Strengths Based 'About Me'

Strengths Based 'About Me'

A gentle, strengths-based ‘About Me’ template for neurodivergent children in school and care settings

Many children struggle to express their needs, especially in new environments or when words feel hard to find.

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This printable invites connection, advocacy, and self-expression in a calm, child-led way.

What’s Included:

A 2-page downloadable template that supports children to share who they are, what helps, and how adults can support them best, without pressure or demands.

Each page includes open, accessible prompts to explore:

Strengths and Interests
From hyperfocus passions to creative gifts, this section helps children feel seen for who they truly are.

How My Brain Works
An affirming space for neurodivergent children to share how they think, learn, and process the world around them.

What Helps Me Thrive
Clear prompts around sensory needs, emotional safety, and what makes a supportive environment.

Communication and Interaction
Whether a child is non-speaking, selectively mute, or highly verbal but misunderstood, this section offers space to honour their unique communication style.

Things That Don’t Help
Designed to avoid shame and instead help adults understand what might trigger overwhelm, shutdown, or distress.

The template can be typed directly into, printed and filled in, or used in discussion with a trusted adult.

Who It’s For:

• Neurodivergent children starting at a new school or with a new teacher

• PDA learners who struggle to explain their needs under pressure

• Children in care, CAMHS, therapy, or social work settings

• Families and professionals looking for person-centred support

• Any child who deserves to be heard and understood, their way

Why It Matters:

When children feel safe to express who they are, support becomes meaningful.

This resource helps bridge the gap between child and adult understanding.

supporting autonomy, advocacy, and wellbeing from the start.

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Review:

"The resources provided by Natalie are excellent and strongly informed by neuro-affirming practice and current research. I shared the regulation strategies and calm plan resources with staff at an additionally resourced provision during a PDA training session. These materials aligned perfectly with the key messages I wanted to convey—particularly the complexity of PDA and the role of anxiety and autonomy in driving behaviours.

Practitioners found the resources helpful for reflecting on their language and reframing current thinking. This led to staff feeling more equipped to plan for dysregulation and, crucially, to consider preventative adaptations to the environment and their approaches to reduce distress escalation. I would be more than happy to recommend these resources to any colleagues involved with supporting children and young people whose needs may be best understood through the lens of PDA."

Emma - Educational Psychologist