It’s all feeling a bit relentless right now.
Fascist marches in our cities. Genocide on our screens. “Autism linked to paracetamol” nonsense. It’s hard not to feel flattened by it all.
So today, I’m going in the other direction.
Last week, I shared an incredibly disappointing letter from a new headteacher, including his policy around restricting toilet use to break and lunch times.
But this week? I spotted something worth celebrating!
A school toilet sign that actually gets it. One that says, with care and clarity: we see you, and we’re here. It’s amazing example of allyship in action, and it’s so easy!
Today I’m talking about:
Info: What this one toilet sign got right
Tips: How to go even further in supporting people who hide to cope
Recommendations: A brilliant Minecraft therapy space that meets kids where they are
Exciting news! We’ve been planning something and are so excited to tell you about it!
This toilet sign is an amazing example of how to support and enable, rather than limit and destroy a neurodivergent person, or anyone who is struggling.
Credit goes to Westcliff High School for Girls for this brilliant idea!
Image description: Photograph of a sign on a toilet door. Text reads “Hey, you! Yes, you…We’ve been wondering why students often hide in the toilets. We think it’s because being shut away in a toilet cubicle gives you the time and space you need to feel difficult emotions. Are you avoiding someone that’s causing you distress? Do you just need some peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of school life? Things can be really overwhelming at times. Toilet cubicles are private and protected - locking the door might help you feel safe. We all need to be able to explore our feelings in safety. Please do not think the toilet cubicle is your only option. Help is available to you, right here at school. You can speak to your: form tutor, learning manager, pastoral support coordinator, wellbeing lead. We all want to create a world where young people don’t feel the need to hide in the toilet cubicles to manage their emotions. If you don’t feel able to reach out right now, please scan the QR code below - this will show you a range of resources that might be helpful while you’re building up the confidence to speak to someone.”
Rather than limit access to the toilets and take away a young person’s safe place, like the headteacher in last week’s newsletter did, this school has gone the other way. And I LOVE it.
Firstly, it recognises the reasons some children may retreat to the toilet, often much more so than others. It recognises that for many young people, the toilet is one of the few private, protected spaces where they feel safe enough to breathe, cry, calm down, or simply be.
There’s no shame. No scolding. Just an acknowledgement that sometimes, being human means needing a pause. And sometimes that pause happens behind a locked cubicle door.
Secondly, it offers gentle support - a QR code for resources, and a reminder that there are real people in school who care and want to help.
It’s a world away from last week’s “rules-first” approach. And it shows what can happen when adults see behaviour not as a problem, but as communication.
This can easily be applied in the workplace too! What an easy win, and allyship in action.
Practical Tips: How to go further
This sign is a brilliant start. But here are a few things I’d add on to this to take it to the next level.
✅ Offer a quiet, non-verbal way to ask for help.
A simple check-in form (digital or paper) gives students (or colleagues) a way to reach out without having to talk. No pressure. Just an option. Because many people won’t be able to seek help by verbally asking for it.✅ Don’t assume everyone has a phone.
Or better still - actively discourage it in schools (hello Smartphone free childhood!) Print the same resources as handouts, or keep copies in the library or pastoral office, or even in the toilet!✅ Train staff in trauma-aware listening.
If a student/adult does speak up, the first response matters most. It needs to be calm, compassionate, and shame-free.✅ Create other safe spaces.
A sensory room, a bench outside, a beanbag in the library - spaces that say “you’re welcome here, just as you are.”
Recommendation
🎮 Playmode Academy
This amazing project uses Minecraft to connect with neurodivergent children through the worlds they know best. Therapist Lucy and her team support children through gaming - helping them express emotions, manage anxiety, and build confidence. It’s creative, non-clinical, and grounded in deep respect for how children truly engage.
👉 playmodeacademy.org
Exciting news!
Introducing the NeuroNavigator® Ally Programme
We’re launching something we’re really proud of: a low-cost, practical training pathway for those who want to better support neurodivergent colleagues. Think of it like mental health first aid but for neuroinclusion. The Ally Programme is a 6-week interactive course that gives managers, peers and colleagues the everyday tools to make work safer and more supportive for everyone.
At only £595 plus VAT spaces will go fast so join the waitlist not to miss out. Waitlist access will go live at the end of October.
👉 Join the waitlist
Closing thought
Sometimes, inclusion is just about meeting people where they are - even if where they are is behind a locked cubicle door.
Let’s keep making space. Let’s keep rewriting the rules.
Speak soon,
Jess
PS Whenever you’re ready, here are some ways I can help:
Want me to speak or run a workshop in your organisation? Head here to book a chat and make a plan.
Join the waitlist for our NeuroNavigator® programme and become a certified Neurodiversity Champion or Ally. Doors open in November for our next cohort (January 2026), waitlist access available a week early.
Book a FREE Discovery call to chat through how I can support your workplace, your school or your family.
PPS Here's what someone said about a recent self advocacy workshop I ran… "Thank you! This was super helpful! And lovely to speak with other people about stuff!” |