Frequently Asked Questions
Course Details
How do I know these sessions will help my child?
We’ve designed these sessions to work for a range of neurodivergences from autism to ADHD to PDA. They’ve all had clinical oversight from Dr Iain Jordan, our clinical lead.
You’re welcome to attend any of our introduction sessions.
Do you offer support for parents as well?
We do! We run regular parents evenings and will email you dates to book. These are included in the cost of the courses. We also offer regular free parent information sessions for parents considering booking - sign up here.
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My child has unique needs. Can you cater to them?
We do our best to accommodate a range of needs within a group setting, including a wide variety of ways to engage with our sessions. Please email us at hello@uncommonminds.co.uk if you have questions about whether we can meet your child’s needs during sessions.
How experienced are your facilitators?
All of our facilitators have a lifetime of experience as neurodivergent people, as well as a variety of experience working in neurodiversity advocacy, performance, and with young people.
All facilitators have extended DBS checks and have undergone extensive training with us at Uncommon.
How is the curriculum developed and who is it developed by?
As a research-based organisation, Uncommon’s learning materials are based on a wealth of academic knowledge and user research.
The workshops themselves are designed by and for neurodivergent people and reviewed by our clinical lead, Dr Iain Jordan.
My child doesn’t like online learning. What makes yours different?
Our approach allows young people to interact only in the ways they feel comfortable. Cameras don’t need to be on, interaction is not required, and we give young people the option to answer questions anonymously in order to reduce stress.
We focus on interactivity and validating our young people’s feelings and experiences, so our sessions never feel like school.
My child is really anxious about attending. What should I do?
Before the session we recommend you watch our introductory videos. They introduce our sessions and facilitators. This may help get your child more comfortable with what is to come in the session.
3 days before the start of the first session, we will send you a series of ways to help your child prepare. Tips from parents who’ve taken part include:
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having their favorite food on hand
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showing the introductory video
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joining on behalf of your child and letting them listen to see if they’re interested.
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giving enough transition time between a previous hyper-focus activity and the session
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make sure they know they don’t need to participate, can just listen, and can leave at any point!
My child isn’t in a place to listen to my suggestion about joining. What should I do?
Some parents in this situation have found it useful to simply join the session while in the same room as their young person and allow them to overhear what’s going on without any pressure to pay attention or participate.
Eventually your child may become interested and decide to join in.
Cost and Commitemnt
Do you offer introductory sessions before we commit?
If you’re wondering more about what we do and how it works. we offer a free taster session for parents where we will introduce you to some of our facilitators, walk you through our session design, and answer any questions you may have. Book here.
What happens if I miss a class? Can I reschedule if I need to?
You can always reschedule if you miss a class. We understand that life happens, especially in a neurodiverse family. Email us at hello@uncommonminds.co.uk and we’ll sort it out for you
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What is your refund policy if we decide the sessions aren’t a good fit?
We don’t offer refunds, however we’ll send you a voucher to the value of the remaining sessions, so that you can use it on another course in the future.
Parental Involvement
I'm already stretched thin. How much parental involvement is required?
You can choose whether you take part or not. We do ask an adult to come on camera the the beginning of the first session to let us know you are close by, but you don’t need to take part.
If you would like to take part, you can participate alongside your child or you can just listen in.
Technology and safety
What technology requirements are there?
You need access to a laptop or computer and need to be able to access zoom.
We use a website called Slido for the anonymous interactions. The best way to access slido is via a seperate phone or tablet. It can be accessed via your laptop as well, but it means a bit of toggling between slido and zoom.
How do you ensure the safety and privacy of my child online?
Our staff are trained in child safeguarding practices and have Enhanced DBS Checks completed.
Our safeguarding policy is here.
Session experience
What if I need to communicate with the session leaders during the session or my child needs extra support?
Please feel free to message the session leader or assistant privately during the session and they will help.
Are there any opportunities for my child to interact with other participants?
Participants are not able to privately message each other, but are very welcome to chat to each other via the chat function during the session.
My child might not feel able to talk or communicate during a session. Is that ok?
That is totally okay! Listening to the session is a great way to interact and learn. Your child will still get a lot out of being there alongside other people their age.
During sessions, there will be opportunities to interact that don’t involve speaking, but there’s also no pressure to do that either. Being present, listening, reflecting, and being part of the group are all hugely positive steps.
Can my child attend anonymously or under another name?
You’ll need start the session under your name, but once we’ve confirmed your identity, you child can change how their name appears on screen to whatever they would like (we even accept code names! spy emoji)
What if my child needs to leave mid-session?
This is really okay! Joining for part of the session is a big step. An hour is long, so if the session becomes overwhelming, your child is welcome to hop off.
If they leave, they are:
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welcome to rejoin the session at any point
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we can rebook your child into the same session at another time
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or they can choose to skip that session and come to following sessions
Contact Us
How can I communicate with Uncommon?
If you have any more questions, do get in touch with us using hello@uncommonminds.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!