Compassionate, practical neurodiversity support for families and professionals, with Dr Clements and Charmaine Champ at Firstsite Colchester

Thriving Not Just Surviving

Join Dr Annie Clements (Autism & ADHD) and Charmaine Champ (Clear Steps Consultancy) for a supportive, practical and compassionate half‑day conference designed for anyone supporting or navigating neurodivergence — parents, carers, guardians, professionals, educators, and neurodivergent adults and young people themselves.

Whether you’re raising a neurodivergent child, supporting a young person, working in education or care, or navigating neurodivergence in adulthood, this event offers realistic tools that help you move beyond daily crisis‑management and towards sustainable, compassionate support.

Led by two trainers with lived experience of raising and living in neurodivergent families, this conference blends real‑life understanding with evidence‑informed practice. You’ll gain clarity, confidence and practical strategies you can use immediately.

Together we will explore:

Why sleep can feel impossible — and what actually helps

Understanding continence through a gut‑health and nervous‑system lens

Emotional‑based school avoidance, looking beyond “attendance”

Regulation before behaviour — reducing distress at home, school and in daily life

How to support neurodivergent people without burning out the adults around them

This event is not about quick fixes or compliance‑based strategies. Instead, the focus is on:

Understanding the nervous system

Reducing shame for families

Building practical, realistic support plans

Helping individuals and families move from surviving to thriving

What you can expect

A warm, welcoming environment at Firstsite Colchester

Practical, regulation‑focused approaches to sleep, continence, behaviour, burnout and school avoidance

Clear, realistic strategies that reduce overwhelm

Lived‑experience insight from two highly respected specialists

Opportunities to connect with others during the mid‑morning networking break

A small, meaningful goody bag on arrival

Schedule

9.00–9.15am – Arrival & registration

9.15am – Welcome

9.30–10.30am – Charmaine Champ

10.30–11.00am – Break & networking

11.00am–12.00pm – Dr Annie Clements

12.00–12.15pm – Closing remarks

You’ll leave with:

A deeper understanding of neurodivergent experiences

Language that reduces blame and increases compassion

Practical strategies you can implement immediately

Greater confidence in supporting neurodivergent individuals and families

Families deserve more than just surviving — they deserve the opportunity to thrive.

Description supplied by the event organiser.