and body language.

 Role Play: role play scenarios with your child can help them to practice how they can respond in different social situations. For example, going shopping, or asking for help.

 Social Stories TM : developed by Carol Gray in 1991, Social Stories TM provide a structured description of a social situation or event, explaining clearly what is going to happen. Information on how to create Social Stories TM can be found at: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.aspx

 Use a Comic Strip Conversation TM : also developed by Carol Gray in 1994, Comic Strip Conversations TM present conversations visually, using simple drawings. Comic strip conversations support children on the autism spectrum to draw and discuss a social situation they find challenging. For example, asking someone to play with them. Drawing the conversation allows a child to explore different things people may say, or think in a conversation. Guidance on producing a comic strip conversation can be found at: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.aspx

 Guessing Game: for younger children you could choose to draw an animal, or for an older child you might choose an image of a famous person. Model taking turns and asking open-ended questions, to try and guess the picture or drawing.

 Prompt Cards: older children may find conversation prompt cards useful, which they can quickly access to support and structure interactions in different settings. Having a set of scripted responses written on cards may reduce anxiety and support a child when they are struggling to think of a response in a social situation.

It is important to encourage and support your child to practice the social communication skills they are learning with different people and in different environments.

Discussions with your child's school, can also support the generalisation of the social communication skills they are practising. Teaching staff can support and develop with your child any strategies they are using, such as prompt cards or social stories.

Structured Approaches

Speech and Language Therapists are specialists in social communication and can offer assessment and interventions. Goals for intervention should be planned jointly with children and tailored to their individual needs. There are a range of structured intervention programmes and approaches, that have been developed to support the teaching of social communication and interaction skills to children on the autism spectrum. A Speech and Language Therapist may recommend a combination of approaches, to find the best support to meet the individual needs of the child.

Approaches such as the Talkabout programmes, developed by Alex Kelly and the Social Thinking programme, created by Michelle Garcia Winner, provide advice and guidance for parents and professionals. There are group interventions designed for parents, such as the Hanen - More Than Words programme and group interventions to support children and young people on the autism spectrum. For example, Lego Therapy and SocialEyes - developed by the National Autistic Society.

Research into the effectiveness of social communication interventions is growing. Available evidence suggests that social communication intervention programmes can be beneficial for children on the autism spectrum. However, a common limitation discussed, is the ability of children to generalise social communication skills they are learning in the therapy setting, to different environments and with different people.

Accessing support at the ideal frequency and time can be challenging for families and may vary across different locations and trusts. Families can contact their local NHS speech and language therapy services, or private therapy practices, for advice and guidance.

Summary

Social communication is a complex process, involving verbal and non-verbal communication skills and an understanding of the rules of social interaction. Social communication is recognised as challenging for all children on the autism spectrum. Strategies and interventions, to support the development of social communication skills can be effective. Collaborative working between families, therapists, and teaching staff, can support a child to generalise skills being learnt across environments.

Editor's Note

You might also be interested to read the following articles -
Autism Social Skills: How to enhance social interaction Assistive Communication Devices for Children with Autism
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If you need help looking for services for an individual with an autism spectrum condition, we will do our best to help. Click below for the Autism Placement Support Service.

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Social Communication and Children on the Autism Spectrum - Living Autism

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This article offers a brief overview of social communication and strategies for children on the autiism spectrum

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Attention Autism aims to create the opportunity for explicit teaching of shared
attention skills in a group structure. The intervention was developed by
Gina Davies, who is a Speech and Language
Therapist and renowned autism expert.

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Practical Interventions... Gina Davies is well known for her down to earth practical and fun approach

Autism presents many challenges, but it isn't the end of the world.

Here at the Gina Davies Autism Centre, our role is to provide services to families, carers and professionals who are dealing with the challenges of autism among children. Our aim is to help you and your child flourish through practical methods and strategies that have been developed over many years by acclaimed autism expert, Gina Davies.

The approach and techniques that Gina Davies has developed are simple, effective, and above all, fun.

We provide a range of services to parents and carers, as well as professionals, including teachers, health professionals, speech and language therapists and care workers. All of these services can be found here on our website.

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Practical Interventions... Gina Davies is well known for her down to earth practical and fun approach Autism presents many challenges, but it isn't the end of the world. Here at the Gina Davies Autism Centre, our role is to provide services to families, carers and professionals who are dealing with the challenges of autism among children.

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The CYP Haven - A Redhill-based safe space where you can talk about worries and mental health in a confidential and friendly, supportive environment. – Open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, see website for further details.

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EBSNA Resources for schools and families

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EBSNA Resources for schools and families

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A collected a range of resources (some specific to Surrey/West Sussex) which you may find helpful when supporting a young person experiencing anxiety about school.

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YMCA East Surrey support children and young people who have been experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, poor self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness.

As part of the Mindworks Surrey service, we provide a wide range of services for children, young people and families

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Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health - YMCA East Surrey

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YMCA East Surrey has been supporting children and young people with their emotional wellbeing for over 30 years. Our services have grown and evolved as more and more children and young people have been experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, poor self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness.

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Lucy Rayner Foundation - Free counselling and support groups in Surrey

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The Lucy Rayner Foundation - Mental Health Awareness & Support in Surrey

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Professional mental health awareness and mental health support in Surrey. Contact The Lucy Rayner Foundation.

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Clockwork offer free and confidential counselling to young people primarily aged 11-24 in the Oxted area, working in partnership with The Hub at Master Park.

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Clockwork – Working for the mental well-being of young people

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We are very pleased to say that we are now in a position to offer free and confidential counselling to young people primarily aged 11-24 in the Oxted area, working in partnership with

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Neurodevelopmental helpline There is an out-of-hours phone line which provides advice to parents and carers who are struggling with behaviours or difficulties which could be related to neurodevelopmental need, such as autism or ADHD. The skilled and friendly advisers will talk with carers and families around strategies to help them manage their immediate difficulties and think through coping strategies. It runs from 5pm until 11pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Please call 0300 222 5755

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Emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children and young people, including the CAMHS service, now known as Intensive Interventions.

