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Wondering whether it’s ADHD? Private adult ADHD assessment, for people who have always just coped. Service life is highly structured, and structure
An assessment gives you a clear answer either
hides a great deal. Most people build their own
way, from a qualified clinician who takes the time
systems on top of it without ever calling them that.
to understand your history properly.
Lists. Alarms. Arriving absurdly early. Appointments are remote and arranged around Those systems work, until they don’t. A posting
postings and deployment.
ends, an injury takes away the routine, or you leave and the shape of the day goes with it.
ADHD assessment
Complete care
£695
including ongoing support after diagnosis
£1,945
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WE LCOME Hello and welcome to the first version of Neuro Force Neurodivergent and Wellbeing Advice for the Services Community. You will have accessed this publication via the QR code on our promotional business cards, so keep the card close to hand as more updates to Neuro Force are added. What is Neurodiversity and what does it mean to the services community? Neurodiversity is a term for the variations in the way the brain functions, which can be related to mood, behaviour and other cognitive elements. Some many common elements to Neurodiversity include, Autism, Dyslexia, Tourette’s, ADHD, sleep disorders and anxiety.
There are over 70,000 spouses and partners of serving personnel who are often overlooked for support, whilst approximately 36,000 military children require additional health and educational support and this first version of Neuro Force aims to be a small step in the right direction to address these requirements and statistics. We hope Neuro Force will be a companion in your pocket and as we update each version, we join you along the way on your Neuro journey. Kind regards, Mal Robinson, Editor, Neuro Force. The National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Events Team www.nafese2023.com
A welcome from Kirsten Jack, Founder of Uncommon Community for Neurodivergent Kids and Teens I moved schools five times growing up. Some of those moves went well; others really didn’t. As an autistic young person, there were times when I felt profoundly alone and unsupported, struggling to find people who understood me or somewhere I really belonged. Those experiences stayed with me. When I founded Uncommon, I wanted to create some of what I wish I’d had growing up: a community where neurodivergent young people could meet people who truly understood them — not only because they shared some of the same differences, but because they shared the same passions too. I also wanted young people to meet neurodivergent young adults who had been through some of the struggles they might be experiencing now, but had come out the other side: finding their people, pursuing their interests and building lives that worked for them. Adults who could offer not just understanding, but hope for the future.
And I wanted those relationships to be consistent. Familiar people who turn up week after week, even when other things around a young person may be changing. For families in the Armed Forces and emergency services, that feels especially important. Shifts, deployments, postings, school moves and changing family routines can all make consistency harder to create. Uncommon is an online community for neurodivergent 8–18-year-olds, offering smallgroup clubs, courses and one-to-one mentoring from the comfort of home. Wherever your family is right now, we’d love to welcome you.
Welcome to Aspris Everyone has potential. But not everyone sees it. At Aspris, we see it, nurture it and raise it. Across our specialist schools, colleges and children’s homes, throughout the UK, our caring colleagues support young people aged 4 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). By meeting individual needs through personalised education, care and therapeutic support, we build confidence, boost ambition and help young people and their families achieve their potential. Our educational settings provide curriculums which are strongly rooted in trauma informed practice and principals from either the National Autistic Society or Autism Education Trust and address the unique learning profiles, strengths, and challenges of the learners. This ensures we offer the right support, in the right way, at the right time.
We are Aspris Raising potential every day Our specialist schools, colleges, and children’s homes provide the very best care and support for children and young people with special educational needs or who are considered vulnerable. Throughout our nationwide network of services, we offer high-quality, therapeutic education and care placements to young people aged 4-25 years. With courage, resilience and dedication, we build confidence, face challenges together, and create uplifting environments where everyone can grow and succeed.
