Neurodiversity and Adventure - Insights from Timber Festival 2024
What is the relationship between neurodiversity and adventure? In this series we’re covering key takeaways from some of the sessions at Timber Festival 2024.
This article shares insights from a panel discussion on neurodiversity in the outdoors, hosted by autistic author and microadventurer Allie Mason.
Being a part of Timber Festival, especially through the space created by All the Elements, was an incredible opportunity to gather together our community of like-minded individuals.
As an autistic author and microadventurer, I was excited to be at the festival to lead a conversation featuring three neurodivergent outdoor enthusiasts.
Meet the Experts
I’m Allie Mason (she/her), author of The Autistic Guide to Adventure, a book offering practical advice for autistic young people interested in the outdoors - guidance that was previously hard to find all in one place.
Joining me as our panellists were:
Stu Watson (they/them), a qualified mountain bike instructor leading and training others in the sport. They also run Ethical Activities, a community interest company, through which they work with national governing bodies to find practical ways to make mountain biking and other sports more inclusive for everyone.
Holly Worton (she/her), diagnosed as autistic 42 years old after having always felt different without knowing why, as autism wasn't discussed when she was a child. Now an adventurous adult, Holly enjoys trail running, hiking, and kickboxing. These activities became a part of her life only after she grew up and she’s grateful to have finally found her passion for the outdoors.
Nik Elvy (she/they), who runs a community interest company called Curious School of the Wild which primarily works with tweens and teens. One major focus of her work is ensuring access to the outdoors for everyone, targeting individuals with fewer financial resources. A significant number of the young people who attend Curious School of the Wild are neurodivergent.
Our session was split into three distinct sections, covering the importance of neurodivergent role models, advocating for unheard voices, and practical tips and tricks for outdoorsing.
With an exclusively neurodivergent-led panel being new to the outdoor festival space, it was exciting for us to see such a great turnout and to engage with the insightful audience questions we were asked!
The Importance of Neurodivergent Role Models
We started with a chat about the need for neurodivergent role models in outdoor spaces. Opening the conversation, I emphasised how vital it is for neurodivergent young people to see others like them thriving in the outdoors. Role models can inspire them to take part in activities they might not have considered before.
Nik agreed, saying “I think representation in the outdoors is everything. It's such a restricted sector in terms of who can participate that, actually, representation is so important.” She finds it often empowers her participants who disclose ADHD or autism diagnoses to discover their leaders share similar lived experiences. Many of these participants then go on to become youth leaders themselves, and using this peer-to-peer model (where young people interact with other young people who truly represent them) has proven to be incredibly effective at Curious School of the Wild.
Stu, who works on an outdoor adventure degree course, noted that many 18-year-olds entering the programme from academic settings are often surprised when they learn their instructors are neurodivergent. This realisation helps them to feel more accepted, normalising neurodivergence in their new environment. “They are ready to actually see adults,” Stu said “and go ‘yeah, it's okay to have that part of your identity out there’”. Seeing adults openly embrace their neurodivergent identity can be a powerful and affirming experience for young people.
Neurodivergent role models in the outdoors can be found both offline and online, with Holly speaking about her efforts to provide representation through her writing. “I had friends my age that gradually gravitated together because we had that same kind of vibe and then they were getting diagnosed… sadly, [there was] no one really adventurous or outdoorsy. So I didn't really have that [representation].” She now blogs on her website about her experience of activities like martial arts and hiking with an aim to share the challenges she has faced, as well as how these adventures have helped her to manage her autistic traits. By creating such resources, Holly hopes to guide others in engaging with outdoor activities safely and comfortably.
Each panellist agreed that, once they came to understand their own neurodivergence, their first instinct was to share these insights with others. They wanted to provide some of the support they wished they’d received while figuring things out for themselves, becoming the role models they themselves had lacked whilst hoping to make it easier for others to find their way.
Advocating for Unheard Voices
As the discussion continued, we explored representation within the neurodivergent community. I highlighted how more commonly recognised neurotypes like ADHD and autism often dominate the conversation, a challenge I faced, in fact, when putting the panel together for the festival. It was difficult to identify individuals who a] represented a broader range of neurodivergent experiences beyond autism and ADHD and b] were willing and able to talk about that in a public setting like Timber. Ultimately, two of the panellists - Stu and Holly - were drawn from the interviewees in my book, with Nik then recommended by All the Elements.
We can be good advocates for others within the community “by doing exactly what you're doing, just acknowledging it and being transparent and clear that this is what has happened,” Stu said to me. Alongside Ethical Activities, they are also a director at Neu Dice, a community interest company supporting neurodivergent entrepreneurs. Stu noted that whilst many organisations similar to theirs lean into a paternalistic approach, Neu Dice’s process will always be to collaborate with existing organisations and advocates. In part, this is because the board of directors recognise they do not and cannot represent every type of neurodiversity, thus making the effort to work with those for whom there is no representation within the board.
Bringing a more individual perspective, Holly discussed how she focuses on her own lived experience without trying to speak for others. By centering her personal journey in her writing, deferring to others with different lived experiences when needed, she emphasises the broader need to amplify underrepresented voices in the dialogue around neurodiversity. Holly also stressed the importance of creating space for those lesser heard voices in the conversations happening around neurodiversity.
Nik wrapped up the section by addressing the intersections of neurodiversity with social issues such as poverty. “How [neurodiversity] presents in different communities will be different and [those individuals] are not on this stage, well I'm here on this stage, but those are not voices that we usually hear.” She noted many of the families facing financial hardship that she works with also have (diagnosed or undiagnosed) neurodivergent members, and can struggle to access appropriate support from the NHS or their children’s schools. Nik highlighted how difficult it can be for these families to get the understanding and assistance they need, which is then compounded by their limited resources.
Whilst it wasn’t explicitly addressed during the discussion, as our panellists couldn’t speak from lived experience on this issue themselves, it’s important to note there are similar intersections between race and neurodiversity. (Readers can learn more through valuable resources such as Elevate Young Minds.)
Practical Tips & Tricks for Outdoorsing
Drawing the panel to a close, I asked our experts to share practical tips and tricks for the neurodivergent community and those who work with them from their own involvement in the great outdoors:
Use the body’s vestibular and proprioceptive systems (our senses of balance and awareness of where our bodies are in space respectively) as positive tools for self-regulation
Find and prioritise taking part in activities that provide enjoyable sensory feedback
Practise flexibility, especially when it comes to restrictive misconceptions around what’s considered ‘safe’, and adapt to your comfort zone where possible
Seek to understand your own needs and develop self-awareness, so that you can accurately predict your support needs
Learn essential skills like first aid and navigation to ensure you can safely enjoy your adventures, whether alone or with others
Where to Find Our Experts in the Wild
Stu Watson:
for outdoor activities, ethicalactivities.co.uk and @ethicalactivities on Instagram
for neurodivergent entrepreneurs, neudice.org and @neudice on Instagram
Holly Worton:
hollyworton.com and @hollyworton on all social media
Nik Elvy:
curiousschoolofthewild.com and @curiousschoolofthewildcic on Instagram
Allie Mason:
alliewrote.com and @alliewrote on Instagram
