https://linktr.ee/aperiontraining

aperion_training, London (2026)

25/09/2026

I’ve found a flaw with my neuroaffirming approach to parenting.

It works.

It works so well that my son has gone off to university, ready to be independent, make his own decisions and take on this next chapter of his life.

Which is exactly what I wanted for him.

The problem is… I miss him like hell.

It feels like someone has cut off my arm and I’m having to learn how to walk around with part of me missing.

I’m incredibly proud of the young man he’s become, while also grieving the little boy who needed me a bit more.

And maybe that’s the bit we don’t talk about enough. Neuroaffirming parenting isn’t about raising children who stay close to us forever. It’s about helping them become themselves.

Sometimes, when that works, it hurts.

A lot. 💚

Suzanne Lynn Forest Oak Childminding

23/09/2026

I’ve been in a number of settings recently where I’ve heard variations of the same thing.

“We don’t need visuals. None of our children have SEND.”

“We used to have a quiet space, but they don’t need it anymore.”

“They can all talk, so we don’t need objects of reference.”

And every time, I come back to the same question:

Why are we waiting for a child to struggle before we make our practice accessible?

Inclusive practice shouldn’t be something we bring out when a child with identified SEND arrives. It shouldn’t be something we remove once a child appears to be coping. And it shouldn’t be about creating something “different” for certain children.

It should already be part of the environment.

Visuals. Predictable routines. Movement. Sensory regulation. Flexible participation. Different ways to communicate. Spaces where children can take a break when they need one.

These aren’t SEND extras.

They’re good early years practice.

And when we make these things available to everyone, we don’t have to wait for a child to show us that something isn’t working.

We can ask a different question:

Not “Who needs this?”

But “Who could benefit from this?”

This is the first in a series exploring what inclusive practice really looks like when it is woven into everyday practice, rather than added on when something goes wrong.

Follow for more practical, neurodiversity-affirming ideas for creating genuinely inclusive early years environments.

21/09/2026

The book's author Cheryl Warren talks about the importance of connection for neurodivergent children

21/09/2026

I worked with this nursery for six months, delivering training and supporting the owner, manager and team to embed neurodiversity-affirming practice across their provision.

They only went and got Exceptional for inclusion!

This is what they had to say:

“Thank you for all your support in helping us achieve an ‘Exceptional’ Ofsted grade for our inclusion provision. The training you gave our staff made such a difference to our provision. We truly couldn’t have done it without your support, guidance and knowledge. We can’t wait to put a huge blue dot on our banner.

Your encouragement, expertise and commitment have made a real difference to our nursery, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you have done. Thank you for believing in us and for being such an important part of our journey and success.”

I’m incredibly proud of this team because that blue dot belongs to them. They did the hard work of taking what we explored together, putting it into practice and making meaningful changes for the children in their care.

This is exactly why I love what I do. Supporting early years teams to understand neurodivergence, rethink practice and create environments where every child can belong is incredibly rewarding and seeing that work reflected in an inspection outcome like this is pretty special.

If you’re looking for this kind of support for your nursery or early years setting, whether that’s training for your team, support with embedding neurodiversity-affirming practice or guidance for leaders and managers, get in touch. Let’s talk about what you need and how I can support you to create meaningful change for your children and your staff.

18/09/2026

Your child doesn't need to be ‘a little bit autistic’, ‘high functioning’ or ‘low functioning’ to deserve understanding and support.

My eldest son is autistic. He isn’t my son with autism. Autism is part of his identity, and the language we use around him matters.

Functioning labels can make people assume that a child needs less support because they appear to manage well in some situations. Yet what we see on the outside doesn’t always reflect what is happening internally. Calling someone ‘high functioning’ can minimise the very real challenges they may be carrying.

Our children are autistic rather than ‘high’ or ‘low’ functioning, and the support they receive should reflect their individual needs, not a label.

If you’re parenting an autistic child, save this post and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
What language have you found helpful, or unhelpful, when talking about your child’s autism?

15/09/2026

When our brain senses danger, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and prepares us to survive. Think about being chased by a bear. Your body isn't going to stop and calmly consider what's happening.
It's going to get you ready to fight, run or freeze.

For a neurodivergent child, the threat can look very different. A crowded, noisy environment, too much sensory input, an unexpected change, a transition or a demand can all create a sense of danger for their nervous system, even when we can't see what is causing it.

This is why understanding fight, flight and freeze matters.

