Why we’re celebrating Neurodiversity Week
Uniquely positioned to work on transport networks across India, Tanzania and the UK, Railway Children reaches children who are alone on streets and at transport hubs before they come to harm.
We know that many children use public transport to flee dangerous and traumatic situations. While other marginalised children, particularly in the UK, use the transport system as a safe haven, or are drawn to it through a love of trains.
Many of the young people we support in the UK are neurodivergent and have spent years feeling misunderstood, not fitting the mould and struggling within rigid systems.
Many are out of education. Many struggle to form stable, trusting relationships. After years of feeling they don’t measure up, many live with poor self-esteem. And it’s these factors that increase the risk of bullying, grooming and exploitation.
That’s why it’s so important that we, as an organisation set up to protect and strengthen young people, find ways of supporting each young person in a way that works for them.
Meeting the needs of neurodivergent young people
Jack, a 15-year-old autistic young person we support, found it easier to open up while walking alongside his youth practitioner, rather than sitting face-to-face. Knowing we would support him for as long as he needed, Jack was able to build trust gradually. With patient, consistent support at his pace, he eventually felt able to return to school, sit (and pass) his GCSEs and is now an active member of our youth participation programme – helping others who are where he once was.
Nadiya, who is 18, has ADHD and loves to climb, engaged best when sessions were delivered at a climbing wall. And for 16-year-old Tiana, painting and assigning colours to different emotions helped her process her feelings when she couldn’t find the words. This opened up conversations with her youth practitioner and helped them find ways forward together.
These approaches aren’t add-ons, but essential adaptations that help untap the potential in every child.
But making space for neurodivergence doesn’t stop with the young people we support.
Neurodiversity in the workplace
With an estimated 15-20% of the UK population identifying as neurodivergent, it follows that many of our colleagues will be too.
By creating an open, supportive culture where neurodiversity can thrive, our staff feel able to share their own experiences – from autism and ADHD to dyslexia and OCD. The collective benefits of these different cognitive styles are clear. Together we are more creative, more analytical, more empathic and more innovative than if only neurotypical ways of thinking were acknowledged.
Railway Children established our Neurodiversity Working Group (NWG), made up of neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues, to ensure we provide the best support we can – both within our programmes and as an employer.
The NWG:
- provides resources and practical guidance on supporting neurodivergence in the workplace
- hosts awareness sessions on neurodiversity and its impact in our work and workplace
- encourages conversation around communication styles, processing differences and flexible working
- feeds into organisational planning, including staff away-days, to ensure inclusivity.
As one autistic member of the NWG said: “I’m proud to be autistic, and being part of the Neurodiversity Working Group has given me the confidence to talk openly about my experiences. It’s a space where we share information, challenge assumptions and learn from each other.
“Through this involvement, I wrote about my experience of mutism — something that was deeply freeing and surprisingly therapeutic. I hope that by being honest, I can help others feel understood, encourage more open conversations, and show that when neurodivergent people are properly listened to, we bring real value and insight.”
We are also delivering and developing external training to equip rail staff with the understanding and tools they need to recognise and respond effectively to neurodivergence within the frontline role of their work.
Looking outwards
We also have a responsibility to raise awareness of neurodiversity among our supporters and partners – both to shine a light on the obstacles neurodivergent children face in systems not built for them and to celebrate the powerful contributions that different minds bring to society.
We do this by sharing case studies, marking national moments like Neurodiversity Week and speaking out on the issues that matter.
If we’re to challenge the systems and structures that keep children – and adults – isolated, misunderstood and vulnerable to harm, then it’s essential to highlight the barriers and champion the strengths of neurodivergence so that every kind of mind can thrive.
As Rob Capener, Group CEO of Railway Children, explains: “Neurodiversity brings creativity, insight and resilience – qualities that make us stronger as a charity. By recognising and valuing different ways of thinking, we not only create a better workplace; we deliver better outcomes for young people. That’s why I’m proud to champion this work across Railway Children.”
We would love to collaborate with other charities and organisations to share learning and dialogue on embedding and celebrating neurodiversity within our cultures, workplaces and practice.
To connect or find out more, please contact [email protected]
