Neurodiversity

Post-16

Supporting young ND adults through the transition to independence, employment and adulthood

Leading future generations with curiosity, confidence and compassion.

A young person turning 16 or 18 doesn’t magically become an adult - even though the world expects them to.

Neurodivergent young adults often mask, overcompensate, or appear “fine,” while quietly struggling with emotional development, executive function, identity, overwhelm and the pressure to keep up.

This is the age where many ND young people fall through the gap - no longer supported like children, but not yet ready to navigate adulthood alone.

Maisie supports education settings and employers to understand the unique needs of neurodivergent young adults, so they can create the stability, safety and support required for them to thrive.

WAYS TO WORK WITH MAISIE:

FOR EDUCATION PROVIDERS

Young ND adults in education often mask, overcompensate or quietly struggle with executive function, overwhelm and identity. Maisie offers training that helps staff understand the internal experience of ND young adults and how to create environments where they can regulate, engage and thrive.

FOR EMPLOYERS &

APPRENTICESHIP PROVIDERS

Many workplaces welcome young apprentices, trainees or interns who are neurodivergent - often without realising the unique support they may need. Maisie offers a practical 90-minute awareness session designed to help employers understand and support ND young adults in the workplace.

Training & Support

for Education Settings

Maisie works with FE colleges, sixth forms, alternative education training providers and youth transition teams to strengthen confidence, consistency and understanding across staff.

Her approach blends:

  • Lived experience

  • Trauma-informed practice

  • Executive function + emotional development insight

  • Brain chemistry + CNS regulation

  • SEMH + pastoral expertise

  • Behaviour as communication

  • Identity, belonging & autonomy development

What This Training Covers

  • Understanding ADHD, autism & co-occurring ND profiles in young adults

  • Brain-based development: why 16–25 looks so different internally

  • Executive function + motivation styles

  • Social fatigue, sensory needs & overwhelm

  • Masking + autonomy + identity formation

  • Burnout, withdrawal & school/college avoidance

  • Supporting transitions (education → employment → adult life)

  • Student self-advocacy, interoception & emotional literacy

  • Creating safe, predictable, accessible learning environments

  • Relational practice + co-regulation for young adults

  • Attendance, engagement & wellbeing strategies

  • Working effectively with ND families

  • Strengths, creativity and practical pathways into adulthood

Ready to explore how this training could support your Post-16 learners?
Book a discovery call with Maisie to discuss your setting’s needs.

Why Young ND Adults Fall Through the Gap

Young people at this stage are often:

- too “old” for child-centred support

- not yet ready for adult expectations

- misunderstood because they appear independent

- carrying layers of academic and emotional burnout

- still developing core regulation + communication skills

Your training directly addresses this lost middle - helping staff understand that these young people need:

Support that meets them where they are, not where the system thinks they should be.

For Employers:

Supporting Young ND Staff, Apprentices & Trainees

More businesses are welcoming young apprentices, interns and entry-level employees - and many are unknowingly supporting neurodivergent young people without the insight they need.

Maisie offers a powerful 90-minute awareness session tailored for employers working with ND young adults.

This session works beautifully as a starting point - giving managers, mentors and HR teams the core understanding they need to support young ND staff.

For organisations wanting deeper, broader neuroinclusion work, this can easily progress into Maisie’s wider ND in Business sessions for leadership, teams or employee networks.

This session helps teams understand:

  • how ND young adults learn, regulate and communicate

  • executive function challenges & how to support them

  • meaningful (and easy) workplace adjustments

  • sensory needs in busy work environments

  • motivation, feedback & communication styles

  • how to structure tasks to build confidence and competence

  • what overwhelm looks like (and what to do)

  • supporting transitions, growth and independent skills

Ideal for:

  • apprenticeship providers

  • small businesses

  • HR & L&D teams

  • line managers

  • supported employment schemes

  • placement providers

  • employers working with T-level, BTEC or college students

Want to understand how this session could support your young ND staff or apprentices?


Book a discovery call to talk through what would work best for your team.

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL

What Makes Maisie’s

Approach Unique

Maisie brings a combination of experience that few training providers can offer:

LIVED EXPERIENCE as a neurodivergent adult who understands the internal realities of overwhelm, identity and executive function struggle.

CROSS-SECTOR EXPERTISE across mainstream, specialist, FE, pastoral leadership, DSL, safeguarding and social care.

NEUROBIOLOGY & CNS INSIGHT

Helping adults understand what’s happening inside the brain and body of young ND people - and how to shape supportive environments.

A HOLISTIC, HUMAN APPROACH

linking behaviour, wellbeing, regulation, sensory needs, communication and belonging.

HOLISTIC CULTURE DESIGN

Equitable, inclusive and accessible learning approaches that work for all neurotypes - not just ND pupils.

THE 3 C's AT THE HEART OF EVERY SESSION

Confidence. Curiosity. Compassion.

A RELATABLE, GROUNDED DELIERY STYLE

Honest, funny, real and deeply human - the kind of training that stays with people.

Why Post-16 Support Matters

ND young adults often experience:

- high expectations but low internal capacity

- inconsistent executive functioning (planning, organisation, memory)

- emotional dysregulation + masking

- burnout from years of unmet need

- social exhaustion and identity confusion

- anxiety around independence, friendships or work

- pressure to “be an adult now”

- internalised shame around needing support

- difficulty navigating complex systems (college, work, benefits, healthcare)

They are often bright, capable, creative and motivated - but require support that matches their neurological development, not society’s timelines.

Supporting them well at this age can change the entire trajectory of their adulthood.

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The heart of my work is the people I support.

Here’s what they’ve shared about their experience:

Ready to better support your ND young adults?

Whether you're an education provider or an employer,

Maisie can help you create the safety, understanding and structure young ND adults need to thrive.

CONTACT MAISIE

© Copyright 2025 | Maisie Cass | Diversity Does

© Copyright 2025 | Maisie Cass | diversity does