At Nash Speech Pathology, we are passionate about helping children understand that every brain is different, valuable, and worthy of inclusion.

Following the success of our pilot neurodiversity workshop at Rozelle Public School, we are excited to begin rolling this program out across schools in Sydney’s Inner West and beyond.

Our workshops create safe, engaging spaces where students can explore how brains work differently, recognise their own strengths, and learn how to better support their peers.

Workshop Aims

Our neurodiversity workshops are designed to help students:

• Understand that all brains work in different ways
• Recognise that everyone has unique strengths
• Learn that some people need different types of support at different times
• Develop empathy for classmates with different learning or sensory experiences
• Build inclusive friendships
• Reduce stigma around autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergent profiles
• Feel confident asking thoughtful questions about differences

We combine principles from the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) program with our clinical expertise as speech pathologists to deliver sessions that are interactive, evidence-informed, practical, and engaging for students.

Benefits for Schools

These workshops support:

• stronger peer inclusion
• improved understanding of neurodiversity
• increased student empathy and perspective-taking
• reduced teasing related to learning or behavioural differences
• safer classroom conversations about differences
• alignment with wellbeing and anti-bullying initiatives

Most importantly, students leave with the message that: different brains make classrooms stronger.

Student Reflections from Our Pilot Workshop

One of the most powerful parts of the program is hearing how students begin to reflect on their own experiences and those of people around them.

Some comments from students included:

“I think I have a neurodiverse brain.”

“My sister has a neurodiverse brain and she’s really creative and great at art!”

Students also asked thoughtful questions such as:

“Do all autistic people feel senses in a bigger way?”

“Do ADHD brains get overwhelmed too? Because I think I do.”

We loved engaging with students at this level and creating an environment where curiosity, understanding and inclusion were encouraged.

We look forward to working with many more schools to teach children about the strengths, diversity, and uniqueness of all brains, and how they can support one another to feel included and valued.

Book a Workshop for Your School

If your school is interested in hosting a neurodiversity workshop, we would love to hear from you.