Collaboration spotlight: Neuroinclusion in nurseries (with Tynemouth Nursery Group)
- Divergent Thinking
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
For Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16–20 March), Tynemouth Nursery Group kindly handed their blog over to Divergent Thinking for a guest post on a topic that really matters in early years: neuroinclusion.
You can read the original post here: Neuroinclusion in Nurseries: Simple Changes That Make a Big Difference.
Why we are sharing this collaboration
We have been working with Tynemouth Nursery Group on practical neuroinclusion training. The point is not to add “extra” work. It is to make everyday routines easier to navigate for more children and more adults.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a good moment to talk about what actually helps on the floor: clearer transitions, calmer sensory choices, simpler communication, and regulation support before correction.
What we mean by “neuroinclusion” in early years
In nurseries, neuroinclusion means designing the day so different children can settle, join in, and learn without constantly being in fight-or-flight.
That includes children who are autistic, have ADHD traits, have sensory processing differences, speech and language differences, or who are simply finding the environment hard right now. Support should not be gated behind a label.
What stood out from the work with the team
One of the nicest parts of the training was realising how much early years professionals already do instinctively:
They notice small changes.
They adapt quickly.
They co-regulate.
They create safety through routine.
Neuroinclusion is often just turning those instincts into shared, consistent practice across the team.
A few small changes that make a big difference
These are the kinds of shifts that tend to help quickly in nursery settings:
Make transitions kinder
Use short countdowns. Use the same phrases. Use visual cues where helpful. Give a little extra prep time to children who need it.
Reduce sensory “background stress”
Notice noise, clutter, lighting, and busy corners. Build in access to calmer spaces without making it a big deal.
Use simple, concrete language
Keep instructions short. Use consistent wording. Show as well as tell.
Co-regulate before you correct
If a child is overwhelmed, reasoning is rarely the first move. Calm adult presence first. Regulation first. Then re-engage.
This is not about perfection. It is about reducing avoidable stress.
This is also about staff, not just children
Nursery teams carry huge cognitive and emotional load: constant switching, constant vigilance, constant communication.
When a setting improves clarity (briefings, rotas, handovers), reduces sensory strain where possible, and normalises practical support, staff wellbeing improves too. That steadiness is what children feel.
Where to go next
If you want the full detail, read the original guest post on Tynemouth’s site:
If you want to see the wider work we do:
If you want a practical overview of training options:
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