Why you should stop asking this intrusive question.

This session uses a seemingly simple, everyday question as a gateway into understanding neurodivergence, neurodiversity, and harm prevention.

A sample of what we’ll cover:

• Why and when ‘how are you?’ can be an intrusive and inappropriate question.

• How I too was a serial ‘how are you?’ asker.

• ‘I don’t want to share, but I don’t want to lie.’

• What you could say instead of ‘how are you?’

How heightened sensory sensitivity shapes children’s experiences and how we can respond.

If your child, or a child you know or work with, seems overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, scratchy clothes, or sudden changes, they may have sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) - a trait that affects how a person perceives, registers, and processes experiences.

This session explores how heightened sensory sensitivity shapes the way some tamariki/children experience the world, and what we can do to support them.

A sample of what we’ll cover:

• The basics of SPS - what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person and why knowing about this trait is crucial for anyone who cares for or works with tamariki.

• Why it is essential to understand and consider this genetic trait in the home, classroom, and other spaces.

• The evidence – both research and real-life experiences – showing how SPS affects children and adults.

This is not an academic lecture - it is about real-life applications and insights that you can put into practice straight away.

This session explores why emailing takes more effort for many people than it seems, and why the stakes are often much higher than they appear.

A sample of the content we’ll cover:

• The effort it takes to send an email, and the missed ‘window’.

• Why some people hate emails with a passion.

• How an inappropriate, or ‘no’, response can be interpreted and its effects.

• Opportunity costs and potential harm caused.

• You’re paid to read and reply to your work emails - your clients and customers aren’t!

This session looks at what happens when beliefs are treated as facts, and why this matters for some neurodivergent people.

A sample of the content we’ll cover:

• Do I think beliefs equal facts? For example, I believe that a person’s beliefs carry equal or more weight and value than a scientific fact.

• Do I believe that a person’s beliefs can’t be challenged?

If you answered ‘yes’ to either or both questions, then this workshop session is for you.

This session looks at why some tamariki/children avoid school, and how sensory sensitivities can make everyday environments feel overwhelming.

A sample of the content we’ll cover:

• Some tamariki who are reluctant to attend school are dealing with invisible challenges – sensory overload, anxiety, and exhaustion – caused by the constant effort of trying to fit in and function in environments that weren’t designed for them.

• Is it the school environment or the home environment that is having the biggest impact on the child’s behaviour and emotional states?

• Does the child not want to go to school, or do they not want to leave home?

• Preventing and responding to sensory overwhelm.