Connect with us for valuable resources, parental guidance and tailored updates
Our children’s homes provide nurturing, family-style environments where young people can feel safe, supported, and valued. Each provide a therapeutic offering, personalised care and follow a rigorous matching process. We are also passionate about giving back to those who have chosen to serve and protect us. Thant’s why we joined the Armed Forces Covenant - to pledge support to those who serve, or have served, and the families of those working for the armed forces. This is a voluntary pledge, which involves Aspris providing work opportunities for those who may need to relocate throughout their career due to their partner’s military stationing, along with providing support to veterans and reservists, who may need additional support from their employer. To find out more, get in touch.
UNCO MMO N MINDS Some things shouldn’t have to change when everything else does For a neurodivergent young person, finding somewhere they genuinely belong can take time. The people who share your interests, communicate like you do and allow you to be yourself aren’t necessarily sitting in the classroom next door. And when a young person finally finds their people, those relationships can become enormously important. That’s something we think about a lot at Uncommon — an online community of clubs, courses and mentoring for neurodivergent 8–18-year-olds. For families in the Armed Forces and emergency services, it can matter even more. Family life may include shifts, deployments, postings, school changes or periods when one parent is carrying much more of everyday family life.
A child can simply be playing Minecraft every Wednesday with people they know. But underneath that, something important is happening: familiar adults keep turning up; friendships deepen; confidence grows; and during a period when lots of things feel uncertain, there is somewhere they know they belong. For young people who are unable to attend school, we can also create individual support packages, combining mentoring, small-group activities and other support around what that particular young person needs while they are out of education or moving towards their next placement. For a family that moves, change doesn’t necessarily have to mean starting again. Their school and home might change while their club, friends and familiar Uncommon adults remain the same.
One trusted adult, week after week
When other things change, we want Uncommon to be somewhere that can stay.
For young people who would benefit from more individual support, we also offer one-to-one neurodivergent mentoring - all online.
Sometimes, we’re simply a brilliant after-school club
Our mentors meet young people where they are. They listen, take time to build trust and create a relationship in which a young person can feel safe being themselves.
For around half the young people who join us, Uncommon looks like a fun, accessible online afterschool club.
Over time, that trusted relationship can provide an important source of consistency through uncertainty and change — whether that’s a move, a difficult period at school, recovering from burnout or simply navigating the sometimes complicated journey through the teenage years and towards adulthood.
Veterans in Crisis Sunderland supporting our serving and ex-forces community in 2026.
It also means parents don’t have to feel they are supporting that journey alone. There is another trusted adult alongside their young person: someone who understands neurodivergence, knows them well and can continue to be there week after week.
Services include:
They might spend an hour building with friends in Minecraft, disappear into a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, play Roblox, draw, talk about animals or meet other young people who share their particular passions. Our groups are small and designed around neurodivergent young people. There’s no requirement to have your camera on, and young people can speak, type, participate actively or take their time getting comfortable. All of our mentors are neurodivergent themselves. They understand that an intense interest isn’t a fad. Often, it’s exactly where connection and self-confidence begins.
Sometimes, that same club is an anchor For other young people, there is much more happening around them. Some are recovering from burnout or health difficulties. Some are struggling to attend school or waiting for an educational placement that works for them. Others are preparing for secondary school, moving between settings or navigating another significant change. We have a lot of experience supporting young people through transitions. And importantly, support doesn’t always need to look like support. 6 | nafese2023.com
Making family life a little easier When shifts, deployments or working patterns mean one parent can’t always be there — and another is carrying school, appointments, meals, activities and emotional support — Uncommon can make one small part of family life easier. No journey to another activity. No sitting outside waiting. No starting the search for the right club all over again after a move. Just your young person, at home, doing something they love with people who are pleased to see them. Because sometimes, when life is changing, it really matters to know that next Tuesday at 5pm, someone who knows you will still be there.
