Conference workshops

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Explore a series of reflective, skills-based workshops designed to strengthen your practice and deepen your understanding of children’s mental health.


Our Beyond Behaviour: understanding trauma and neurodivergence conference offers a thoughtfully designed programme of workshops exploring key themes in trauma, neurodiversity, communication, and emotional wellbeing.

Each session provides space to reflect, share learning, and build practical strategies for supporting children, young people, and families.

Led by experienced practitioners, these workshops invite you to deepen your understanding, enhance confidence, and develop approaches grounded in compassion and evidence-based practice.

Workshops

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R & R – Regulate to Relate: Embodied Self-Regulation for Helping Professionals 

Working with children and young people means bringing your whole self into the room. How often do we notice and become aware of our own internal system of regulation and the opportunities this offers to foster co-regulated and relationally attuned connections? 

Explore: 

  • embodied self-regulation 

  • how your own regulatory system influences co-regulation 

  • practical tools to develop emotional resilience and how to develop co-regulated, safe and responsive spaces for children and young people. 

If you support neurodivergent young people and their families or those that have experienced trauma, this is your chance to gain a deeper understanding, build awareness and develop strategies that can really make a difference. 

Understanding Sleep in Neurodivergent Children

Sleep difficulties are common amongst neurodivergent children – but are often misunderstood or overlooked.

This workshop offers an experiential approach to exploring how sensory, emotional, and routine-based factors impact sleep.

Through practical activities, including insights from Neuro Affective Touch therapy, participants will:

  • explore sensory-based influences

  • gain insight into how sleep can present challenges for some neurodivergent young people and their families

  • take away actionable strategies and ideas to help families more effectively.

By deepening your understanding, you will be able to respond more effectively and compassionately to one of the most fundamental aspects of wellbeing. 

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Welcoming neurodivergent culture and communication – creating nurturing spaces together

What makes a truly safe and welcoming space for neurodivergent children, young people, and adults?

You will have the chance to consider:

  • how deep interests, sensory preferences and communication can influence and shape safe spaces

  • how our own communication styles can influence access to support

  • practical ways to effectively co-create adjustments that are empowering and supportive for the children and families we support

Participants will also reflect on designing inclusive spaces – from classrooms to workplaces – and leave with self-advocacy tools and ideas for nurturing change. 

Communication differences and language difficulties

Did you know 10% of children in every classroom have communication difficulties?

These challenges are often invisible – but they can have a detrimental and long-lasting impact affecting behaviour, relationships, and wellbeing.

This will explore:

  • using creative tools to support young people and families to facilitate and encourage communication and understanding

  • how communication differences show up in practice and how to recognise these difficulties

  • why these difficulties are often missed or misunderstood

Delivered by experienced practitioners, this session will give you the confidence to identify and effectively support children whose communication differences may otherwise go un-noticed and un-supported. 

 
 

Beyond tired: understanding Neurodivergent burnout 

Neurodivergent burnout is more than tiredness. 

Burnout can impact a child's education, physical and emotional mental health.   

Burnout can lead to extreme fatigue, increased meltdowns/shutdowns, loss of skills, increased sensory sensitivities, and loss of interest in activities that previously brought enjoyment.  

This workshop will cover:  

  • the importance of understanding and recognising neurodivergent burnout 

  • possible causes of neurodivergent burnout and how this presents 

  • the impact of school burnout and the subsequent impact on the young person’s emotional well-being  

  • strategies for energy management to foster healing and recovery 

Workshop participants will have the opportunity to explore sensory soothing kits and create a sensory item to take away.  

If you work directly with young people and families, this session is essential for building effective, thought provoking and compassionate support.  

Sensory child-centred interventions for neurodiversity

For many children, especially those who are neurodivergent, sensory experiences are a powerful tool to encourage regulation.  

When children are overwhelmed or dysregulated, activities like tactile play, movement, or creative expression can offer a way back to calm. 

This workshop invites you to explore: 

  • practical ways to create a mini sensory toolkit. 

  • the importance of different sensory activities. 

  • how to use the gingerbread body outline in your practice to encourage awareness of body sensations and feelings 

  • the concept of the “window of tolerance” and how it applies to children’s energy and emotions 

This is a hands-on session designed to spark ideas you can bring straight into your classroom or practice. 

Making sense of behaviour and developmental trauma    

Every behaviour tells a story.   

For children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma, behaviour can be a vital form of communication – signalling distress, unmet needs, or a call for connection.  

This workshop will explore:  

  • how trauma can shape behaviour at a young person’s different developmental stages  

  • concepts from the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT©) and sensory assessments  

  • the importance of recognising behaviour as communication, not ‘poor behaviour’ 

  • practical tools for understanding what a child may be seeking through their actions  

  • Using psychoeducation and NMT to guide interventions which are best suited to support children with this complex presentation 

 Ideal for anyone working with children of all ages 

 
 

Page last updated: 6 October 2025

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