Our spaces need to welcome neurodivergent people - The Jewish Chronicle

Last month, the House of Lords Select Committee published its report on the Autism Act 2009, “Time to Deliver”, which the government will use in its reform of current autism laws. Norwood was one of the many providers of autism support, as well as autistic individuals, who fed into the report.

As a source of culturally-specialist support, which for many is their only entry point into Jewish communal life, we were gratified to have been cited in this important area. The report noted our view that while the taboo around autism is being challenged, “in some cultural and religious settings, including parts of the Jewish community, there remains discomfort around neurodiversity”.

But it’s important to acknowledge the progress that has been made and the examples of good practice when we find them. I was moved and uplifted to read the story of Bodie Diskin in the JC and how the rabbinic team at Radlett United Synagogue engaged with his family to support him to have a meaningful barmitzvah experience. By creating a bespoke coming-of-age experience for Bodie, which included introducing sensory aids and making the building and service fully accessible to him, the team sent an important message to his family that they are welcome and that synagogues can and should be a judgement-free zone.

Nonetheless, we must all commit to doing more to make spaces more inclusive and accessible to neurodivergent people and their families.

Autistic people and their families often tell us they feel unwelcome in schools, synagogues, youth movements, or communal events. The families we support report having to explain or defend their child’s needs repeatedly, making the child feel excluded, and often leading to their families withdrawing from those communal spaces, compounding the social isolation they feel in everyday life.

While synagogues aren’t specialist providers, we know that many are looking for opportunities to increase inclusivity but lack the skills and resources to achieve it. Our community spaces can and should feel safe and predictable for everyone accessing them. For autistic people, that sense of routine can help support emotional regulation and self-expression. We work with synagogues looking to improve their practices, through training and mentoring programmes that engage whole families of autistic people, supporting their identity and wellbeing.

To understand the needs of autistic people, we must first see the world through a neurodivergent lens. Many are forced to adapt to environments that don’t fit their needs, often causing sensory overload or meltdowns

We’ve supported synagogues, including New North London and Southgate Synagogue, to help them to build meaningful peer support groups that give families of neurodivergent children a space to belong, share and gain from the experiences of others with similar dynamics and challenges. Parents who have attended the mentoring programmes have told us how important feeling heard and supported without judgement was for them, offering them a rare opportunity to express the challenges of daily life openly and honestly.

To understand the needs of autistic people, we must first see the world through a neurodivergent lens. Many are forced to adapt to environments that don’t fit their needs, often causing sensory overload or meltdowns. At the 2025 Norwood Carnival, we launched an interactive sensory pod, designed to encourage users to focus on their senses, providing insight into how neurodivergent people experience the world. We’ve since made the pod available at community schools and mass events, including the Maccabi Fun Run, where I gave local MP David Pinto-Duschinsky a tour.

I know it can be difficult to identify where to start in making communal spaces more inclusive. But the good news is that there are lots of practical things that everyone can do to help families prepare their children for the transition between different environments. Try providing sensory tools, including ear defenders, assigning a quiet room, including accessible signage, and clearly define quieter and more interactive parts of the service ahead of time. By taking these simple but powerful steps, our community spaces can better support neurodivergent people and become even more welcoming to them and their families.

Naomi Dickson is CEO of Norwood

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Topics:

Neurodiversity