Walking Club, Boot Camps, Coffee Mornings, Art Therapy, Outward Bound Training, Counselling, Free Gym Membership, Day Trips, help for Veterans made homeless and much more. ERV, 1 Roker Avenue, Sunderland. T: 0191 5671878 info@veteransinscrisis.co.uk www.veteransincrisis.co.uk nafese2023.com | 7
Many neurodivergent children I support simply can’t do this! A neurodivergent child may avoid toothbrushing because the sensation is overwhelming. They may resist stopping a favourite activity to go to bed because of hyperfocusing. They may struggle to relax in bed because their nervous system is still processing the school day that was hard for them. For military children, these challenges may be amplified during periods of family separation, relocation or imminent significant change. If the standard sleep advice hasn’t worked for your neurodivergent child, it doesn’t mean you’re getting it wrong. It simply means you haven’t been given the right tools yet to work with their uniquely wired brain and your child needs a different approach.
Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child’s Sleep in Military Life
Fifteen minutes of sensory play, right before bed, can make a significant difference. This might include swinging, bouncing, obstacle courses, bear hugs, tug of war, press-ups, wrestling games, yoya or lifting hand weights. These activities provide valuable connection time with parents before bed, while also helping children regulate their nervous system. For families who may spend periods apart due to military commitments, this connection before bed can be particularly important for your neurodivergent child.
Often, neurodivergent children still need support to regulate their busy brains and bodies before they can fall asleep. Lycra compression sheets to move about in, fidget toys to fiddle with, pressing a pillow into their body when laying in bed puts pressure through their body and listening to familiar audiobooks to distract their thoughts can all help. Rather than focusing on keeping your neurodivergent child still in bed, try focusing on helping them settle their busy body and brain. When they feel more relaxed, sleep is more likely to come.
Understanding sleep needs
Sleep starts with feeling safe
One important consideration is that many neurodivergent children have lower sleep needs than their neurotypical peers. Parents are often trying to achieve an age-appropriate bedtime when their child simply isn’t tired enough to fall asleep so early.
There is no single sleep solution that works for every neurodivergent child. What helps one child may have little effect on another.
As a family sleep specialist and mother of neurodivergent twins. My approach to a autistic and ADHD children’s sleep is grounded in evidence-based practice and shaped by neuro-affirming principles, which essentially means I help parents to work with their child’s neurodivergent brain and not against it so bedtimes become easier and mornings more manageable.
In these cases, a later bedtime can often reduce emotional dysregulation in the evening and help your child to get into bed and fall asleep more quickly, because their body is genuinely ready for sleep later in the evening.
Why traditional sleep advice often falls short
Neurodivergent children often experience bedtime as a long sequence of demands: stop playing, leave a screen, go upstairs, brush teeth, get changed, say goodnight and then fall asleep.
8 | nafese2023.com
Many neurodivergent children have busy bodies and need a lot of movement and sensory input in order to help their bodies feel settled and regulated before bed.
Michelle Cyril is a family Sleep Specialist for neurodivergent children with nearly 30 years of clinical expertise. Michelle is a parent to two autistic children including demand avoidant profiles and works with parents internationally to make bedtime calmer and less stressful. For more information, videos and free resources see website familysleepspecialist.co.uk
Many parents feel relieved once their child is finally in bed, only to discover they’re suddenly full of worries, questions, stories from their day and fidgety.
Whether your child is suspected or confirmed to be autistic or ADHD, you’ve probably discovered that the standard sleep advice hasn’t worked for your child. Many parents I support have tried everything: melatonin, weighted blankets, white noise, earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, visual routines and countless other strategies, only to find themselves facing the same bedtime battles night after night.
The standard sleep advice is designed for neurotypical children. It assumes your neurodivergent child can tolerate multiple transitions, cope with different sensory challenges and switch off their racing thoughts as soon as they get into bed.
2. Meet sensory needs before bed
About the Author
3. Support settling, not stillness
If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child in a military family, bedtime can often feel like one of the hardest parts of the day.
