Diverse Minds Community

15/10/2026

13/10/2026

10/10/2026

NOMINATIONS ARE OFFICIALLY LIVE ✨

We are SO excited to announce our very first Better Together Awards of Excellence 2027!

📅 Saturday 27th February 2027
📍 Comis Hotel, Isle of Man

A very special evening celebrating our incredible neurodivergent children and young people aged 5 to 21, alongside the amazing parents, carers and teachers who support them.

Because achievement looks different for everyone, and every achievement deserves to be celebrated!

✨ No formal diagnosis required
✨ Parents can nominate their own children
✨ Everyone is welcome to nominate!

We want our children and young people to feel seen, valued and celebrated for exactly who they are!

NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Get nominating and PLEASE SHARE to help us reach as many families as possible!

🌐 https://www.diverseminds.im/awards/

🎟️ Tickets will be going on sale soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more exciting announcements!

Proudly supported by ManxLife

Different minds. Different journeys. Better Together. 🌈

09/10/2026

✨ FRIDAY THOUGHT ✨

Are we sometimes so focused on helping our children fit into the world that we forget to ask whether the world is actually working for them?

Something I’ve been reflecting on a lot these past couple of weeks.

As parents, we want our children to have every opportunity. We want them to go to school, make friends, learn, grow and experience all the things that we consider part of a “normal” childhood.

But what happens when the very things we’re trying so hard to give them are the things causing them the most distress?

When does encouragement become pressure? When does perseverance come at the expense of their emotional wellbeing? And how do we know when it’s time to try something different?

I think one of the hardest parts of parenting a neurodivergent child is constantly questioning whether you’re doing the right thing.

Are we pushing too hard? Are we not pushing enough? Are we protecting them or holding them back?

The truth is, there isn’t always a right answer.

But something I’m learning is that changing the approach doesn’t mean giving up.

Sometimes success looks completely different from what we originally imagined. Sometimes it’s not a full day at school, but managing a morning. Sometimes it’s finding one person who understands, one safe space, or simply having the confidence to try again.

And those little steps? They’re actually enormous.

Our children don’t need to live a life that looks like everybody else’s. They need a life where they feel safe, understood, supported and able to thrive as themselves.

Maybe it’s not about teaching our children to fit into a world that doesn’t always understand them. Maybe it’s about finding ways to make that world work for them.

And perhaps, as parents, we need to remind ourselves that taking a different route isn’t admitting defeat.

05/10/2026

October is an important month for us at Diverse Minds Community

We now have an amazing team of volunteers working with us behind the scenes, so keep an eye out over the coming weeks as we introduce you to some of the lovely people helping Diverse Minds grow.

October is also awareness month for ADHD, Selective Mutism and AAC, and we want to use our platform to share real experiences and real voices.

If you or your child has lived experience and you’d like to share your story, your challenges, your wins or simply something you wish more people understood, we would LOVE to hear from you.

Because real awareness comes from listening to the people living it every day 🌈

05/10/2026

It’s been a very busy but really positive DMC day today

I started the day catching up with the lovely Gemma Sharp from Mind Wizards by Hummingbird Life Academy Gemma works with children and families around anxiety, emotional regulation, confidence and big emotions, and she actually facilitated our very first DMC group meeting!

It was so lovely to reconnect and have a really productive chat about the Better Together Awards, how Gemma could get involved, and hopefully welcoming her back to facilitate another DMC session in the future too.

Then this afternoon we held our very first daytime parent meet-up. A huge thank you to Sue from CAMHS for facilitating and to the new faces who came along for some support.

Without sharing anyone’s personal journey, I just hope you left today knowing how incredible you are, how much you are doing for your children and, most importantly, that you are not alone.

A really lovely reminder of exactly why DMC exists.

Better together
💜💙🩵💚

03/10/2026

✨Friday Thought… on a Saturday 🤦🏾‍♀️✨

I completely forgot yesterday. It was Cooper’s birthday, life was busy, and if I’m honest, this week has been really bluddy heavy.

We’ve had another difficult week with school and we’re now navigating a reduced timetable for Coops and trying to work out what education looks like for him when mainstream, as it stands right now, just isn’t working.

And I know we’re not the only family going through it.

I’ve spoken to so many parents lately who are exhausted. Parents trying to get their children through the school doors. Children holding it together all day and falling apart at home. Families constantly questioning whether they’re doing the right thing.

Sometimes there isn’t an inspirational message at the end of the week.

Sometimes the Friday Thought is simply this…

If all you managed this week was to get through it, that’s enough.

We got through it too.

And next week, we try again.

Better together 💜💙🩵💚

03/10/2026

The latest phase of a 10-year plan to make the Island more autism friendly is now underway.

A focus on health and reasonable adjustments will take place between now and March 2028.

Find out more in the comments.

📸 Isle of Man Government

30/09/2026

1 in 9 children are diagnosed with ADHD.

There is no excuse for calling these kids “bad” because their brains work differently.

They need understanding, support, patience, and accommodations.

Not shame.

October is ADHD Awareness Month. 🧡

26/09/2026

🩵💚💜💙