Welcome to the section of Worcestershire’s SEND Local Offer which has specific information on children, young people and neurodivergence for families and professionals. This does not mean that the rest of the Local Offer website does not have information that is relevant and useful, but this section concentrates on information, material and advice specific to neurodivergence including Autism and ADHD.

Terms and definitions

Neurodiversity: refers to the variation in the way that all human brains work. 

Neurodivergent: means that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently. A neurodivergent person is someone whose brain handles information in a way that is not typical of most people. It’s estimated that around 1 in 7 in the UK have some kind of neurodivergence.

The most common types of neurodivergence are:

• Autism 
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Dyscalculia
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD)

Other examples of how the brain processes information differently and therefore are considered to come under the neurodivergence umbrella (though not everyone agrees) are:

• Dysgraphia
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Misophonia
• Executive dysfunction or cognitive functioning difficulties
  

Some people will have more than one type of neurodivergence, which can often co-occur and overlap.

The Anna Freud charity has a resources on its website called a guide to neurodiversity in the early years (Anna Freud) the guide is for professionals, but contains lots of information you may find useful.

You can read more about neurodiversity on the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website: What is neurodiversity? | CUH. 

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System have produced a short video explaining more:

 
Throughout this section we include links to groups and organisations that Worcestershire parents have found helpful. Please note this information is provided for sign-posting purposes only, the websites and groups are run by outside providers, organisations and charities and not provided by us. While we attempt to ensure all information here is accurate, we cannot accept any responsibility for third party websites. Their inclusion here is for your information only and does not represent endorsement or recommendation by the council.

Below you will find links to pages with information about the most common types of neurodiversity.