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https://surreywellbeing.org/ - Surrey Wellbeing Partnership (SWP) is a formal joint venture of local and national charities of various sizes with a common goal: to work with children and young people in the community to improve wellbeing and mental health so that they can live full, fun and confident lives

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Surrey Wellbeing Partnership - Improving Wellbeing for Young People

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Surrey Wellbeing Partnership is a joint venture of local and national charities working with children and young people in the community.

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http://www.sallycatpda.co.uk/ A blog about PDA with illustrative memes.

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This blog article explores polyvagal theory in conjunction with PDA (pathological demand avoidance), and includes definitions for readers who aren't unfamiliar with terms used.

It explores how polyvagal theory can explain extreme demand avoidance, but not all of PDA. Those who are familiar with PDA, may have heard mentions of polyvagal theory in relation to it, but have struggled to make sense of it. This was my starting point when I came to write this. I felt polyvagal theory was something I *should* know, but felt helplessly demand avoidant against reading up on (such is the nature of avoidance of the PDA kind).

Thankfully, my desire to understand polyvagal theory eventually out-weighed my avoidance, and I approached Libby Hill of Smalltalk Speech and Language Therapy who specialises in PDA, situational mustism and polyvagal theory. More thankfully still, she agreed to co-author this article. It's an honour to collaborate with her because it was she who first alerted me to PDA in a series called Born Naughty! that aired on UK's Channel 4 in 2015. It's thanks to Libby, and the rest of the TV show's team, that many adults had lightbulb moments that PDA might, at last, explain their lifelong, misfit quirkiness. Some of us have gone on to advocate for PDA so awareness of our little-charted, invisible differences reaches even more people. I'm one of these, as is Riko Ryuki, who's blog you can view here.

Definitions

Autonomic ladder (polyvagal theory): a spectrum of nervous system states (with feeling safe and good at the top).

Dorsal vagal (polyvagal theory): a large, primitive part of the vagus nerve that controls body functions like digestion.

EDA (extreme demand avoidance): an alternative name put forward for PDA (pathological demand avoidance) in response to widespread discomfort with the term "pathological" which many consider derogatory. A champion of the term EDA was Liz O'Nions who developed a scale to measure PDA named the EDAq. EDA, however, may not fully describe PDA.

Fight / Flight / Freeze, etc: human and animal adrenaline responses which evolved millions of years ago in the animal as defence strategies to deal with threats.

Neuroception (polyvagal theory): our inbuilt threat detection system.

PDA (pathological demand avoidance):
i. a distinct neurotype (brain type) that's present from birth and is characterised by high anxiety; high personal control need; interest in people (which may become obsessive); fondness of novelty; strong, changeable emotions; using creative and/or social strategies to avoid demands; likelihood of being drawn to fantasy and role-play. PDA can be argued to fit the diagnostic criteria of the autism spectrum because it's a life-long neurological condition impacting social communication and flexibility of thought.

ii. a specific form of demand avoidance that gives its name to the PDA neurotype.

Polyvagal theory: a model, put forward by Stephen Porges in 1994, of tiered nervous system states, in which the ventral vagus system operates when all is well. Sustained trauma causes the ventral vagal to shutdown and the sympathetic nervous and dorsal vagal systems to become dominant (see below for a more detailed description).

Sympathetic nervous system (polyvagal theory): a network of nerves that are primed for the fight / fight / freeze reaction.

Ventral vagal (polyvagal theory): a nervous system that inhibits fight / flight / freeze via social engagement and self-soothing.

Polyvagal theory

According to Libby, if we look at the work of Deb Dana - who works a lot with Stephen Porges (the person who developed polyvagal theory) - when we're good:

We're operating at the top of the autonomic ladder

Our ventral vagal nerve is in control

We're relaxed

Can see possibilities

Move about the world in ease

At the same time:

Our sympathetic nervous system is buzzing along regulating our blood flow and heart rate

Our dorsal vagal system is keeping our body digesting, resting and restoring.

This is how it's supposed to work.

But, if our neuroception detects threat:

Instead of the good things listed above, we:

Feel unease

Lose cognitive abilities

Disconnect socially

Mobilise for fight, flight or freeze

Causes digestion imbalance

If both the ventral vagal and sympathetic nervous system shutdown, the dorsal vagal takes over completely and digestive/system responses dominate:

If the v entral vagal remains dominant, long-term issues may develop as the result of the body being in crisis for far too long (in a nervous system state it shouldn't be in). Possible health impacts are:

How poly vagal theory connects to PDA

PDA people have an essential need for personal control.

Libby explains that, according to polyvagal theory:

"Tolerance and control decrease as demands and anxiety increase. This can happen for anyone, but PDA people seem to be naturally primed for it."

Avoidance of the PDA kind is traditionally described as anxiety led need for control. This equation has, however, been brought into question by PDA people, such as myself and fellow blogger, Riko Ryuki, who say that, whilst anxiety is certainly a key trait of the PDA neurotype, our avoidance can trigger when we're not anxious. One thing that everyone seems to agree with is that much, much more research is needed before PDA can be understood

Regardless of how anxiety and avoidance truly interact, whenever a PDA person perceives something as a demand, their inherent avoidance drive gets triggered. In polyvagal terms, the perceived demand shits down their ventral vagus and activates their sympathetic nervous system, causing a feeling of intense ill-ease and mobilising us for fight / flight / freeze, etc adrenaline responses. As ever, more research is needed, but there's a growing body of PDA community members who believe additional "F" responses may trigger in place of fight / flight / freeze. There's more detail in this blogpost but, in brief, these are thought to include fawn (people pleasing), funster (playing the clown), fib (telling lies to escape being caught out) and flop (fainting or otherwise collapsing).

