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Neurodiversity SPARK

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Neurodiversity SPARK

Spark is more than just a community; it’s a movement driven by the voices and experiences of neurodivergent individuals.

We focus on creating meaningful connections and empowering individuals and organisations to embrace neurodiversity.

03/05/2026

We’re really proud to launch a new piece of Spark Research.

We’re inviting neurodivergent people and families to take part in our Neurodiversity Access & Inclusion Survey, exploring the barriers and enablers to attending community and pop-up events.

🕒 Takes around 10 minutes
🔒 Completely anonymous
🧠 Your input will help shape a practical, plain-English guide for organisers

This is a co-produced project with Diverse Minds Events, alongside The Institute of Child Education and Psychology - ICEP Europe, as our research partner.

For many people, it’s not one big barrier, it’s a series of small things that add up.

This work is about understanding those experiences and turning them into real, practical change.

If this speaks to your experience, we’d really value your input

👇
www.neurodiversityspark.com/neurodiversity-accessibility-survey/

01/05/2026

Last night, something quietly powerful happened in the Spark Hub. 💛

Our first Peer Support Group came together, a room of people showing up exactly as they are, making space for conversation, connection, and understanding.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. Whether you spoke, listened, or simply sat with a cuppa, you helped create something that felt safe, real, and needed.

There’s something special about being in a room where you don’t have to explain yourself.

We’re just getting started. ✨

29/04/2026

📣 Autism, Menstruation & Mental Health
Autistic women’s health has been overlooked for too long.

Experiences of menstruation, hormones, pregnancy and menopause are often misunderstood, dismissed, or never fully recognised.

Thanks to Bolster Community, this upcoming spotlight event brings together lived experience and research to create something different. A space where autistic women’s voices are centred, not questioned.

🗓 Thursday 28 May
⏰ 09:30–13:00
📍 Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Craigavon (BT66 6NJ)

The event features: • Professor Alison MacKenzie (Queen’s University Belfast)

Christine Doyle, author of Hormone‑FULL not Hormonal
This event is for autistic adults, professionals, and anyone supporting autistic women. It is also for those who may be undiagnosed or navigating these experiences quietly and without support.

Save the date, click the link, or scan the QR code on the graphic, and join the conversation.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Yt52FqGtZ0aJFD4o3wlEw8V6YrAt9tJAqbAUnAZigqNUMUlHVUtKWDI5MlRPSEQxTDRTMEhYNU0yOC4u&route=shorturl

28/04/2026

✨ There is no shortage of neurodivergent entrepreneurial talent in Northern Ireland.

What has been missing, too often, are pathways that truly recognise how neurodivergent people work, create, lead, and build.

That is part of what sits behind the Spark Entrepreneurial Hub in Belfast.

🚫 This is not a coworking space.

It is not “rent a desk and off you go.”
It is not a one-size-fits-all business environment with a few adjustments added in later.

It is a quieter, more intentional space within a wider Spark model, designed to support neurodivergent entrepreneurs in ways that are more person-centred, neuroaffirmative, and strengths-based.

🧠 For us, that means starting with the person.

Energy.
Focus.
Friction points.
Strengths.
Working patterns.
What helps.
What gets in the way.

It means shaping support around the individual, instead of expecting the individual to squeeze themselves into systems that were never designed with them in mind.

And it sits within something bigger too: delivery, partnerships, applied research, and enterprise pathways that we believe can help create more sustainable routes forward for neurodivergent people in business

This video is a small glimpse into that journey.

We know we are still building.
We know this matters.

And we know there is extraordinary neurodivergent talent out there.

🌱 So if that’s you, we’d love you to come on this journey with us.

We’re also delighted that Regina Casteleijn-Osorno, who has just defended her PhD, will play a key role in shaping the Entrepreneurial Hub through her ongoing research into neurodivergent entrepreneurial pathways and the experiences of neurodivergent parents, and will be spending time with us at Neurodiversity SPARK in early summer.

👇 Watch the video and find out more here:

https://www.neurodiversityspark.com/spark-entrepreneurial-hub/

24/04/2026

If you are dyslexic, this is a must watch.

