Our support
Become a Neurodiverse Friendly Town
Sandymount was the first neurodiversity-friendly village that welcomes and celebrates different brains and unique thinkers! We’re delighted to have created a truly neurodiversity-friendly community in Sandymount. Many communities in Ireland are becoming inclusive of all types of brains. If you would like to recreate the same inclusive community, please see our guide and below.
Neurodiverse Friendly Town
The Neurodiverse Friendly Community initiative follows a series of principles aimed at fostering inclusion and improving everyday experiences for neurodivergent people in local communities. These are referred to as the Neurodiverse Friendly Community Commitments:
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To put together a Neurodiversity Friendly Town committee to work within the community to gather support
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To promote understanding on the small but valuable changes that can be done to be neurodiversit friendly – this can be given to businesses staff
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To promote the Neurodiversity Ireland Lanyard and what it means for neurodivergent people, highlighting the benefits available to them in wearing it to access the accommodations your local committee secure i.e skipping store queues, using parking space etc
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Join our whatsapp group of parents of neurodivergent children.
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Monthly coffee mornings have also proven to be a great channel of support and place for sharing tips, experiences etc in our Sandymount community also.
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To work with local business to garner their support to be neurodiversity friendly. Each participating business in your community should work with your group on accommodations that can make a meaningful different to the experience neurodivergent people have interacting with their business. Most importantly the businesses can display our Infinity sticker in their window to show their support to neurodivergent children/adults. We supply the artwork for your Neurodiversity town committee to personalise.
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All participating businesses must be assistance dog-friendly, this is actually a legal requirement similar to a Guide dog.
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To work with your local community groups and sport clubs to enact local, tangible inclusivity such as creating athletics, “football for all” or a similar community-based, fun activity.
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To work with your local schools to drive understanding at grass roots level with local children who play a vital role in inclusion for all neurodivergent children; by sharing our “let’s be a friend to everyone” story, animations and wristbands.
What does BEING NeurodiversITy-Friendly involve?
In following these principles, it is important that interested communities understand the purpose behind them. This involves an awareness of the main barriers to inclusion for neurodivergent people, including:
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Communication
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Predictability and control
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Processing sensory information
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Judgement and attitudes
- We have a framework to assist and guide communities through this process. Included within this framework will be our resource pack (artwork for collateral such as your information booklet, promotional materials, signage etc) and information on accommodations needed to improve the experience and inclusive for a truly neurodiverse community. We can also advise on the structure for your launch event and how to gain business and school support. We will share our best practice on working with local councils and community groups to create neurodivergent-friendly spaces such as “Football for all”. Your town Committee will be responsible for supervising implementation of and commitment to the project in your locality.
Code of Conduct within the Neurodiversity Ireland brand
We are excited to see the interest and support from people who want to replicate this movement in their own town or community. Neurodiversity Ireland is focused on creating positive and supportive inclusive environments, we do not focus on political lobbying or protest. The value and quality of the implementation of creating a Neurodiversity Friendly Town is of the utmost importance to its success and abuse of this sentiment will go against our core principles and will result in the withdrawal of permission for use of the logo and our branding. We also will not condone or approve any negative behaviours and communications in relation to our logo and brand sentiment. If it comes to our attention that this is occurring we will ask for immediate cessation of use and activities connected with Neurodiversity Ireland.