We are thrilled to celebrate the publication of A Practical Guide for Parents and Professionals: Making Mental Health Services Better for Neurodivergent Children and Families, authored by Naomi Williams.
This practical, easy-read guide is the result of Naomi’s doctoral research on Autism, Intellectual Disability and Clinical Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (the AIDE Study). The guide was co-produced with parents, professionals, and 38 people with lived experience, ensuring that every recommendation reflects the real voices of neurodivergent young people and their families.
Co-authored with Helene Torr, Dylann Patel, Amirah Edinborough, and Mark Torr, and supported by patient and public involvement contributors, the guide offers a clear and compassionate roadmap for improving mental health support across the journey of care, from referral to discharge.
Using the metaphor of a butterfly to illustrate a young person’s journey through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), the guide distils key learning into 10 practical priority actions for professionals and organisations. These include building trust, using simple language, creating sensory-friendly spaces, involving families, and planning endings early — simple yet transformative steps to make services more inclusive.
“Talk to me and not at me. Understand I can communicate but not verbally.”
— Young person contributor
“Not giving up if a young person isn’t able to initially engage, try different ways to engage.”
— Parent contributor
This publication embodies the best of co-production — meaningful collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and those with lived experience — and stands as an example of how research can create immediate, practical impact.
Congratulations to Naomi Williams and all contributors on this inspiring achievement. The guide will no doubt make a lasting difference in shaping more accessible, compassionate, and effective mental health services for neurodivergent children and their families.
🗓️ Published: 15 October 2025
🔗Access the digital guide here
Physical copies are available for purchase, as this is a non-profit resource costs are for printing and delivery only.
Purchase your copy here.