The Event
This page is designed to help you navigate the day in a way that feels clear, supportive, and predictable.
You’ll find a simple timeline of the event, including talks, breaks, and key moments throughout the day. We’ve included approximate timings to support planning, while also recognising that flexibility may be needed.
You are welcome to engage in whatever way works best for you—whether that’s attending talks, taking breaks, connecting with others, or simply observing.
Our aim is to create a space that centres:
Autonomy
Sensory and emotional safety
Flexibility and choice
Regulation Spaces
We will have lots of our Elephant Living bean bags!
A separate room is available throughout the day for anyone who needs a more flexible, lower-pressure space.
This space includes:
Bean bags and comfortable seating
A screen livestreaming the talks
Regulation supports and sensory options
You are welcome to use this space at any time.
Day 1: Event Schedule
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Sorcha Rice, AuDHD PDA Senior Occupational Therapist
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Sorcha Rice, AuDHD PDA’er and Senior Occupational Therapist
What if behaviour isn’t something to manage — but something to understand?
This talk explores how the nervous system communicates through behaviour, helping you recognise how regulation needs, sensory experiences and overwhelm shape what we see on the surface.
You’ll leave with a different way of understanding behaviour — one that moves away from control and toward connection, safety and support.
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Panel Discussion: Davida Hartman, Katie Kremin, Blezzing Dada, Emily McPhillips and Eva Burke
Labels can be powerful — helping us feel validated, understood and supported.
But they are only part of the picture.
Recent discussion about labels has been reductive, outdated and tending towards controversy.
This panel invites a deeper conversation about how we use labels to create understanding, whilst also holding a more holistic view of overlapping identities, experiences and needs.
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not included
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Jessica McGrath, Senior Speech and Language Therapist and Alex Zachos, Meaningful Speech
Communication is not one-size-fits-all.
This session explores gestalt language processing as a valid and meaningful way of developing language — where communication emerges through scripts, phrases and lived experiences.
Together, we’ll reframe echolalia and scripting as connection, processing and expression. This panel will share insights on how to support each child’s natural way of communicating, including GLP play and GLP thinking.
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CJay Smith
“Different Builds” is a reflective spoken word piece that uses the language and metaphors of technology to reframe neurodivergent experience. It explores AuDHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent identities as differences in design rather than dysfunction, challenging deficit-based narratives while affirming neurodiversity as natural human variation. The piece centres identity, communication, autonomy, and inclusion grounded in respect and belonging.
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Panel Discussion: Alex Zachos, Meaningful Speech,Marge Blanc, Grainne Gestalt Mum, CJay, Ali Battye and Jessica McGrath SLT
This panel creates space to listen to lived experience and deepen our understanding of gestalt language processing.
Together, we’ll explore communication through scripts, phrases and meaning-making — and what it means to support this in ways that feel safe, respectful and affirming.
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Day 2: Event Schedule
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Sorcha Rice, AuDHD PDA’er and Senior Occupational Therapist
PDA isn’t just about lowering demands.
This session explores a strong drive for autonomy through a nervous system lens — looking at what demand can feel like from the inside, and why it can trigger responses of threat, overwhelm or shutdown.
Rather than focusing only on reducing demands, we’ll shift toward understanding what the nervous system needs — and explore practical ways to support safety, trust and regulation in both home and classroom environments.
Q&A
A 30-minute space to ask questions, reflect and explore what this looks like in real life.
This is an opportunity to bring your own experiences, challenges or scenarios — and think together about supportive, practical ways forward.
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Panel Discussion: Kristy Forbes, Grainne Warren, Nessa Hill and Sorcha Rice
This panel brings together four PDAers — Kristy Forbes, Sorcha Rice, Gráinne Warren and Nessa Hill — each sharing their own lived experience.
Together, they offer insight into what a strong drive for autonomy can feel like from the inside, exploring themes of safety, regulation, identity and support.
A powerful opportunity to listen, reflect and deepen understanding through lived experience.
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not included
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Nicole Casey, The Child-Led SLP
What does compliance-based practice really look like — and how do we begin to move away from it?
In this session, Nicole draws on her experience across school and clinical settings to explore how these approaches show up, and how we can shift toward child-led practices that feel more respectful, responsive and connected.
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Jane O’Neill, Autism Class NS Teacher and Karen Shortt, Special School PP Teacher
Curious about how a child-led classroom works in a school system built upon expectations, structure and curriculum demands?
Karen explores a day in the life of a child in school in Ireland, identifying compliance, pressures and behaviourist approaches and shares, from recent research and practice her insights into how to centre the view and voice of students, at all times.
Jane shares her experience as an autism class teacher, offering practical insight into how we can support autonomy, regulation and engagement in ways that are both realistic and meaningful.
Together, Karen and Jane will impart their wealth of experience and advice for educators who are curious about moving from compliance towards connection.
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Panel Discussion: Fergus Murray, Siobhán Uí Dhálaigh, Karen Shortt and Baisat Alawiye
Our policy makers and leaders have long pondered what inclusive education really means.
Beyond ideology and terminology, this panel brings together different perspectives to explore what works and what needs to change, to create an inclusive education system.
An opportunity to reflect, question and engage in an open Q&A around real experiences in education.
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Panel Discussion: Nicole Casey, Jessica McGrath, Jane O’Neill and Sorcha Rice
What does it really mean to move away from compliance-based approaches?
This panel explores how these practices show up in everyday settings, and what it looks like to shift toward support that prioritises autonomy, regulation and connection.
A thoughtful discussion grounded in both lived experience and professional practice.
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When: 7:00–8:30
Where: Sandymount Neurodiversity Ireland Sensory Centre
Late Identified Women’s Panel followed by Emer Maguire
An intimate evening for connection, reflection and shared experience.
This session will include:
Introduction by Christine Doyle
A Late-Identified Women Panel
A live performance by Emer Maguire
This is time to connect with others, share experiences and end the day in relaxed and fun way. Brilliant Emer brings levity and her northern wit to the closing event of Summit 2026!
Day 2: Evening Event
We’re so excited to be joined by Emer Maguire for our Saturday evening gathering.
Emer is an award-winning performer, speaker and storyteller, known for her ability to bring together music, humour and powerful reflection in a way that deeply connects with audiences.
She is a BBC radio presenter, singer-songwriter and internationally recognised communicator, with a background in speech and language therapy. Her work spans performance, broadcasting and live events — all centred around connection, communication and making complex human experiences feel accessible and meaningful.
Emer’s performances are known for their emotional depth, warmth and relatability, blending music and storytelling in a way that invites people to both reflect and feel connected.
Her presence will bring something truly special to the evening — creating a space that feels not just informative, but human, grounding and shared.