On today’s episode I speak with Annabel Tannenbaum from Thriving Minds Education about her advocacy of neuro-affirming practice in education. More than this, Annabel shares her lived experience of being late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD in her early 30s and how her experiences have shaped the powerful work that she does.

Annabel and I discuss:

🌸 The difference between the terms neurodiverse, neurodivergent and neurotype.

🌸 The importance of listening to people with lived experience with neurodivergence.

🌸 How some practices commonly used with neurodivergent children can be causing more harm than good.

🌸 Exploring the need to practice with both a neuro-inclusive and neuro-affirming lens.

🌸 Some small tweaks you can make towards being more neuro-affirming in your practice (hint: it’s not as big a task as you think!).

Annabel is the founder of Thriving Minds Education and is a neuro-inclusion advocate who’s supporting and empowering young members of the neurodivergent community.

For most of her life, Annabel didn’t know why she was different. Growing up, she says she always felt like an outsider, struggling to get a grasp on learning and socialising while grappling with anxieties that couldn’t be explained. That is, until she began teaching in early education settings – and seeing similar traits show up in the children she was supporting.

Annabel was diagnosed with autism at 30 and ADHD at 31. But even before then, she knew there was a desperate need for more awareness and support around kids with developmental differences. A need that she was already working to meet through her business, Thriving Minds Education, where she offers workshops, resources and a vast array of books celebrating neurodivergence.

Connect with Annabel:

💫 Find her on Instagram: @thrivingmindseducation

💫 Visit her website: Thriving Minds Education

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EP 8 | Neuro-Affirming Practice + the Lived Experience with Annabel Tannenbaum

The Bloom Room: An Early Childhood Podcast

EP 8 | Neuro-Affirming Practice + the Lived Experience with Annabel Tannenbaum