“Sensory stimulation isn't just a nice supporting actor in cognition. It's how the brain is wired in early development. So, it's the foundation stones of your cognitive abilities,” explains Joanna Grace, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of The Sensory Projects. On this special, two-part episode, co-hosts Heather and Donna engage in a discussion with Joanna about sensory stimulation, inclusion practices and how everyday life affects neurodivergent minds.  Joanna uses her personal experiences being Autistic to inform her work as an educator, teacher and leader. Joanna began working with children and building her resume to become an educator at the age of 13. Now, Joanna teaches other educators how to effectively convey lessons to both neurodivergent and neurotypical minds. She has published 25 of her own sensory stories that engage and support neurodivergent minds in conceptualizing various lesson topics. These stories, all part of The Sensory Story Project, illustrate that with the right knowledge and a little creativity, inexpensive items can become effective sensory tools for inclusive learning. Tune into Part One of this two-part conversation with Joanna Grace to learn more about neurodivergent struggles in everyday life, in the classroom, and how sensory stories can lead to better comprehension, and retention of learning. Then, check out Joanna’s books and accomplishments using the links below!    Quotes • “The Sensory Projects are based on the idea that you don't need expensive stuff, to create effective tools for inclusion.” (04:42-04:5)  • “You don't need the stuff. What you need is the knowledge and the understanding and little bits of creativity….It's not what you've got. It's what you do with it that counts.” (05:19-05:31)  • “Sensory stimulation isn't just a nice supporting actor in cognition. It's how the brain is wired in early development. So it's the foundation stones of your cognitive abilities.” (07:30-07:36)  • “I give myself a rule of thumb. I have a maximum of 10 sentences to tell a sensory story. And then each of those sentences is partnered with a rich and relevant sensory experience.” (08:53-08:59)  • “I know lots of autistic youngsters who are very happy to repeatedly do the same thing over and over again, to watch it with great interest. And other people will say that they're doing the same thing again, they've got stuck, they're bored….The research around autistic brains shows that we are seeing things in more detail. We tend to be hypervisual, we process more visual information.” (16:45-17:12) • “I think that society is missing out in a very genuine way from experiencing the richness of human diversity, be that neurodivergence, or physical disability or profound disability, like the people that I work on behalf of. Because having that inclusion is a massive message that we are all different. We are all different.” (28:51-29:08)    Connect with Joanna Grace: 7 Min SENCO: Autism https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi1RQR58BHnW5LtJfD0Ph-RIH7EhnrP3t    TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/joanna_grace_chloe_salfield_inclusion_for_pity_s_sake?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannagracethesensoryprojects/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jo3grace  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JoannaGraceTSP  Website: www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk  Stories: http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/sensory-stories  Books: http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/books  College: http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/online-college    Learn more about the Neurodivergent Leader Podcast: www.neurodivergentleader.com  https://www.instagram.com/neurodivergentleader/    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm