Neurodiverse Insight – Supporting Inclusion and Connection

Strengthening neurodiversity skills among education professionals

Project Duration

1.9.2026 – 31.8.2029

Source of Funding

Co-funded by the European Union (ESF+), with the Central Finland Centre for Economic Development

Total Funding

228,741 €

Nepsy Näkökulma – Supporting Encounter and Participation strengthens neurodiversity competence among education and early childhood education professionals. The project develops and pilots a model for supporting the interaction and participation of children and young people with neuropsychiatric symptoms. Experiential methods are used to increase professionals’ understanding of children’s and young people’s everyday life at school. The result will be an openly available model that supports inclusive pedagogy and participation in early childhood education and basic education.

Neurodiverse Insight strengthens the competence of education and early childhood education professionals in supporting children and young people with neuropsychiatric symptoms. The project develops and pilots a model for supporting interaction and participation, with the aim of strengthening inclusive pedagogy and the participation of children and young people in early childhood education and basic education.

The project involves early childhood education and basic education professionals from Lieto, Naantali, Raisio and Rusko. The target group includes teachers, school instructors, assistants and other professionals working with children and young people. The project strengthens their ability to identify the individual needs of children and young people with neuropsychiatric symptoms and to support their learning, functioning and participation.

The development work uses experiential and practical methods. The workshops address themes such as recognising neuropsychiatric symptoms, sensory experiences and sensory overload, and regulation of arousal. Experiential understanding is strengthened through methods such as VR simulations, while participants develop concrete solutions and practices that can be applied in their own work.

The project also considers how professionals’ own arousal and well-being affect the learning environment and group dynamics. Embodied and psychophysical methods provide practical ways to support pupils’ regulation of arousal in everyday situations.

The project will result in an openly available Model for Interaction and Participation. Practices, materials and tools developed during the project will be brought together into a model that can also be used in other municipalities and at different levels of education. Its implementation will be supported through openly available training materials, communication and cooperation with municipal education services.

The project runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2029. The project partners are Lieto, Naantali, Raisio and Rusko.