Family Pathway

07/04/2026

Really proud to share that our latest article has been published in the Children in Wales Spring Magazine 🌱

📍 You’ll find us on page 64:
“Beyond voice: what meaningful participation looks like for neurodivergent young people in Wales”

https://isu.pub/3PxcECB

This piece gets into something that’s often misunderstood —
participation isn’t just about being “heard”
# it’s about being understood, supported, and able to engage in ways that actually work

We explore:

why traditional models of participation don’t work for many neurodivergent young people
the role of trust, relationships, and processing time
what meaningful, person-centred participation actually looks like in practice

If we’re serious about inclusion, we’ve got to move beyond tokenistic voice and start designing systems that genuinely enable young people to take part.

Have a read and let me know your thoughts 💬

05/04/2026

01/04/2026

27/03/2026

Really valued my time on Wednesday at the Children in Wales conference.

Professor Laura Lundy’s work on children’s participation was a proper reminder that “voice of the child” isn’t enough on its own.

If children aren’t given the space, support, audience, and real influence—it’s not participation, it’s a tick-box.

One line that stayed with me:
Children cannot be kept safe if they are not heard—and cannot be heard where they are not safe.

Definitely left reflecting on how often systems capture voice… but don’t act on it.

Real participation means real change.

22/03/2026

This upcoming event on autistic thriving at school looks great - see info below.

Who is this event for?
This event is free to attend and open to everyone - autistic children and young people, their parents and carers, teachers and school staff, healthcare professionals, and researchers. No prior knowledge is needed; all are welcome.

As part of Reading University's centenary celebrations, they are hosting a free public hybrid (in person and online) event on the evening of the 6th May on the theme of Autistic Thriving at School and Beyond. Please this event that aims to bring together autistic children and young people, their families, students, professionals and researchers to explore what supports autistic children to flourish in education and everyday life.

https://Inkd.in/e-7y3SRD

21/03/2026

As we come to the end of #𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤, I’ve been thinking a lot about what inclusion actually feels like in practice.

Policies and paperwork set the intention.
But inclusion is felt in the day-to-day experiences of young people.

I visited this week — and you could feel it the moment you walked in.

A sense of calm.
Understanding.
An environment that genuinely makes space for young people to be who they are.

What stood out most was the holistic understanding of need.
Not labels. Not assumptions. Just a deep awareness that every learner experiences the world differently — and that the environment needs to respond to that.

It says a lot about a school when spaces like a sensory room and a sensory garden are prioritised — and not hidden away, but embedded as part of everyday practice.

Accessible to learners aged 11–19 who need space to regulate, reset, and re-engage.

Because inclusion isn’t about keeping young people in the classroom at all costs.

It’s about giving them the tools to access it.

To build agency.
To develop self-regulation.
To feel safe enough to engage.

That’s what inclusion feels like.

Not performative.
Not tokenistic.
Just thoughtful, intentional, and human.

18/03/2026

https://youtu.be/Ezv85LMFx2E?feature=shared

Introduction to autism that aims to raise awareness among young non-autistic audiences, to stimulate understanding and acceptance in future generations. Find...

17/03/2026

I watched Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere last night.

I expected to feel angry.
I didn’t. I felt sad. 😔

Because what I saw wasn’t power.

I saw young men carrying pain, rejection and disconnection.
The “alpha” language didn’t feel like strength — it felt like armour.

When you’ve worked alongside young people, you recognise it:
anger, bravado, the need to prove worth…
often rooted in unmet needs, not confidence.

But if you feel lost or overlooked, that certainty can look like identity. Like belonging.

And that’s why this matters.

Young people don’t grow through shame or being told to “man up”.
They grow through connection, safety and relationships that say you matter.

Real strength looks different:
empathy, self-awareness, respect.

If we want something different for the next generation,
then relational, trauma-informed environments aren’t optional.

They’re essential.

Because when young people feel seen and valued,
they don’t build identities around anger —
they build them around humanity.

16/03/2026

𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟐𝟒 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔)
The Education (Information About Individual Pupils and Children in Alternative Provision) (Wales) Regulations 2026 expand the types of information that can be requested about learners.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭:
This regulation is about information and data, not entitlement.
𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞:
• who qualifies for Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
• how Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are created
• who is entitled to EOTAS or alternative provision
• age limits for education.

What information authorities may request
𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦:
• whether a learner has ALN
• decisions made about ALN
• whether a learner has an IDP
• who maintains the IDP (school or local authority)
• the date of the last IDP review
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡:
• EOTAS
• Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)
• local authority-funded independent placements

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 “𝐦𝐚𝐲” 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧?
The regulations say authorities “may request” this information.
This means:
✔ authorities have the legal power to request it
✔ they don’t have to request it in every case
However, if information is requested, schools or providers must supply it.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩
Learners educated outside mainstream schools have historically been less visible in national education data.
By enabling authorities to request clearer information about:
• ALN decisions
• IDP reviews
• learners educated through alternative provision
this regulation strengthens the information trail around how learners’ needs are identified and supported.
Better visibility helps ensure learners educated outside mainstream settings are not overlooked.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: This is a data transparency change - not a change to education entitlement.