Neurodiversity Celebration Week: valuing difference

Sheila Coates Foundation reflects on difference and how we make a difference to the lives of autistic young people

March sees Sheila Coates Foundation putting the final planning in place for our 2025 grant-giving programme (read more in our next blog). We’re also gearing up to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week later this month (17th - 23rd).

Neurodiversity Celebration Week highlights the richness of human diversity and showcases the creativity, and untapped potential that exists in individuals with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological differences. We are proud to add our voice to a week that encourages tangible steps towards greater inclusion and understanding, and champions the idea that neurodivergence is not about deficit, but rather, difference.

Making a difference for autistic students is central to everything we do at Sheila Coates Foundation. It’s in our DNA, it’s our reason for being. Since 2021 we have supported 455 mainstream secondary schools and colleges in England to create the conditions for autistic students to excel and achieve, flourish and succeed at learning through eight ‘rapid’ funding rounds totalling over £1.8m.

Over this period, we’ve made a difference to approximately 18,500 autistic students, funding initiatives and activities that encourage regulation, support improvements in attendance and behaviour and promote learning, wellbeing and confidence.

We will shortly be announcing our funding programme for spring/summer 2025. If you’re a mainstream secondary school or college in England and want to make a difference for your autistic students, subscribe to stay in the know!