PDA people's proneness to adrenaline responses can, therefore, be explained via the polyvagal theory as demands causing our sympathetic nervous system to take over.

Autism and demand avoidance

Libby says:

"All autistic people can avoid demands if their neuroception detects stressors so their sympathetic nervous system takes over. This leads to avoidant reactions like withdrawal, shutdown and escape."

Whilst all people could respond similarly to situations they find stressful or difficult, autistic - and other neurodivergent people - are likely to be impacted by a greater number of things, and/or be more sensitive to common stressors. E.g.:

Situations which trigger anxiety

Sensory overload

Disrupted routine

Transition difficulties

Things of no personal interest

Libby's view is that when a person, autistic or not, is more avoidant than the social norm, this is EDA (extreme demand avoidance). This may seem nonsensical because the term EDA was put forward as an alternative to PDA. However, there seems to be a crucial difference, and EDA and PDA appear not to be the same thing (!) In Libby's view, the EDAq that Liz O'nions developed - which is the only scale so far available to measure PDA - doesn't measure PDA at all; only measures demand avoidance.

EDA versus PDA

PDA people can, and do, avoid things for the reasons listed above (sensory overload, etc), but we have specific PDA-type avoidance too. Libby thinks it's extremely difficult for people who aren't PDA to grasp what PDA-type avoidance is. After all, it's invisible. Libby says that a description I once gave of my PDA avoidance being like breathing strongly resonated with her and has remained in her mind.

Libby draws attention to Dr Judy Eaton' s work of 2021, which suggests that specific PDA-type avoidance is rooted in avoiding one's own demands.

This means that people can work as much as they can to reduce demands around us, but we PDA people will still be demand avoidant. Everyday demands might be avoided just because they're demands, but it's the expectation that something *should* be done that results in the inability to do it.

To put it another way, PDA-type avoidance is triggered by one's own expectations, or other people's expectations, which might not even be explicit; it could have just been implied.

So, for people with extreme demand avoidance, if you meet their needs, their demand avoidance goes away. But, with PDA, it keeps on going, unstoppably.

Whilst extreme demand avoidance is logical, as we've seen, PDA-type avoidance is very hard for someone without PDA to understand.

It should also be borne in mind that PDA, as a neurotype, entails a cluster of additional traits, such as social focus and propensity for fantasy & role-play. This will be the subject of a follow up blog article.
Libby believes that autism plus demand avoidance is actually very common, but PDA is, relatively, really rare.

Internalised PDA and my own thoughts on the EDAq

It's maybe worth mentioning that a growing number of adult PDAers, such as me, have been coming forward to say that we match all the traits associated with the PDA neurotype, but internalise our stress, meltdowns and avoidance strategies, etc so that the existence of our PDA is effectively hidden ( you can read more in a blogpost I wrote on the subject). I was concerned that the EDAq might not pick up internalised PDA, because it includes things like telling classmates what to do and social interaction having to be on "their own terms". Whilst we internalisers might be happy if these things happened for us, we'll be very unlikely to externalise our feelings, and be more likely to feel depressed and alienated because we don't comfortably fit in socially.

I contacted Liz O'nions in 2018 to ask if her EDAq scores internalised presentations of PDA, and she confirmed that it doesn't.

Another issue I have with the EDAq is that much of its wording is riddled with observer assumptions which make it a minefield for actually PDA people to answer honestly and still score enough to be, in the scale's words, "identified [as] those at high risk of showing features of Extreme Demand Avoidance".

Examples are:

"shows little shame or embarrassment (e.g. might throw a tantrum in public and not be embarrassed)"

"likes to be told s/he has done a good job", the latter giving a negative score for answering yes.

This is problematic because the reality of PDA is that, whilst we tend to find general praise squirmy, we often crave specific praise for things we've done.
As for Libby's assertion that it doesn't score PDA at all, my internal jury is out. Its criteria list does contain things that apply to the broader PDA neurotype, such as "invents fantasy worlds or games and acts them out" and "uses outrageous or shocking behaviour to get out of doing something", which aren't traits associated with autism in general. However, I agree that the EDAq fails to encapsulate what PDA actually is. It touches on it, but misses much.

Could a non-PDA person score highly enough in the EDAq to be "identified [as] those at high risk of showing features of Extreme Demand Avoidance"? Possibly, but I can't say for sure. As ever, more research is needed. What I can confidently say is that the wording of the EDAq will miss a lot of actual PDA.

Why polyvagal theory accounts for EDA but not all of PDA

We've seen that, according to polyvagal theory, perceived demands trigger PDA people's neuroception so our ventral vagal shuts down, and our sympathetic nervous system & dorsal vagal take over, leading us to be fight / flight / freeze primed and prone to developing chronic health issues, like irritable bowel syndrome.

We've also seen that EDA and PDA are different entities. EDA, aka extreme demand avoidance, can be experienced by anyone and is alleviated if needs are met so - in polyvagal terms - the ventral vagal nerve takes over running things.

However, what polyvagal theory doesn't explain is the cause of PDA-type avoidance. Its neurological origins and mechanics remain a mystery: why are we specifically triggered by things that we perceive as a demand?

Neither does polyvagal theory explain why removing the feeling of "demand" from something reduces our avoidance.

If PDA brains simply detect more threats than non-PDA brains, why does it matter if things do, or don't, feel like demands? Surely, we'd feel just as threatened by the idea of going somewhere if we didn't feel we had to? If the presence of demand makes no difference, then this is surely extreme demand avoidance, not PDA?

I think this is a crucial distinction. Unless the specific, irrational nature of PDA-type avoidance is understood, people won't credit PDA's existence, and we sorely need our existence credited.