Military life can add another layer of challenge. Deployments, training exercises, parental absences, house moves, changing schools and uncertainty about the future can be difficult for any child, but neurodivergent children are often particularly affected by change and unpredictability. Worries around this often show up at bedtime, when there are fewer distractions and they are laying awake in bed often for hours.
Where possible, spread bedtime tasks throughout the evening. Teeth could be brushed after dinner, baths and school reading can be moved much earlier. Reducing the demands associated with bedtime often leads to a much more emotionally regulated child when it comes to getting into bed.
1. Reduce and spread-out bedtime demands
When children are already exhausted from masking all day in school, feeling overwhelmed or worrying about significant changes, the spoken and unspoken demands around bedtime can quickly stack up and become unmanageable.
For military families especially, it is important to remember that sleep is closely linked to a child’s sense of safety, predictability and connection. During times of change, separation or uncertainty, neurodivergent children often need additional support rather than stricter bedtime routines. When we focus less on compliance and more on understanding our child’s unique emotional and sensory needs, bedtime can begin to feel very different for them and you. Because when a neurodivergent child feels understood, supported, safe and connected, sleep becomes far easier for them to achieve. nafese2023.com | 9
Top Neurodiverse Employers in the UK
MBDA - One of the leaders in the defence industry, MBDA have specific interests and expertise in the missile systems.
Below we take a glimpse at the top Neurodiverse friendly employers to work for in the UK and also look at how diversity improves business outcomes with some context from the National Autistic Society.
Airbus - Airbus is one of the cutting edge companies in the aerospace industry sector producing, designing and manufacturing products for aviation globally.
“15-20% of staff teams are neurodivergent. Increase productivity: leveraging the unique strengths of neurodivergent individuals can lead to higher productivity levels and more innovative solutions. Increased innovation: diverse teams are more creative and adaptable, driving innovation and competitive advantage. Improve retention rates: by creating a supportive and inclusive environment, we can significantly improve the retention rates of neurodivergent employees, reducing turnover costs. Enhance reputation: demonstrating your commitment to diversity and inclusion will enhance your reputation as an employer of choice, attracting top talent from diverse backgrounds.” Findings from the National Autistic Society So who are considered the top Neurodiverse employers to work for in the UK? Here is a mere snapshot of Neurodiverse friendly employers. We see a broad mix of companies who champion inclusivity and offer such things as support groups, workplace adjustments and initiatives that welcomes and values all team members and colleagues.
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BAE Systems - Another defence heavyweight, BAE covers defence, aviation, space and innovation. BT Business - Part of the huge BT Group, BT Business the business arm of the telecommunications powerhouse. Maersk - A global container logistics company and more, it is a leader in the world of supply chains. SAP - A renowned software developer, SAP, works across 25 industries helping with business intelligence and sustainability. Tombola - Tombola is the UK’s largest online bingo operator offering award-winning games and is the innovation leader in this sector. TUI Group - With over 1,200 travel agents, 130 aircraft, nearly 500 hotels and 16 cruise ships, TUI is at the forefront of the travel and leisure sector. Virgin Media o2 - A state of the art, award winning fibre broadband provider and telecommunications company, which oversees millions of customers across the UK with products including broadband, mobile and home phone services.
hg-mindworks.com
You noticed it before they did. Private adult ADHD assessment, carried out by a qualified clinician. Partners are very often the first to see it. The
An assessment gives you both a clear answer,
same conversations about forgotten things. Plans
from a clinician who takes the time to understand
agreed and then quietly not happening. The sense
the full history.
of carrying more of the load than you should, and Appointments are remote and arranged around
feeling guilty for minding.
postings and deployment. It rarely occurs to either of you that there might be a reason for it.
ADHD assessment
Complete care
£695
including ongoing support after diagnosis
£1,945
Find out what’s involved
10% off for the Armed Forces Serving, reservists, veterans, and their partners and families. Just mention Neuro Force.
Scan me
hg-mindworks.com/forces HG Mind Works Ltd · Regulated with the Care Quality Commission