Supporting Neurodivergent Birth Workshop

Interactive workshop to improve understanding and support for neurodivergent people throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.
About this Event

Topics covered:

- What is Neurodiversity? – an overview of the neurodiversity movement from the 1990s, key terminology, the importance of language and co-occuring conditions.

- The Gender Bias and Hormones – stereotypes, the gender bias in research and understanding towards the male presentations, and the newly emerging research on the influence of hormones, particularly during pregnancy and after birth.

- Birth Rights and ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ – an overview of The Equality Act 2010, ‘reasonable adjustments’ and examples.

- Sensory Processing – the 8 senses, sensory seekers and sensory avoiders, the sensory elements of pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period, and how we can support sensory processing differences.

- Communication – difference styles of communication, The Double Empathy Problem, how we can facilitate improved communication including use of communication tools.

- Executive Functioning – areas of executive functioning that are key during the perinatal period, supporting people with executive dysfunction.

- Mental Health – birth trauma, antenatal and postnatal anxiety and depression in the neurodivergent community, link to the impact of hormones, how we can support improved mental health.

- Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding – the sensory elements, communication issues and hyperfocus.

- Neurodivergent Birth and Postnatal Planning – plans that include sensory and cognitive elements in addition to the stages of labour, birth and the postnatal time.

- Accessing Support – guidance and useful resources.