Need for differential diagnosis

Libby is very concerned that, if diagnoses don't distinguish between EDA and PDA, we risk making the issue worse.

For example, if we were to use typical autism strategies for a PDA child, that would be dreadful. On the other hand, for children with extreme demand avoidance who are autistic, using PDA strategies could make things worse, because we wouldn't be giving them the structure or routine that they need to make them feel safer.

Correct diagnosis clarifies which approaches to use and should, in the ideal world, allow access to services. The key thing though is highlighting the radically different management strategies for school, and also home. PDA, after all, throws most parenting on its head. People need to grasp that, with PDA, it's "can't not won't".

This high need for differential diagnosis has led Libby and nine other professionals involved with PDA - including Phil Christie, Judy Eaton and Gloria Dura-Vila - to collaborate to put together a formulation to present to the diagnostic manuals. However, after two years, they've realised they're still far from achieving this goal.

The more they've looked at tightening the definition of PDA and making it more specific, the more they've realised it's not straightforward.

The presence of PDA is something they can feel, but this isn't tangible enough to put down on paper; it's not scientific; you can't put it in a manual.

For robust diagnosis - speaking of children - they need to be seen by more than one professional and in more than one situation. It's about listening and observing and taking everything in; not just what's said and done, but looking behind that. ADOS and DISCO ( more info) rely on parental reports, which is insufficient to distinguish between EDA and PDA. The Coventry grid is a good tool, especially the version of it Judy Eaton amended to look at PDA.

Another issue is that clinicians' knowledge varies (wildly). Many, for example, have no idea that there's a difference between EDA and PDA - and this is for ones who accept that PDA exists at all.

It's really early days and we've got to build on what we know.

Sometimes, if we say they need a bespoke package, this takes away the need to work out if it's EDA or PDA.

The team will be coming back to their collaborative mission to pin PDA down into a definition diagnostic manuals can accept.

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This blog article explores polyvagal theory in conjunction with PDA (pathological demand avoidance), and includes definitions for readers who aren't unfamiliar with terms used. It explores how polyvagal theory can explain extreme demand avoidance, but not all of PDA.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRXdJ3XFKUE  Peter Vermeulen, from Autism Centraal in Belgium, speaks to Ambitious about Autism about his research on autism and happiness and how it can influence teaching and learning practice.

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Peter Vermeulen discusses autism and happiness.

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https://www.teentips.co.uk/wellbeing-hub/

A source of support for parents and pupils. The Wellbeing Hub is designed by experts to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of young people.

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Teen Tips - Onsite & Online Training for Parents & Schools

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Teen Tips offers online and onsite learning for Parents and Schools. Teen Tips can help you promote positive mental health, wellbeing and resilience.

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https://www.sibs.org.uk/youngsibs Resources for brother or sisters who have a sibling that is disabled, has special educational needs or a serious long-term condition.

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For brothers and sisters of disabled children and adults

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www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk

The online hub for 0-25 year olds with special educational needs or a disability.

Find services and support for yourself or someone you care for with SEND.

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https://www.bemoreuncommon.com/ - an organisation offering online courses to give neurodivergent young people, and their families, the knowledge they need to build confidence and manage stresses.

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Our online courses give neurodivergent young people, a nd their families, the knowledge they need to build confidence and manage stresses.

​

🌈 Affirming and positive 💜

Neurodiversity affirming

Nurtures your child's unique strengths

Supported by neurodivergent facilitators and peer

​

👋🏼 Accessible and Affordable 💲

No formal diagnosis needed to join

No waiting lists, affordable and easy to book

Free places available for low income families

​

👨‍👩‍👦 Support that works for the whole family 👨‍👩‍👧

Convenient evening sessions, from the comfort of home

Young people participate however work best for them

Additional parent support sessions included

Parents looking for support for a young person

Education or healthcare professionals working with young neurodivergent people

Organisations or individuals looking to partner

University students interested in becoming peer facilitators

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Wellness support for neurodivergent young people. We're on a mission to give neurodivergent young people the tailored support they need to embrace their strengths and face their challenges as they journey into adulthood. We work with clinical experts and neurodivergent people to create solutions that work for neurodivergent brains.

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A feelings thermometer tool to help students recognise what feelings they might be experiencing in any given moment.

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https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/feelings/anxiety/ Resources and advice for teen anxiety helping to understand the mechanics of what is happening and why.

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Kooth  - Online mental health support (not autism-specific), including the following resources for professionals:

Webinars: https://linktr.ee/KoothEngagementTeam

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https://www.papyrus-uk.org/  a new organisation dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing in young people.  PAPYRUS HOPELINE UK on 0800 068 4141

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Skip to content

Watch the full video

Thinking of suicide?

Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247.

My whole way of thinking has changed. I feel positive about my future and the people around me. I'm now looking forward to the future and helping others just like me!

Thank you so much for the incredible support PAPYRUS and HOPELINE247 has given me. You helped me in that moment and it kept me alive.

I intend to continue to fundraise for and promote PAPYRUS. I am so proud and humbled to be involved with a wonderful charity, and to have received the support that I have.

Having been personally bereaved by suicide I understand the importance and need for our charity. I am surrounded by others who are as passionate as I am about saving lives.

* All feedback is provided by people who contact PAPYRUS. All feedback has full consent of the user and the user remains fully anonymous. Some feedback may have been adapted to keep the users anonymity.

Our latest news

Stay up to date with PAPYRUS; our news section is regularly updated with helpful advice and guidance, as well as information about our upcoming events and campaigns. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.

Our upcoming events

Please see below some of our upcoming and exciting events including fundraisers and charity events we will be attending. For more information please get in touch.

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Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

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PAPYRUS UK is a charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35) in the UK | Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Now

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https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/blueice/ Blue Ice is an evidenced-based app to help young people manage their emotions and reduce urges to self-harm.

