The Autism and ADHD in Education Conference and Exhibition
Manchester 8 December 2026, 9:00am - 4:30pm
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8:30am
Delegate Registration and Networking
9:30am
Chair’s Welcome Address
9:40am
Opening Keynote: What Does Neuroinclusive Education Actually Look Like?
- Neurodiversity-affirming versus deficit-based approaches
- Moving from "what is wrong with this child?" to "what is creating the barrier?"
- What neuroinclusion means at whole-school level
10:00am
The Neurodiversity Shift: What the New SEND Landscape Means for Education
- Understanding the changing SEND landscape and what current reforms mean for autistic and ADHD learners
- The future role of schools and SENCOs in delivering earlier, more joined-up and specialist-informed support
- From individual support to inclusion by design - creating mainstream environments that anticipate and remove barriers
10:20am
Industry Case Study
Widgit Software Limited
10:40am
Questions and Answers
11:00am
Break and Networking
11:30am
Industry Case Study
Spaghetti Bridge Ltd
11:50am
The Classroom That Works: Practical Strategies for Autistic and ADHD Learners
- Creating accessible classrooms through predictable routines, clear communication and sensory-aware environments
- Adapting teaching and learning without lowering expectations, using flexible approaches that work for different learners
- Practical strategies for everyday success that teachers and support staff can apply immediately in the classroom
12:10pm
AuDHD in the Classroom: Understanding the Overlap
- Understanding the intersection of autistic and ADHD traits and how they can present in the classroom
- Supporting executive functioning, attention and regulation
- Recognising sensory needs, masking and overwhelm and their impact on learning and behaviour
12:30pm
Questions And Answers Session
12:45pm
Lunch And Networking
1:45pm
Beyond Behaviour: Supporting Regulation, Reducing Distress and Preventing Exclusion
- Understanding what sits behind distressed behaviour and identifying barriers within the learning environment
- Creating conditions for regulation through relationships, predictability, sensory support and reasonable adjustments
- Building whole-school approaches that reduce repeated incidents, suspension and exclusion
2:05pm
Panel Discussion: Beyond Being Heard - Giving Neurodivergent Learners a Meaningful Voice in Education
- Exploring lived experience, belonging and what good support really looks like.
- Challenging assumptions and considering how schools can meaningfully involve pupils and families in decision-making
- Giving neurodivergent young people a genuine voice in shaping policy, practice and provision
- Practical priorities for creating more inclusive, responsive and neuroaffirming education
2:45pm
Break and Networking
3:15pm
Beyond the Mask: Recognising the Neurodivergent Learners We Risk Missing
- Understanding masking and camouflaging and how they can hide autistic and ADHD traits in the classroom
- Recognising overlooked presentations, particularly among girls and high-achieving learners
- Exploring the impact of masking on anxiety, exhaustion, wellbeing and engagement with education
- Improving identification and support
3:35pm
Inclusion by Design: Building a Whole-School Neuroinclusive Culture
- Moving beyond individual adjustments towards inclusive environments that work for a wider range of learners
- Embedding neuroinclusive practice across the school
- Building staff confidence and leadership through effective training, collaboration and shared responsibility
3:55pm
Chair’s Summary and Close
4:00pm
Conference Close