This short film challenges the way dyslexia is usually explained. It moves away from labels and limitations and shows something much more honest. How people think. How they see the world. Where their strengths really sit.

Too many people grow up only hearing what they struggle with. That narrative sticks. It shapes confidence, education, and opportunity.

This film shifts that.

It is empowering, it is real, and it is something we believe more people need to see.

Take a few minutes to watch it. It might change how you see dyslexia, or how you see yourself.

We would genuinely love to hear what it brings up for you.

https://whatisdyslexia.org/ -the-film

23/04/2026

What does meaningful neuroinclusive training look like?

A room full of engaged staff.
Honest discussion.
Practical tools.
Real-world application.

Today we delivered a full-day workshop with Belfast Central Mission (BCM) for around 25 staff working across health, social care, and community support.

We focused on what really matters in practice: communication, supervision, handover, sensory load, team culture, and supporting neurodivergent staff well in frontline environments.

Our 30 / 20 / 10 rhythm helped keep the day focused and accessible:
30 input
20 activity
10 reset

We also used a tailored booklet to support reflection and action planning across the day.

Huge credit to Roy and Daria. Their 40+ years of combined professional and lived experience in NI HSCT and related settings is a huge part of what makes Spark’s training credible, grounded, and full of depth.

Some participant feedback from today’s training

🤩“I really enjoyed today's training. I was expecting more of it to be based on individuals but I enjoyed how it was more focused on support to teams which benefitted me more”

🤩“I found the task work very helpful. I also feel the delivery of the course from both Roy and Daria kept the attendees engaged from start to finish and I feel more confident in supporting all staff is they are diagnosed or not. Would highly recommend all staff attend this training and not just management. Really enjoyed it.”

🤩“The layout of the training (including small regular breaks) helped me to retain more of the information and kept me engaged throughout.”

We’re now preparing to launch a single-ticket full-day HSC training offer for May/June.

More soon.

22/04/2026

We’re dead proud to launch this new piece of Spark Research.

Our Neurodiversity Access & Inclusion Survey explores what helps and what gets in the way for neurodivergent people and families when considering attending community and pop-up events.

This co-produced study is being delivered by Neurodiversity SPARK and Diverse Minds Events, with The Institute of Child Education and Psychology - ICEP Europe as research partner.

✔ Anonymous
✔ Around 10 minutes
✔ Designed to create real, practical change

If you’ve ever thought:
“Would this event work for me?”
“Will there be enough information?”
“Will it feel welcoming?”

— this survey is for you.

👉 www.neurodiversityspark.com/neurodiversity-accessibility-survey/

Please share with anyone who might want to take part.

18/04/2026

Yesterday, we completed the first phase of our latest work with Queen's University Belfast (EEECS) and what a session it was 🔬👏🏼

A genuinely open and thoughtful focus group with PhD supervisors and academic staff. Honest reflections on confidence, systems, communication, and what meaningful support actually looks like in practice.

This is where the real work begins.

Next steps:

✨ A student survey capturing lived experience from PhD researchers
✨ Rapid, insights-led synthesis of staff and student perspectives
✨ A co-produced workshop with supervisors
✨ Live observation to capture real-time insight and discussion
✨ A final insights and recommendations report for the School

The aim is clear.

To create practical, usable approaches that help retain and support neurodivergent doctoral researchers.

What makes this different is that the outcome is not predefined.
We are not arriving with a toolkit.
We are building it with the people who need it.

While this work is grounded in academia, the approach travels.

We use the same model in business settings to:
🚀 Reduce barriers in systems and processes
🚀 Support rapid product and service development
🚀 Review policies in a meaningful, human way
🚀 Facilitate discussions on complex topics like AI and organisational change

It is produced using academic approaches, but designed to work in the real world.

This is our second time delivering this type of work with Queen’s, and we now have 3 separate engagements underway, including another workshop with Queen's Students' Union in May.

More to come as this develops across 2026 🚀

17/04/2026

Gary was proud to contribute to the Novartis Ireland Neurodiversity Panel in Dublin this week, through Spark, representing Vhi.

This event brought together leaders, practitioners, and lived experience voices to explore how organisations can move beyond awareness and towards meaningful neuroinclusion.