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Skip to main content

BlueIce is a prescribed evidence-based app to help young people manage their emotions and to reduce urges to self-harm.

It includes a mood diary, toolbox of evidence based techniques to reduce distress and automatic routing to emergency numbers if urges to harm continue.

BlueIce was developed by Dr Paul Stallard, a Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Child and Family Mental Health at the University of Bath and co-produced by young people with a lived experience of self-harm.

Blue Ice is available for iOS and Android.

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BlueIce app | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

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BlueIce is a prescribed evidence-based app to help young people manage their emotions and to reduce urges to self-harm. It includes a mood diary, toolbox of evidence based techniques to reduce...

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https://calmharm.stem4.org.uk/ Calm Harm app that helps young people manage the urge to self-harm.

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Calm Harm is an award-winning app funded by teenage mental health charity stem4, to help manage the urge to self-harm. It was developed by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause MBE, in collaboration with young people and uses principles from an evidence-based psychological treatment called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

The urge to self-harm is like a wave. It feels the most powerful when you start wanting to do it.

Learn to ride the wave with the Calm Harm app by choosing activities from these categories:
, , Express Yourself , , and .

There is also a breathing exercise to help you be mindful and stay in the moment, regulate difficult emotions, and reduce tension.

When you ride the wave, the urge to self-harm will fade.

The Calm Harm app provides some immediate activities and techniques to help you break the cycle of self-harm behaviour and explore underlying trigger factors; the app supports you in building a 'safety net' of helpful thoughts, behaviours, and access to supportive people, as well as providing the opportunity to journal and self-reflect. The Calm Harm app also signposts to help.

The app is private, anonymous, and safe.

Please note that the Calm Harm app is not a substitute for the assessment and individualised treatment by a health or mental health professional.

Our app is for young people over the age of 13.

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Calm Harm is a free app to help teenagers manage the urge to self-harm. Available on Google Play & App Store.

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www.autistica.org.uk/get-involved/molehill-mountain-app - Molehill Mountain is designed to help autistic people understand more about their anxiety. The app is based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).

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Autistica is a charity which funds and campaigns for research to understand the causes of autism, improve diagnosis, and develop evidence-based interventions.

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The app helps students plan their day, week, or just the next few hours. The digital diary helps them manage routines, deadlines, and transitions.

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Practical human support and digital tools to help you think about what you need and plan for the things you find difficult. Access personalised strategies from your phone, when you need them most.

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Support for eating and drinking differences

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Support for eating and drinking differences

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Supporting children with eating and drinking differences in education settings - Surrey County Council

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Improving experiences for children and young people with sensory eating and drinking differences when attending an education setting.

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Students explain about autism, the challenges and the benefits.

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Young people explain autism | Ambitious about Autism

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A selection of videos exploring the science of autism

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A selection of videos exploring the science of autism

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https://www.ted.com/playlists/153/the_autism_spectrum Explore the science of autism -- and listen to the stories of people who live with it.

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Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

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Explore the science of autism -- and listen to the stories of people who live with it.

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Little Ouchies are self-regulation tools - designed to help you manage sensory overload, anxiety, or urge-based behaviours (like skin picking or hair pulling) in a gentle, body-safe way.

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Little Ouchies began with a problem-and a whole lot of love.

Craig, our founder, is an engineer. When his wife was diagnosed with autism, he noticed something: during stressful moments, she often turned to pain stimming-pressing, scratching, or picking at her skin-because nothing on the market gave her the kind of relief she actually needed.

The fidget toys were too harsh. Too noisy. Not made for someone like her.

So he made something better.

Using his engineering background, Craig created a stim tool that was quiet, soft, durable, and actually helped her regulate. The first Little Ouchie was born-not just to distract, but to comfort. Not just to occupy the hands, but to support the nervous system.

What began as a personal project turned into a brand built for anyone who's ever needed a safer way to self-regulate. Today, Little Ouchies serves people with autism, ADHD, anxiety, BFRBs, and anyone looking for tools that feel good and

How to Use Little Ouchies

Little Ouchies are self-regulation tools-designed to help you manage sensory overload, anxiety, or urge-based behaviors (like skin picking or hair pulling) in a gentle, body-safe way.

Here's how people use them:

Our tools are made to help your nervous system feel supported-not overwhelmed.

Great for transitions, decompressing, or pre/post social interaction

There's no wrong way to use Little Ouchies-just the way that helps you feel calmer, safer, and more at home in your body.

We're not just making stim tools. We're creating support systems for people who are often overlooked, misunderstood, or expected to "just deal with it."

Here's what we stand for:

Neurodivergent-Affirming Design Every tool is designed with texture, pressure, and safety in mind. No harsh edges, no gimmicks-just tools that help you regulate.

Community Support We give back through mutual aid, sliding scale options, content collaborations, and resources made by and for the neurodivergent community.

Lived Experience at the Center Our brand was built out of real life. We're engineers, creators, and caregivers who know what it's like to need a tool that works and feels good to use.

Access Over Aesthetics Our designs are clean, safe, and functional. We don't believe in sparkle for the sake of sparkle-we believe in sensory tools that actually help.

What Makes Us Different

You can buy stim toys on Etsy or Amazon for a few bucks-but we're not trying to be that. We're not chasing trends. We're creating something more meaningful.

Little Ouchies are tools, not toys.
They're made to last. Made for your nervous system. Made to support-not overstimulate.

Come Sit With Us

We know the world can be too much. You don't have to tough it out alone.

Follow us @LittleOuchies , tag us with #StimmingSavedTheDay, or reach out with your story-we want to hear from you.

Thanks for being here. You belong.

This is regulation you can hold.

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Not Your Average Stim Tools Our Story Little Ouchies began with a problem-and a whole lot of love. Craig, our founder, is an engineer. When his wife was diagnosed with autism, he noticed something: during stressful moments, she often turned to pain stimming-pressing, scratching, or picking at her skin-because nothing

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Advice about bladder and bowel issues in children and young people, and general bladder and bowel health.

