Despite years of policy reform, well‑intentioned strategies and passionate professionals, inclusion in education is still not working as well as it should. For many neurodivergent children and young people, the system continues to be something they must survive rather than thrive within. The consequences of this failure are profound, often affecting mental health, self‑esteem, educational outcomes and long‑term life chances.

The festive season is upon us, a time for laughter, socialising, and perhaps one too many mince pies! But for many, it can also bring its own challenges. Changes in routine, over-stimulation, or the absence of loved ones can make Christmas feel overwhelming.

I spent most of my childhood, teens, and early twenties believing there was a finish line called perfect. A place where I’d finally feel “enough,” where my brain would stop offering uninvited commentary. Spoiler: the finish line is fictional. I’d been training for a race no one had ever actually won. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties, sitting across from a psychologist who delivered one of the most quietly revolutionary sentences of my life, that everything shifted: “Perfect doesn't exist.” At...