Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024

This year we celebrated Neurodiversity Week for the first time at Fort Street with a big week of activities and awareness raising events. Neurodiversity Celebration Week challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences and aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported. We recognise the many skills and talents of neurodivergent individuals, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that truly celebrate differences.  

We kicked the week off early with an incredible speech at assembly by our very own Sofie Andersen, teaching us so much about neurodivergence and sharing what it’s like to be an Autistic ADHDer. Sofie is a wealth of knowledge and we are so lucky to learn from her! My favourite takeaway was ‘thinking of autism as an antenna’ that means Autistic individuals constantly process massive amounts of sensory, social, and cognitive information – which leads to a different way of interacting with the world. 

We had passionate and informative student led presentations in the flexible learning space lead by our fantastic Diversity Committee leadership team, a great neurodivergent voices book display in the library, craft in the SSO room at recess and our main event on Wednesday – Sunglasses Sensory Activism day, to normalise the different types of sensory accommodations that neurodivergent people use in their daily lives, including here at school. Thank you to the staff and students who wore badges of pride and solidarity, yellow accessories and sunglasses to mark the occasion. We collected gold coin donations for Yellow Ladybugs, a non-government organisation, dedicated to the happiness, success and celebration of autistic girls, women and gender diverse individuals. Our school community raised over $250.00 for this charity. 

Special thank you to the Fort Street Diversity Committee who organised the week and worked very hard to put together what I hope will be a yearly event for us! You should all be so proud. Diversity Committee meets every Wednesday lunch in W19. We work to create an environment that celebrates diversity of gender, sexuality, neurotype and ability. Our next big event is Wear it Purple day, we would love you to join us to get involved.  

We are an advocacy group but also a social space where like minded students can connect and relax. For the next little while we will be taking a rest from planning and organising and doing some more beading, chatting and getting to know each other. Come along! 

Rose Dooley, Student Support Officer