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Resources for bladder and bowel problems in children

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Child information library Here you can find advice about bladder and bowel issues in children, and general bladder and bowel health. The information library is designed for you, for your family, as well as for the healthcare professionals who support you. Assessments information Assessments Bladder and bowel problems are common in childhood and adolescence.

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Therapy Resources for OT and SALT professionals.

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Our services are provided by HCRG Care Services Limited on behalf of Children’s community health services in Surrey and North East Hampshire and Farnham commissioned by NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB), Surrey County Council and NHS England (South East). HCRG Care Group is a limited company registered in England and Wales, 07557877. Registered office: HCRG Care Group , The Heath Business and Technical Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4QX.

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An online version of the program used to create symbols and visuals (monthly fee, but a free trial is usually available)

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Widgit Online | Create Visual Supports Online | Widgit

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Create visual, communication and learning supports in your web browser using over 20,000 Widgit Symbols and 100’s of easy-to-use templates

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A wide range of weighted blankets in a variety of different weights, sizes and materials.

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Sensory Direct are very proud of our handmade Weighted Blankets that we make here in Worcester in the UK, and pride ourselves on the workmanship and care that we put into every product we make. So much so, we offer a no-hassle LIFETIME WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEE on all our Sensory Direct Weighted Blankets. We have a great range in different weights, sizes and materials to find the right blanket for you.

Need help buying? Use our Product Guides in our Download section or get in touch with our friendly

Weighted Blankets are recommended by healthcare professionals as a safe and effective therapeutic solution, helping sensory seeking children and adults calm their body enabling a peaceful night's sleep. The extra weight can help to relieve anxiety and stress, ease transitions, prevent meltdowns and repetitive behaviour.

Weighted Blankets can help people of all ages, including those with an autism diagnosis and associated sensory processing disorder by providing soothing deep pressure and sensory input. In addition to being used at night, they can be used in a sensory room, classroom or simply chilling out at home.

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Weighted Blankets For Hyperactivity| Weighted Therapy

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Weighted blankets & wraps from Sensory Direct are a safe & effective solution used to calm children & adults with sensory processing disorders, autism and ADHD.

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Students explain how autistic meltdowns feel and why they may happen.

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Young people explain meltdowns | Ambitious about Autism

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Students explain autistic shutdowns and why these may happen.

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Young people explain shutdowns | Ambitious about Autism

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Students explain their stims and how these help them to regulate and balance emotions.

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Young people explain stimming | Ambitious about Autism

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Looking at what autism is, including strengths and talents, with Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen - British clinical psychologist and world-renowned expert on autism

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The World's Leading Autism Expert - Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen

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Harmless provides a range of services about self harm including support, information, training and consultancy to people who self harm, their friends and families, and professionals.

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Life for me before Harmless was so downhill. I was depressed, I was suicidal, I was self harming. I cried all the time, couldn't sleep, wouldn't eat... I'm so grateful that Harmless have been here for me. The whole team are absolutely amazing You can make a referral into the service click here Alternatively, please [...]

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This workbook helps children preparing to leave primary school and move on to

a new secondary school.

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Teaching and support strategies for autistic students

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Teaching and support strategies for autistic students

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Empowering autistic teenagers to understand the 4 challenges

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Empowering autistic teenagers to understand the 4 challenges

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Top Tips for transition to Secondary School

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Top Tips for transition to Secondary School

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What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)? A Guide to Understanding Intense

Emotional Reactions

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Key advice about autistic girls for teachers and seniors leaders

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Key advice about autistic girls for teachers and seniors leaders

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Advice for Autistic Teenage Girls and Puberty Sheet

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Advice for Autistic Teenage Girls and Puberty Sheet

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This is a list of support services that can be accessed outside of school for parents and carers of children who are not accessing education or experiencing EBSNA (emotionally based school non-attendance)

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Some suggested palm-sized concentration aids

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Some suggested palm-sized concentration aids

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Videos where young people explain different aspects of autism

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Videos where young people explain different aspects of autism

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Video clips from ‘Ambitious about Autism’ in which young
people explain different aspects of autism and how they manage them.

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Ambitious about Autism stands with autistic children and young people so they can be themselves. We run services and campaign for change.

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Teen Sleep guide

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Eikon  - Producers of Smart Moves, booklets for students in year 6 and 7 to support transition to secondary school (free to Surrey schools)

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We provide specialist services directly to children & young people (ages 5-25) who are LGBT+ or unsure of their gender identity/sexual orientation.

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Support for young people in Surrey who are LGBT+

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LGBT+ includes people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender fluid and/or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. Young people who identify as LGBT+ can be offered support by youth workers in Surrey to give them a safe space to talk about what matters to them and to be introduced to other young people who are LGBT+.

LGBT+ youth groups

Twister

Youth Workers from Surrey County Council run Twister, which is a safe space where young people can meet to get support, make friends, and take part in fun, creative and awareness raising activities. It is for young people age 11 to 19 and up to 25 if the young adult has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

Twister is just like any other youth group. The young people choose how they spend their time there, with the main activities including art, crafts, music and cooking. At the start of the session some young people may choose to change into clothes that reflect their gender identity. The friendly feel of the group allows discussions to open up about issues they might be experiencing or worried about, such as bullying, coming out, relationships, civil rights, equality and being a gay and/or transgender person in public.

Joining Twister for the first time

Feeling safe and respected at Twister is important. For this reason, the venues where the groups take place are kept confidential. Before joining Twister, a youth worker will need to meet a young person to make sure the group is right for them. This first meeting can take place in a public place such as a coffee shop, library, youth centre, school or college.

Is parental consent needed to join Twister?

