Patience and Praxis: Navigating the Non-Verbal World

Lauren Edmunds, the founder of a school for children with learning delays, discusses the importance of shifting away from adult-driven goals to better support neurodivergent children. She explains that adults are often so focused on their own schedules, such as getting to the shops or starting a maths lesson, that they lose sight of the child's perspective. For children on the autism spectrum or those who are non-verbal, these high demands can lead to anxiety and shutdown. Lauren Edmunds suggests that the most valuable gift an adult can provide is to drop the immediate purpose and observe the child without judgement to build a circle of trust.