by Anisa Ljanta from Wild of Brain

Us, neurodivergent people might need to ask questions to an event organiser to gauge suitability for ourselves. Especially if low on spoons, feeling wobbly, or are in the first years post-diagnosis or acknowledging neurodivergence. Attending with another neurodivergent person for solidarity and support can be a helpful thing. Asking others in neurodivergent communities for recommendations or stories of other’s experiences is always gold. Community wisdom is the best.

Questions to ask before signing up to an event

Here are some examples of questions. If you’re an organiser of events, you can keep these things in mind for the future.

Practical aspects:

Are there breaks factored into the programme?
Will there be content materials in a handbook or notes for participants?
What is the lighting like? Good natural light? Are there curtains or blinds? Any fluorescents?
Is the venue near a busy road, railway, or have other external noise audible from the workshop space?
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Is there parking onsite? If not, where is closest / recommended?
Will there be visual aids as well as people talking through material?
If the event is online, will captions be available? Will sessions be recorded? Will the chat be monitored for input into the session?

Content aspects:

Was this course designed with neurodivergent folks part of the design team or was there an external ND review of the content? Or was there engagement and testing of materials with ND folks? This is especially important if the event has a target audience of ND folks.
Are you aware that traditional practices like silent-sitting-still sorts of meditation, mindfulness exercises or certain coaching methods might not work for ND folks?
Has the facilitator or co-facilitators worked with ADHD/ Autistic / otherwise neurodivergent clients/participants before? And are you familiar with the different ways neurodivergence might present in your practice/workshop?
Would I be able to speak with another autistic/ADHD/neurodivergent person who has done the course/training?

Ask your questions even of trusted organisations with unknown facilitators or new programmes and workshops. Your time and spoons are precious and you never know the backstory on who is designing and facilitating emerging events and initiatives. Anyone neuro-informed and affirming will understand and welcome the need to ask and will be able to respond in a way you’ll feel comfortable with.

What you might like facilitators to know / ask for

Would you be able to check in with the group about lighting before starting?
Is it possible to ask participants not to wear synthetic or strong fragrance?
I’m still paying attention even if I am not meeting your eyes.
Freedom to work independently rather than enforced team or group work.
I might need to step out of the session for a sensory break. Or have my video off if it’s online.
I need to be able to move my body to focus so may use stim toys, use a swiss ball to sit on, walk or gently stretch quietly at the back of the room while listening.

Here’s an email template for you to cut and paste and customise

—-------Start of email template—------

Hi XXXX,

I was excited to see your workshop “XXXXXXX” in my insta feed today. My colleague and I would love to attend but have a few questions to gauge whether your workshop is appropriate for us before we register and pay.

In confidence I’ll share that I’m autistic ADHD and my colleague is autistic and uses a range of mobility aids. (You don’t need to disclose neurospiciness or disability unless you feel comfortable doing so. It's perfectly fine to just ask for the accommodations you need without disclosing.)

Add your questions here. Examples might be:

Is the venue near a busy road, railway, or have other external noise audible from the workshop space?

Is the venue wheelchair accessible and is there disability parking onsite?

Would you be able to check in with the group about dimming the lighting a bit before starting?

Would it be possible to ask participants not to wear synthetic or strong fragrance?

If you’re new to learning about neurodivergence I can recommend the following links, resources and educators as a way to learn more. Experts estimate up to 24% of the human population sit under the neurodivergent umbrella so it just makes sense to tool up if you’re working with humans!

List your links. Or compile a resource sheet to attach or create a canned email.

Thanks so much for your time,

I look forward to hearing your responses and really hope we get to meet you on the xxth!

xxxxxxx-your name here

—----End of email template—------

Holders of space and organisers of events need to be honest about their knowledge and limitations. True inclusion can be complex and it might not be possible to cater to all needs right away. Organisers can establish audience and accessibility in their planning phase and be clear in marketing from the outset.

If it’s not feeling comfortable to attend to your event/training/workshop don’t give up! Suggest the event organiser or facilitator work with a neurodivergent specialist consultant or organisation to have future iterations more inclusive. Ask around in neurodivergent communities to recommend similar events or enquire whether a trusted ND-organisation could run one. Or support someone with the appropriate background and experience to run a ND-friendly event designed specifically for the wild of brain. If you’re interested, there are bound to be others out there who are keen too.

Useful links: