Training, supervision and capability building
Divergence provides neurodiversity-affirming training, supervision and consultation for professionals, organisations and community providers.
We work with psychologists, therapists, medical professionals, schools, companies, coaches, instructors and group facilitators to build practical understanding of neurodivergence.
We help people and organisations to identify barriers, adapt environments and expectations, and build the confidence to support neurodivergent people well.
Professional supervision
Divergence offers supervision and consultation for professionals who work with neurodivergent people but do not necessarily specialise in neurodivergence.
This may include psychologists, counsellors, therapists, support workers, educators, health professionals and others who want to strengthen their understanding of autism, ADHD and overlapping neurodevelopmental profiles.
Supervision can support case formulation, assessment considerations, therapeutic approach, communication style, masking, sensory needs, executive-function demands, family and whānau context, and the practical realities of working in a neurodiversity-affirming way.
Awareness and specialist skill development
We provide training across a wide range of levels, from introductory talks to advanced professional development.
Introductory sessions may focus on understanding neurodivergence, autism, ADHD, communication differences, sensory needs, executive function, masking and common barriers in schools, workplaces, health services and community settings.
More advanced training can be tailored for clinicians, medical practitioners, psychologists, educators and other professionals who need deeper knowledge or practice-level skills. This may include assessment, support planning, clinical reasoning, differential considerations, co-occurring needs, and practical approaches to working with neurodivergent clients.
Train the trainer
We provide practical training for people who may have neurodivergent participants in their groups. The aim is not to turn every provider into a specialist. The aim is to give them the understanding and tools they need to make participation easier, safer and more sustainable.
This can include adapting communication, giving clearer instructions, managing transitions, reducing unnecessary sensory load, understanding behaviour as communication, supporting different processing speeds, planning for predictable structure, and knowing when extra support may be needed.
Train-the-trainer models can create high impact at relatively low cost. When a provider, coach, teacher or facilitator understands neurodivergent participation better, that knowledge can benefit many people over time.
Workplace / organisational capability
Divergence works with companies and organisations that want to improve access, understanding and support for neurodivergent people.
This can include general awareness training, manager training, workplace communication, recruitment and onboarding practices, environmental adjustments, team expectations, executive-function support, sensory considerations, and practical ways to reduce unnecessary barriers.
We do not provide training designed to make neurodivergent employees fit unchanged workplace systems. We only work with organisations that are willing to examine their own practices and make practical changes. The aim is to create workplaces where neurodivergent people can contribute, develop and thrive without being required to mask heavily or work in ways that are unsustainable.
Our approach
All Divergence training is grounded in evidence, professional experience and lived experience of neurodivergence.
We take a practical, affirming approach. This means recognising strengths and differences while also being honest about support needs, stress points and barriers to participation.
Our work is designed to be useful. Participants should leave with clearer understanding, better language, practical tools and a stronger sense of what they can change in their own setting.