When we recognise what we're seeing, we can become curious about what might be triggering the response rather than simply trying to stop the behaviour. What can we reduce, remove or diffuse? What can we change about the environment or our approach?

When children feel safe, secure and that they belong, they have the space to explore, engage and learn. Understanding the child and what their behaviour is communicating is a really important part of creating genuinely neuroinclusive environments.

You can read more about understanding behaviour and creating supportive environments in my book "Neurodiversity in the Early Years"

13/09/2026

When you’re right at the beginning of this journey, there can be so much information, advice and opinion coming at you from every direction.

Its hard to know what to listen to, what matters and what your child actually needs.

Looking back, these are some of the things I wish someone had told me right at the start.

That I didn’t need to have all the answers.

That behaviour can tell us something about what a child needs.

That sometimes changing the environment is more helpful than expecting the child to change.

That my child’s strengths and interests were just as important as the things they found difficult.

And that I was enough too.

I didn’t need to get everything right. I just needed to keep getting to know my child and work out what helped them.

If you’re at the beginning of this journey, I hope this carousel gives you something useful to take away.

Follow me for more practical, neuroaffirming support for parents and professionals.

10/09/2026

What does your early years environment actually feel like for a neurodivergent child?

We often think about whether a room looks nice. The displays, the children's artwork, the bright colours, the resources laid out ready to use.

But what if all of that's actually too much for some children?

Then there’s the noise. Background music, loud voices, doors opening and closing, bells, buzzers and the sudden noise of a fire alarm test.

What about smells? Cleaning products, air fresheners, perfume, nappies and food.

And touch. Are there things available for children who need to seek out sensory experiences? Can a child take part in messy play without having to get messy? Are we giving children different ways to join in?

Even snack time can be difficult for some children if the foods being offered aren't foods they feel safe eating.

None of this means we need to strip an environment back and make it boring. It means stopping and really thinking about what we're asking children to process throughout the day.

Before we ask a child to cope with their environment, could we change something about the environment instead?

If this has got you thinking, you can read more in my book Neurodiversity in the Early Years, available to buy from Amazon.

07/09/2026

Last week, my youngest son started his new secondary school journey, and this week I’ll be seeing my eldest son off to university.

Not early years, I know, but still big transitions, big anxieties and big feelings. And I’m realising that those feelings don’t just belong to the child.

We think so carefully about transitions for the children we care for. We have settling-in processes, stay and plays, getting-to-know-me forms and conversations about what will help them feel safe.

We recognise that children need connection, familiarity and trust before they can feel OK in a completely new environment.

But how often do we think about the parent going through that transition alongside them?

With secondary school, I suddenly feel more disconnected than I did at primary school. And university? That feels like an even bigger step away from everything I’ve known.

Will my boys be OK?
Will the people around them understand them and give them the support they need?
Will they be OK without me?

And then there’s the question I don’t say out loud…

Will I be OK without them?

Perhaps parents need their own version of settling in too. A little time and reassurance while they build trust with the people caring for their child.

I’ll be having my own version of a stay and play when I drop my eldest at university this week. Although mine will involve checking everything works, making sure he knows where everything is before I finally have to leave! 😂

Of course, the child remains at the heart of the transition. But let’s not forget the parent beside them.

In early years, we can be quick to encourage parents to drop and go because we know a prolonged goodbye can make things harder. But before we ask them to walk away, perhaps we need to make sure they feel safe enough to do so.

Do they know us? Do they trust us? Do they believe we understand their child? Have we given them enough reassurance to know that when they leave, their child will be seen, supported and cared for?

Maybe settling in was never just about the child.

Sometimes, parents need time to settle too.

04/09/2026

I’m delighted to be speaking at the in Cardiff on 2 October 2026.

I’ll be delivering two seminars exploring neurodiversity-affirming practice in the early years:

Beyond behaviour: Seeing the meaning in neurodivergent communication in the early years

and

From add-on to all-in: Creating and embedding neurodiversity-affirming cultures in the early years

Two important conversations about moving beyond behaviour, understanding what children are communicating and making inclusion part of everyday practice.

I’d love to see you there.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-education-show-utilita-arena-cardiff-2nd-october-2026-tickets-1977698750200

aperion_training

25/09/2026

23/09/2026

21/09/2026

21/09/2026

18/09/2026

15/09/2026

13/09/2026

10/09/2026

07/09/2026

04/09/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The School

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request