Attending Twister is confidential. The young person doesn't need to tell their parents or friends why they attend the group. Some young people may prefer to travel to a Twister group outside of their local area, if they have not told friends and family about their sexual orientation or gender identity. Any concerns about privacy can be discussed with the youth worker at Twister.

Finding a local Twister group

There are 4 Twister groups in Surrey, one in each quadrant of the county.

To find out more about Twister please contact the relevant person from the list below:

Guildford

Rhiannon Jennings

rhiannon.jennings1@surreycc.gov.uk / 07890 427611

Epsom

Jamielee Bowman

jamielee.bowman@surreycc.gov.uk

Redhill

Luke D'Isabella

luke.disabella@surreycc.gov.uk

Woking

Molly Klemova-White or Sandie Bolger

molly.white@surreycc.gov.uk / 07854 511336

For more general enquiries please contact Molly. White@surreycc.gov.uk

Eikon

Surrey children's charity Eikon run a weekly virtual youth club called iAmMe. The group is for young people who are LGBT+, and between the ages of 12 and 18 years old.

In the sessions young people have the opportunity to meet others, get advice and be signposted to other services when needed. At iAmMe young people take part in activities such as games, darts, cooking and just relaxing with friends.

Due to the confidential nature of the groups, the LGBT Youth Worker will need to first meet a young person who is interested in joining iAmMe. Please email EikonLGBT@eikon.org.uk to register your interest and receive a consent form.

Emotional support for LGBT+ young people

Counselling for young people is available through Mindworks Surrey, private therapists and charities across Surrey. It can be helpful for young people to talk to someone outside of their family about things they are struggling with. If you need help finding local support, please use the FIS directory or contact us.

CYP Havens are in Guildford, Epsom, Staines and Redhill. CYP Haven is for young people aged 10-18 where they can talk about worries and mental health in a confidential, friendly and supportive environment.

Kooth is a website offering free and confidential online counselling for young people.

Switchboard is an LGBT+ Helpline, where all the volunteers who answer the calls are also LGBT+. Callers can discuss any concerns they have, including coming out and relationships.

Information for LGBT+ young people

Young people may want to read about the things that affect them online. Information about coming out, meeting other people who are LGBT+ and having healthy relationships can be found on the websites below:

The Mix gives essential information and advice to people under 25 years old, on topics ranging from mental health to homelessness.

Stonewall aims to change attitudes across the UK to improve the lives of LGBT+ people.

The Albert Kennedy Trust supports young LGBT+ people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They also support young people living at home when their family haven't accepted that they are LGBT+.

Support for parents of children who are LGBT+

Advice and support is available for parents of children and young people who are LGBT+. The services below provide information on a range of LGBT+ issues that you might find useful:

Surrey children's charity Eikon run monthly peer support groups in the borough of Surrey Heath for parents of children who are LGBT+.

FFLAG stands for Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Supportive guides are available on how to support your child, of any age, before and after they have come out.

Family Lives have information about how to support your child if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Woking Twister host a fortnightly group on a Thursday for anyone with caring responsibility for an LGBT young person. For further information please contact molly.white@surreycc.gov.uk

Supporting LGBT+ children in school

Resources for schools to support LGBT+ pupils and raise awareness of LGBT+ issues:

Healthy Schools Surrey provides advice and resources for teaching young people about sex and relationships in PSHE lessons.

Gires is the Gender Identity Research & Education Society who have produced an e-learning module for Surrey schools called Caring for gender nonconforming young people.

Stonewall run courses to help schools to become more inclusive and to support transgender children.

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Support for young people in Surrey who are LGBT+, through youth work, one to one support, information and advice and education in schools.

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Brook provides free and confidential sexual health and wellbeing services for young people nationwide. Their website includes information pages on gender identity and sexual orientation, contraception, health and wellbeing and staying safe online, and a text and web chat service

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Think you might need an STI test? Condom broke and you’re worried? Want to know which contraception is best for you? We can help you work out what to do next.

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Gendered Intelligence provides guidance for trans young people including A Guide For Young Trans People in the UK, Trans Youth Sexual Health Booklet, Capturing Journeys report and online information as part of their Knowledge is Power project

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Gendered Intelligence, established in 2008, is a registered charity that exists to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve trans people's quality of life.

We are a trans-led and trans-involving grassroots organisation with a wealth of lived experience, community connections of many kinds, and a depth and breadth of trans community knowledge that is second to none. We believe everyone can be intelligent about gender! There are multiple strands to our work. For more information about who we are go to our about us section or see below.

"One of the best courses I have been on for a long while [...] a fantastic trainer and the information shared was done so openly and supportively." - Natural History Museum, 2021

Find out more about what we do

Youth and Communities Services

Donate

Gendered Intelligence accepts online donations via our fundraising platform LocalGiving. You can give a one-off donation or donate monthly.
Every £1 you give to us, Localgiving adds another 25p!

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Gendered Intelligence is a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1182558. Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales No. 06617608. Registered office at VAI, 200 Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP.

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We are a trans-led and trans-involving grassroots organisation with a wealth of lived experience, community connections of many kinds, and a depth and breadth of trans community knowledge that is second to none. We believe everyone can be intelligent about gender! There are multiple strands to our work.

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Limpsfield Grange Girls Youth Group - for details contact  outreach@limpsfield-grange.surrey.sch.uk

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A guide on how best to approach revision, as an autistic or neurodivergent learner and how parents, cares and teachers can support revision and exam preparation.

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Understanding autism and self harm and the support available.

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A useful article to support parents around self-harming behaviours including head banging, biting and hitting.

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Autism, Head Banging, and Other Self-Harming Behavior

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Discover the causes of autism self-harming behavior and effective coping strategies. Support your child on their journey to a healthier life.

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This guide reflecting how rapidly the online world is shifting and how everyday digital habits are shaping children’s lives. Its purpose is simple: • Demystify common online challenges • Help you start and sustain open conversations with your child

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The activities in this pack were created with children and young people to do with your parents or carers to help open up conversations around managing online habits.

