Toolkits support neurodivergent children

The resources also help adults support children with different thinking styles

Spotted: It is estimated that 15-20 per cent of the UK population is neurodivergent, with thinking and learning styles that differ from what’s considered typical. This includes 700,000 people with autism spectrum condition and two million people with dyslexia. As parents of neurodivergent children will attest, there is a major shortage of resources that help them adjust to their children’s needs.

Now, EPIC Think Learn is changing this. The startup has designed a toolkit of resources designed to help autistic children and those who have ADHD, dyspraxia, or who were born prematurely. While most resources focus on managing behaviour, the EPIC toolkit has activities that, for example, help children break down tasks for better outcomes.

The resources in the toolkit are designed to actively train the brain to make improvements. They can also be used independently, without additional intervention. There are booklets that can be used by parents and teachers to identify a child’s strengths and difficulties and help with the understanding of them. Other booklets can be used to practice strategies to optimise thinking skills, learning, and wellbeing.

EPIC has launched a full online platform for parents that includes webinars about how to use the resources. Teacher training options are also available, and a full teaching platform will come online in 2025. From autumn 2024, webinars for clinicians will also be available.

The startup has received funding from the Wellcome Trust, the University of Edinburgh, RS Macdonald Seedcorn Fund, and the Institutional Strategic Support Fund. The booklets were funded by a Wellcome Trust Institutional Translation Partnership Award.

EPIC has also received support from the Waterloo Foundation and the ARC Accelerator, as well as social enterprise funders Firstport and CEIS.

Written By: Lisa Magloff