Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Spaces for Children

In the second part of her series on neurodiversity-affirming practice, Cheryl Warren emphasises the critical importance of environmental adaptations for neurodivergent children. Rather than expecting children to fit into rigid systems, this approach requires local authorities and providers to examine how sensory-friendly spaces, predictable routines, and reduced social demands can create conditions where children feel safe to self-regulate and engage authentically. The shift towards neurodiversity-affirming practice represents a fundamental change in how councils conceptualise support. It moves away from deficit-based models that pathologise difference, instead recognising that barriers often exist within the environment rather than the child. For cabinet members overseeing children's services, this has implications for everything from school building designs to training for social care staff, ensuring that inclusivity is embedded in physical infrastructure as well as policy. Implementing these changes requires collaboration across education, health and social care sectors to audit existing provision and identify where adjustments are needed. By prioritising the lived experience of neurodivergent children and their families, local authorities can move closer to creating communities where every child can thrive without masking their natural ways of being.