Early Support & Intervention

Early understanding can make a lifelong difference.

I often say that, as a parent, I feel incredibly fortunate that both of my daughters were identified as Autistic at a young age.

To some people, that might sound like a strange thing to say.

But what I mean is that having an early understanding of their neurodivergence gave us an opportunity to understand their needs, adapt their environment and learn how best to communicate with and support them from the very beginning.

One of my daughters was diagnosed shortly before her fourth birthday, while my younger daughter received her Autism diagnosis before she was two years old.

At the time, people were often surprised by how young they were — particularly my youngest daughter.

Their presentations were also incredibly different.

And this taught me one of the most important lessons that continues to influence my professional practice today:

There is no single way to be Autistic.

Two Children. Two Very Different Presentations.

My younger daughter’s developmental differences became apparent during her first year of life.

Skills she had previously developed began to change or regress. Her communication changed considerably, including the loss of early babbling. Her eye contact reduced, she became less interested in conventional toys and interaction, and touch could be difficult for her to tolerate.

Her older sister presented very differently.

Yet both were Autistic.

Looking back, this was probably one of my earliest lessons in understanding the enormous diversity that exists within Autism.

Two children from the same family.

The same diagnosis.

Very different strengths, needs, communication styles and sensory profiles.

It is something I now regularly explain to families through my work as a Neurodiversity Specialist.

A child does not need to look like another Autistic child to be Autistic.

And sometimes the children whose differences are less immediately visible are the children whose needs are most easily overlooked.

Why Early Support Mattered to Our Family

Following their identification, our family accessed a range of early-years services and professionals, including Portage, Child Development services, Speech and Language Therapy, Paediatrics, Genetics and Psychology.

But early support wasn’t important because we wanted to change our daughters or make them appear less Autistic.

It was important because we began learning how they experienced and communicated with the world.

That distinction matters enormously to me.

Early neurodiversity support should never be about teaching a child that their natural way of communicating, playing or regulating is wrong.

It should be about becoming curious.

How does this child communicate?

What makes them feel safe?

What sensory experiences are they seeking or avoiding?

How much processing time do they need?

What are they communicating through their behaviour?

How can we enter their world rather than continually expecting them to enter ours?

These are principles that remain central to the work I do with families today.

Communication Is More Than Speech

One of the biggest things I learned through my daughters was that communication and speech are not the same thing.

A child who doesn’t use spoken language is still communicating.

Communication may happen through movement, behaviour, facial expression, gesture, sounds, objects, pictures, AAC or simply by moving towards or away from something.

As a parent, I learned about and used many different communication approaches, including:

Makaton

Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS)

Visual Timetables

Objects of Reference

Now and Next Boards

Social Stories

Intensive Interaction

and other visual and communication supports.

There wasn’t one magical strategy.

Instead, I learned to observe my children and ask:

“How does my child communicate — and how can I make communication more accessible for them?”

That is a question I continue to encourage families and professionals to ask today.

Intensive Interaction & Connection

Intensive Interaction became particularly meaningful within our family.

Rather than continually directing play or expecting my daughter to engage in the way I expected, I began joining her in the things that interested her.

I copied sounds.

I mirrored movements.

I followed her interests.

If she enjoyed a particular object, I might have two so that we could experience the same activity alongside each other.

We played with bubbles, sounds, movement and sensory experiences.

Most importantly, I slowed down.

I gave her time to notice me, process what was happening and choose whether she wanted to continue the interaction.

The goal wasn’t to demand eye contact or force communication.

It was to create opportunities for shared attention, enjoyment, connection and reciprocal interaction in a way that felt safe for her.

And gradually, I began to understand more about her communication.

Regulation Comes Before Expectation

Another lesson that has profoundly influenced my professional practice is the importance of regulation.

A child who is overwhelmed by noise, touch, movement, uncertainty, communication demands or other sensory information may not have the capacity to meet the expectations being placed upon them at that moment.

Before asking:

“How do we stop this behaviour?”

I encourage families and professionals to consider:

“What is the child’s nervous system telling us?”

Behaviour can communicate discomfort, sensory overload, anxiety, confusion, frustration, pain, a need for predictability, a need for movement, difficulty communicating or simply “I’ve had enough.”

Understanding what is happening underneath the behaviour can completely change how we respond.

This is why sensory processing, communication, emotional regulation and the environment are such important parts of my work with children and families.

Early Support Doesn’t Mean Trying to “Fix” Autism

This is something I feel strongly about.

Early support should not mean trying to make an Autistic child appear less Autistic.

We don’t need to eliminate harmless stimming.

We don’t need to force eye contact.

We don’t need to insist on conventional play simply because that’s how other children play.

And we shouldn’t measure success solely by how well a neurodivergent child can imitate their neurotypical peers.

The aim is understanding, communication, regulation, development and quality of life — not conformity.

We can support children to develop skills while still respecting their neurodivergent identity.

The two things can coexist.

What Early Neurodiversity Support Can Look Like

Today, my professional work is shaped enormously by what I learned both through my own family and through years of professional experience.

When I support a child and their family, I look beyond a single behaviour or diagnosis and consider the whole child.

This may involve exploring:

Communication – How does the child currently communicate and what makes communication easier?

Sensory Processing – Are they hypersensitive or hyposensitive to particular sensory input? What sensory experiences help them regulate?

Interoception – Can they recognise internal signals such as hunger, thirst, temperature, tiredness or needing the toilet?

Emotional Regulation – What happens when their nervous system becomes overwhelmed and what helps them return to regulation?

Executive Functioning – Are transitions, starting tasks, following instructions or managing multiple steps difficult?

Play and Interaction – What does the child naturally enjoy and how can we use those interests to create connection?

Predictability and Transitions – Would visual information, preparation, Now and Next supports or additional processing time help?

Masking – Is the child appearing to cope within nursery or school but becoming exhausted or dysregulated afterwards?

Environment – Rather than continually asking the child to change, what could we change around them?

For Parents Who Are at the Beginning of This Journey

If you are reading this because you have concerns about your child’s development or have recently been told that your child may be neurodivergent, you may be experiencing many different emotions.

You may also be surrounded by information telling you everything your child supposedly can’t do.

I encourage families to look at things differently.

Your child is still the same child they were before somebody mentioned Autism, ADHD, sensory processing or developmental differences.

A diagnosis or identification doesn’t change your child.

It can change your understanding of them.

And understanding can allow us to provide support earlier, reduce unnecessary distress, build communication, recognise sensory needs and create environments in which that child has a better opportunity to thrive.

My own family journey taught me that sometimes we don’t need to pull a child into our world.

We need to become curious enough to enter theirs.

From there, we can build connection.

And connection gives us somewhere to begin.

How I Can Support Your Family

As a Neurodiversity Specialist, Coach and Support Practitioner, I provide individualised support for children, young people and their families.

Depending on your child’s age and needs, this can include:

Neurodiversity Coaching

Autism & ADHD Non-Diagnostic Screening

Sensory Processing Profiles

Communication & Emotional Regulation Support

Interoception Support

Executive Functioning Strategies

Parent/Carer Coaching & Guidance

School Recommendations & Reasonable Adjustments

SEND & EHCP Support

Every child is different, which means the support needs to be different too.

My aim is to help you understand your child, rather than simply give you a generic list of Autism or ADHD strategies.

Because when we understand what is happening underneath the presentation, we can begin providing support that is meaningful, respectful and individual.

Early understanding isn’t about changing who a child is.

It’s about understanding who they are — as early as we can.