Key themes included:

🔹 Understanding neurodiversity as natural human variation
🔹 The impact of late diagnosis across life and career
🔹 Practical workplace adjustments that drive inclusion
🔹 The importance of co-producing solutions with lived experience

We believe inclusion is not just about policy. It is about design, culture, and everyday interactions.

It was encouraging to see organisations like Novartis creating space for honest, informed conversations that challenge assumptions and promote real change.

Thank you to all involved for the opportunity to contribute.

If your organisation is looking to take the next step in neuroinclusion, we would love to connect.

15/04/2026

We’re still taking in what a special day yesterday was at the Northern Ireland Neurodiversity in the Workplace Conference ✨

Gary and Daria were both proud to speak as part of such an important conversation on neuroinclusion, practice, and systems change here in Northern Ireland.

For this post, we wanted to share a short video clip from Gary’s keynote.

It captures something that sits at the heart of Spark’s work 💙

As AI becomes more embedded in working life, the question is not just what it can do.

The question is how we use it.

Do we use it to reduce load, create access, and support people to function well?

Or do we use it in ways that increase pressure and narrow what it means to work well?

That conversation matters deeply to us.

We’re proud to be part of it, proud of how both Gary and Daria represented Spark, and grateful to everyone who made the day what it was 🙏

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

How are you seeing AI show up in work right now …… as pressure, as support, or a bit of both?

13/04/2026

Introducing….the Neurodiversity Spark Entrepreneurial Hub 🎉💜🏢

Northern Ireland has brilliant neurodivergent talent.

But the pathways into entrepreneurship are often fragmented, inconsistent, or missing.

We’re starting to change that.

The Spark Entrepreneurial Hub is a real-world environment where we are building and testing neurodivergent-friendly approaches to entrepreneurship, in partnership with others.

This is not a co-working space or a typical programme.
It is enabling infrastructure designed to support:

✨ applied learning and real-world business development
✨ neurodivergent-led enterprise activity
✨ research-informed, sustainable pathways into entrepreneurship

The Hub is intentionally small and low-volume, designed to prioritise:

🧠 stability and predictability
🤝 meaningful partnership
📊 evidence-informed development

We will be opening applications in May for our first structured pathway.

Right now, we are inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from:

1) neurodivergent individuals considering or building a business
2) early-stage founders who want structured, supported development
3) partners across public sector, education, and enterprise

Submitting an EOI means:
✔️ early visibility of the programme
✔️ opportunity to shape and engage early
✔️ first access when applications open

No pressure. No commitment. Just a starting point.

👉 Register your interest here:
www.neurodiversityspark.com/spark-entrepreneurial-hub/

Achieve on your terms.

11/04/2026

We’re really proud to be part of this year’s "Northern Ireland Neurodiversity in the Workplace Conference 2026" with the Institute of Government & Public Policy.

This year, both Gary and Daria will be speaking, bringing two very different but deeply connected perspectives.

🔹 Gary
Exploring how AI and assistive technologies can support neurodivergent people at work, reducing cognitive load, improving access, and creating space for people to actually think, create and contribute.

🔹 Daria
Focusing on trauma-informed, human-first conversations around reasonable adjustments, moving beyond compliance and into what actually works in practice.

At Spark, our work sits right at this intersection
✨ Lived experience
✨ Practice
✨ Systems change

We’re not just talking about inclusion, we’re building it alongside the people it impacts.

Across both talks, we’ll be asking
❓ What does it really mean to support someone to function at work
❓ Where are systems unintentionally creating barriers
❓ How do we use tools like AI responsibly so they support people, not replace or monitor them

📍 Malone Hotel, Belfast
📅 14 April 2026, 9am - 4pm

If you're attending, come and say hello, we’d love to connect.

🎟️ Use our code DT-GG or DT-DG for 50% off tickets

👉 https://igpp.org.uk/event/The-Northern-Ireland-Neurodiversity-in-the-Workplace-Conference-2026/agenda

Address

89 University Street
Belfast
BT71HP

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447923400472

Website

http://www.neurodiversityspark.com/

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