Different Minds: how we can help our autistic schoolchildren thrive
If you have an autistic child in school, you may be painfully aware that mainstream education wasn’t built with them in mind.
Based on his most recent book, Different Minds, former teacher and neurodivergence campaigner Pete Wharmby reveals what it’s really like to be autistic in school today and why so many children are misunderstood. Through a blend of storytelling, impassioned polemic and empathetic advice, Wharmby exposes the inadequacies of the current system, reveals how differences are mislabelled ‘challenging behaviour’ and explains how to bridge the gap between the autistic and non-autistic worlds.
Galvanising, validating and important, Different Minds empowers parents, teachers and carers to take a stand for our children and create the conditions they need to truly thrive.
MAXIMUM NUMBERS: 50
VENUE: Hannafore Point Hotel
DAY/DATE/TIMES: Tuesday 29th September 2026 7.00-8.30pm
EVENT LEADER: Pete Wharmby
EVENT LEADER BIO: After being diagnosed as autistic at the age of 34 in 2017 and ADHD in 2024, Pete has immersed himself in working to improve autistic awareness, acceptance and making the world a more suitable place for the neurodivergent community. He has spoken at a wide range of events and conferences since 2020 in the UK and in Europe, Australia and North America, sharing his sharp insight and experience of being autistic and ADHD with businesses, governments, educational establishments and more.
Pete is very active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and on YouTube, with over 150,000 followers and subscribers. A bestselling author, his first book, What I Want to Talk About, was published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in September 2022, and his second book, Untypical, was published by HarperCollins in March 2023. Pete’s third book, Different Minds, will be published in September 2026.
Pete has also written a number of articles, interviews and book chapters, and appeared on BBC Radio 2. He is a former secondary English teacher and a father-of-one.
Website: www.petewharmby.com
Instagram: @PeteWharmby
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-wharmby
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PeterWharmby
COST: All our events are FREE. However, on the day, if you are able to make a donation, that will help fund the Festival for future years. Thank you.
Reserve Your Tickets HERE
