I (Perry Knoppert) live with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. My three children are also neurodivergent. From personal experience, I know how much the world is designed for neurotypical minds and how hard it is when you don't fit that mold. Misunderstanding and misalignment create daily struggles, both for myself and for my kids. With this project, we wanted to shift the focus from problems to talents and build real-world tools that could help. Our goal was to create the Toolkit and the Orientation Course to support schools, organisations, and individuals in including neurodiverse people. We also wanted to create opportunities for people to connect directly with neurodivergent minds — to hear real experiences, not just theory. The deeper goal was to build a more human-centered way of thinking where neurodiverse talents are seen, heard, and valued.
We applied for this project because we saw a real gap in how neurodiverse individuals are supported in education and work. Many are still viewed through a medical lens, which focuses on deficits rather than strengths. We wanted to shift this by creating practical tools that show how to include and support neurodiverse talents in daily life. The need was clear: professionals lacked good training, organisations were unsure how to adapt, and many neurodiverse people felt misunderstood or excluded. By developing a Toolkit and an Orientation Course, we aimed to raise awareness, offer practical help, and make inclusion real, not just theoretical. Our goal was to empower professionals, parents, employers, and neurodiverse individuals themselves to better understand and work with the concept of neurodiversity.