Neurodiversity recognises the natural variation in how human brains process information, interact, regulate emotion and experience the world. These differences are not deficits — they are part of human diversity. Where difficulty often arises is not within the individual, but within environments that were not designed with this diversity in mind.

When a child appears not to “fit”, the focus is often placed on the child. The social model of neurodiversity invites us to look instead at the environment. Many of the difficulties children experience arise from a mismatch between their nervous system and the environment around them. This can often lead to nervous system dysregulation being unfairly labelled as “challenging behaviour”.

When a child feels overwhelmed or unsafe, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning, impulse control and problem-solving turns off. In that state, reasoning and regulation are temporarily unavailable. It is not defiance. It is biology.

Before regulation can happen, safety must happen. This is where reflexology can play a supportive role.

Reflexology is not a replacement for medical care, and it does not attempt to treat diagnoses. It is a complementary therapy that supports regulation, sleep, digestion, and emotional balance. Most importantly, it supports the child’s experience of safety within their own body.

In a world that often asks neurodivergent children to adapt, mask or push through, reflexology offers something different. It supports the nervous system so that a child can access their strengths more easily in environments that may not always be designed for them.