Welcome to our eight-part podcast series exploring key topics that help us better support autistic girls, women, and gender-diverse people.

This episode we will focus on Back to Basics: Learn How Classrooms Can be Inclusive and Affirming for Our Ladybugs with Em Hammond, Adina Levy and Ebony Birch-Hanger. We know many autistic students spend years believing they are broken, when really the system was not built for them. Safety in the classroom means not having to pretend. It means being able to stim, leave, speak up, and not get in trouble for being yourself. Today we will talk about what genuine inclusion looks like, exploring the essential building blocks for a neuro-affirming classroom environment. We will also be uncovering the hidden, and often unmet needs of our ladybugs, finding ways to support students who work so hard to appear just fine. With thanks to the Victorian Department of Education.