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OCD advice and support for young people

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Information for parents and carers to support children and young people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

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Supporting children and young people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

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Information for parents and carers to support children and young people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

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Adaptive and easy dressing Uniform and Underwear 2026

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A list of apps that cover areas including communication, decision making, problem solving, emotional management, social interaction, language learning, logical and abstract thinking.

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with special needs can sometimes face challenging problems that disrupt their learning process which is why, as teachers and parents, we need to make sure we are equipped with the right pedagogical tools and strategies to help this group of learners thrive and shine.

In today's post I am sharing with you this collection of helpful resources that you can use to this very purpose: help kids and students with special needs overcome learning challenges and remove obstacles that might stand in their learning path.

This collection is a work in progress and I will be adding more resources and updating it regularly (last update was in July 6, 2022).

The initial version of this post contained a chart but I removed it because of the complaints I received from readers complaining that the chart does not render well on their mobile devices.

Currently, the list contains three main categories: Dyslexia apps, Autism apps, and apps for students who are blind or with low vision. If you have other suggestions to add to this list, share with us on social media.

1. Apps to help with dyslexia

These dyslexia apps offers different services including scanning tests to identify reading challenges for kids, interactive reading materials designed specifically for students with dyslexia and struggling readers, activities and games to help children with dyslexia develop key literacy skills, fun quizzes and exercises, and many more.

2. Apps to help with autism

These apps can help kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental challenges (e.g., Apraxia, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc) develop a number of key skills that cover areas related to communication, decision making, problem solving, emotional management, social interaction, language learning, logical and abstract thinking, creativity, hand-eye coordination, self-confidence, color and shape recognition, attentiveness and alertness, and many more.

3. Apps for The Visually Impaired

Here are some of the popular apps to use with kids and students (and anyone else for that matter) who are blind or with low vision.

The apps will not only enable them to navigate the world in a much more accessible way but will also provide them with extra pair of eyes to use to improve their learning.

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Best iPad Apps for Students with Special Needs - Educators Technology

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Students with special needs can sometimes face challenging problems that disrupt their learning process which is why, as teachers and parents, we need to make sure we are equipped with the right pedagogical tools and strategies to help this group of learners thrive and shine.

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The UK’s only registered charity dedicated to raising awareness and furthering information about Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

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We have a great selection of events and challenges on offer for all ages and abilities, right across the UK.

There are many similarities in the eating patterns of autistic people with ARFID and those who have ARFID but no additional autism. These include: Sensory sensitivities, high anxiety around foods/eating situations and lack of interest in food. However, in autistic individuals (both children and adults) these issues can be more severe and more resistant to treatment. This is simply due to the additional difficulties and differences having autism places on the person. For example, sensory issues can be heightened and more complex; routines and rituals around foods can be more inflexible and rigid due to additional anxiety about change and the autistic person often has more problems recognising and responding to internal body states such as hunger or being full (known as 'interoception').

Autistic people also have extra difficulties communicating and interacting with others (often called 'social-communication' difficulties). This means it can be harder for them to explain their difficulties with food, it can be harder for family and friends to understand and manage the issues and harder for the individual to participate in treatment, particularly if this is offered in a group or is a 'talking therapy'.

In addition to having an ARFID style pattern of eating it is increasingly recognised that autistic individuals are at risk of developing other eating problems or disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN) or Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Typically these eating disorders often appear for the first time in adolescence or early adulthood (whereas ARFID is often more obvious in earlier childhood) and often lead to serious weight loss and other physical and mental health problems. For more information about these types of eating problems and where to find support see:

Given that these type of eating disorders are generally more common in females; autistic girls and women appear to be more at risk. In addition, for some autistic girls and women controlling eating is a way of managing overwhelming feelings of anxiety. This can be particularly true during adolescence where physical changes such as puberty and social and academic pressures can cause anxiety to spiral out of control. As a result, it is very important that such anxiety and associated eating problems are recognised early and given the right support. For more information about these types of eating problems and where to find support see:

In addition to having ARFID some autistic people display 'Pica' which is the medical term for eating non-foods. Commonly eaten items include: Paper, cloth, wood, plastic, stones, earth, metal and faeces. Pica carries serious health risks with only 1 episode having the potential to lead to significant harm. For more information about these types of eating problems and where to find support see:

We don't know what causes pica and there may even be different types of pica behaviour. For autistic people managing sensory needs and supporting anxiety appear to be important as is controlling access, wherever possible, to potentially dangerous pica items. Doing so can help keep the individual safe and possibly even reduce the individual engaging in pica. For more information about these types of eating problems and where to find support see:

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Feeding and eating problems are common autistic individuals. Difficulties such as only eating a very few foods, going a long time without eating and extreme anxiety about foods and mealtimes are frequently reported.

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The Pomodoro Technique helps with prioritising tasks, break down larger tasks into smaller ones and use timers and alarms to set boundaries for activities.

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The Pomodoro Technique — Why it works & how to do it

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The Pomodoro Technique is an attention remedy for perfectionists & procrastinators of all kinds. Work in focused intervals. Take a break. Repeat. Learn more…

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Pathological Demand Avoidance position statement - Surrey County Council

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A co-produced position statement outlining our understanding of pathological demand avoidance and the experiences of people with a PDA profile.

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All Age Autism in Surrey

A partnership between:

autistic children, young people, and adults

family carers

professionals from across Surrey's service system

Together we work to improve the lives of autistic people living in Surrey.

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All Age Autism Strategy - Surrey County Council

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Autism in Surrey is a partnership that works to improve the lives of autistic people living in Surrey through the All-Age Autism Strategy

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Assembly slides to be used with pupils

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Emotional Regulation Resources (1) (2) (1)