What Neurodivergence Means
A clear, useful introduction to neurodevelopmental differences and the language educators are increasingly hearing from families and clinicians.
Professional learning • Schools & daycares
Understanding Neurodivergence in the Classroom
Practical, evidence-informed workshops that help educators understand the child behind the behaviour.
I provide professional workshops for private schools, Montessori programs, and daycare teams on neurodevelopmental differences and how they can show up at different ages and stages.
Inquire About a Workshop
Evidence + development + practical support
Helping staff move from “Why is this child doing this?” to “What might this child need?”
Why This Matters
Children spend a huge part of their early lives with educators. When staff understand neurodevelopment, they are better positioned to recognize when a behaviour may reflect a difference in attention, communication, sensory processing, executive functioning, learning, or regulation — rather than simply seeing a child as difficult, oppositional, or disobedient.
I am especially passionate about bringing this information to daycare and early-childhood teams. Early childhood is a period when knowledgeable adults can make an enormous difference: noticing patterns, responding in developmentally appropriate ways, communicating thoughtfully with families, and helping children access support earlier when it is needed.
Early intervention starts with early understanding.
Evidence-informed & age-specific
Not a generic presentation about diagnoses.
Each workshop is built around the actual age and developmental stage of the children your staff work with. A daycare team supporting toddlers and preschoolers needs different information from a school supporting elementary-aged children.
The content draws on peer-reviewed research and evidence-based science, translated into accessible language and practical examples that staff can use in real settings.
The goal is not to turn educators into diagnosticians. It is to give them a stronger developmental lens for understanding what they see every day, recognizing when a child may need additional support, and responding in ways that are informed, compassionate, and useful.
What we can cover
A workshop built for your staff and your students.
Topics are selected and emphasized based on the needs of your setting rather than delivered as a fixed one-size-fits-all package.
Early Signs & Development
How differences associated with autism, ADHD, language, learning, sensory processing, and regulation may look at the age and stage your team supports.
Behaviour as Communication
Looking beyond labels such as defiant, lazy, inattentive, or disobedient and considering the developmental demands that may be underneath the behaviour.
Supporting Regulation
Practical ways staff can adjust expectations, environments, instructions, transitions, and supports to help children participate more successfully.
When to Be Concerned
How to think about patterns over time, developmental expectations, functional impact, and when it may be appropriate to encourage a family to seek additional support.
Talking With Families
How to share observations without diagnosing, blaming, or frightening parents — while still communicating concerns clearly enough to support early action.
Professional experience
Built from both clinical science and school-based experience.
My approach to these workshops is informed by my training as a psychologist and my experience working within both the Toronto District School Board and Peel District School Board.
Working in school systems taught me how important it is for recommendations to make sense in the real world. Educators need more than diagnostic definitions — they need to understand how neurodevelopmental differences affect learning, behaviour, relationships, transitions, independence, and participation in an actual classroom.
That is the gap I want these workshops to help fill.
Understand first.
Then decide what support makes sense.
Who These Workshops Are For
Private Schools
Daycares & Child-Care Centres
Montessori Programs
Early Childhood Educator Teams
School Leadership Teams
Community Child-Serving Organizations
Bring a workshop to your team
Tell me who you work with and what your staff want to understand better.
I can tailor the content to your setting, the developmental stage of the children you support, and the questions your team is encountering in practice.
If you are a private school, daycare, Montessori program, or community organization interested in professional learning about neurodivergence, email me to start a conversation.