The Autism & ADHD Show: what to expect, how to plan your day and the questions worth asking

Parenting a child with autism, ADHD, or AuDHD? Chances are you’ve spent a lot of time doing your own research. Late-night Googling, WhatsApping other parents and trying to work out what’s going on, what the future might hold and wondering what guidance you can trust. 

No doubt you’ll end up drowning in information. There’s the school side (meetings, forms, trying to understand how the SEND system works), the home side (getting your child to school, managing meltdowns or shutdowns particularly when your child returns home, and battling local authorities) and the emotional side (worry, stress, blame, lack of understanding from others around you). Sometimes you don’t need more advice - you just need the right advice, from people who understand what you are experiencing and who you can trust.

The Autism & ADHD Show brings together trusted information and advice, practical strategies delivered by expert professionals, lived experience insights from autistic and ADHD adults and specialist resources and services in one place. Whether you’re right at the start of your journey or managing particular challenges, a well-planned visit can make a huge difference to your life and the life of the neurodivergent child or young adult you are supporting. 

The Autism & ADHD Show, at a glance

What it is

Now in its 15^th year, The Autism & ADHD Show is the largest gathering of the autism and ADHD community in the UK. It’s packed with essential information, advice and learning to help you support an autistic or ADHD person in a home or school setting. 

Who it’s for

Parents, family carers, and professionals who support autistic and ADHD children at home and in education. Whether you’re pre or post diagnosis, approaching important transition points or dealing with daily challenges, The Autism & ADHD Show can help you. 

Dates, venues and opening times

Business Design Centre London: 19 to 20 June 2026

• Friday 19 June: 9.30am to 4.30pm

• Saturday 20 June: 10am to 4pm

NEC Birmingham: 26 to 27 June 2026

• Friday 26 June: 9.30am to 4pm

• Saturday 27 June: 10am to 4pm

Exhibition Centre Liverpool: 3 to 4 July 2026

• Friday 3 July: 9.30am to 4pm

• Saturday 4 July: 10am to 4pm

Other useful information

• Value: Once inside the event, all theatres, workshops, one to one clinics and resources are free to access

• Children: Under-16s enter free when accompanied by an adult 

• Accessibility: A Quiet Room is available to visitors at all venues

• Tickets: Book in advance and save 20% off the door price

What happens at the Autism & ADHD Show 

Let’s be honest: the phrase ‘national event’ can sound either brilliant or faintly exhausting. The reality is that events like this can be really useful, but you’ll get a lot more out of it if you go with a plan. 

The Autism & ADHD Show’s comprehensive programme has been designed to enable visitors to pick and choose the information which is most relevant to them in their daily lives. As a result, it’s packed with content delivered around these elements: 

• Leading professionals exploring the latest developments in research, best practice and the SEND system in the Autism & ADHD Matters Theatres

• Specialist practitioners discussing effective strategies for daily challenges in the Autism & ADHD Talks – Theatre 2

• Invaluable insights from autistic and ADHD adults sharing their lived experiences in the Autism & ADHD Talks – Theatre 1

• Free professional advice in the One to One Clinics, Benefits Advice Hub and SEND Legal Advice Hub

• Specialist products and services such as special schools, residential care homes, support services, learning tools, and sensory equipment in the supplier exhibition

Below is what those bits look like in practice, and how to approach them without burning out before lunchtime.

Talks and panels

The theatre programme is usually where parents get the most ‘I wish I’d heard that sooner’ moments. It can also be where you hear a concept explained in a way that finally makes sense of your child’s behaviour, needs or school experience. 

Just some of the sessions you’ll find at the show include: 

• When school doesn’t fit: supporting your neurodivergent child to survive and thrive

• Making sense of sensory: supporting autistic children with regulation and self-regulation

• Why eating can be difficult for neurodivergent people and what helps

• AuDHD and reading – the hidden challenge affecting school success, why it matters and what to do about it

• SEND reforms unpacked: what the proposed changes mean for families and schools

A good rule of thumb is to pick a mix that reflects your current reality: one that supports school/SEND navigation, one that focuses on home life and one that offers bigger-picture understanding. 

Top tip: If you’re going with another adult, you can split sessions and compare notes afterwards. If you’re going solo, take photos of session titles or slides (where permitted) and write down the headline takeaway immediately - you’ll forget it by the time you’ve queued for a coffee.

Lived experience

Hearing from neurodivergent adults can be grounding. It often shifts the focus from ‘How do I stop this behaviour?’ to ‘What’s this behaviour communicating?’ and ‘What support would have helped earlier?’ 

It’s important to remember lived experience isn’t a single blueprint - different people will describe different needs and preferences. But it can add nuance and insight to things parents are often told in a vague or unhelpful way.

Some of the sessions you’ll hear neurodivergent adults present include:

• Autistic learning: my experience through the education system

• School avoidance: my experiences with non-attendance as an ADHD mum

• Growing pains: navigating the transition into autistic adulthood

• When the sibling gets a diagnosis (and other tales from a neurodivergent family)

• What do we do with her? How an early‑diagnosed autistic girl remained hidden in plain sight

Practical strategy sessions

Some sessions will focus on everyday challenges, and those are often the most valuable. 

Think:

• Navigating the SEN maze

• Helping young people to regulate and progress with their social emotional and academic development

• Empowering educators: early intervention solutions

• Masking: the fine line between fitting in and exhaustion

• An OT’s practical guide to developing independent skills and adaptations to help transitions into school

The best sessions don’t pretend there’s one magic fix. They offer a few approaches, explain why they might help, and acknowledge that what works can change depending on your child’s stress levels, sleep, school demands and life in general.

Benefits and SEND Legal Advice Hubs

The Department for Works and Pensions will be available at the show to offer individual advice and guidance on the benefits available to individuals with SEND and those caring for them. You can check eligibility, qualifying criteria, and how and when to apply for PIP, DLA, Carers Allowance, Universal Credit and Access to Work.

IPSEA and SOS!SEN will also be on hand to provide free and independent legal advice to help you navigate the SEND system and secure the education your child is entitled to.

Here are just some of the areas which will be covered:

• The legal duty of local authorities to identify and assess the special educational needs of children and young people

• How nurseries, schools and colleges should identify and support children and young people with SEND

• Information on how to ask for an EHC plan, what an EHC plan should contain, how to change an existing EHC plan, and how to challenge a local authority decision

• Guidance on exclusions from school or college, and information for families whose children are out of school due to school anxiety or lack of a school place

Free one-to-one consultations with professional advisors and therapists

One-to-one sessions can be a great use of time, especially if you’re stuck and need focussed help choosing the next step. They only last for 30 minutes, so preparation is key. 

Before you go, write down: 

• Your child’s age/year group and a quick snapshot of their strengths and current challenge(s)

• Your top two questions

• What you’ve tried and what happened

Example questions include:

• ‘What would be a reasonable next step for us’

• ‘What should we prioritise first?’

• ‘What’s likely to have the biggest impact with the least extra load on the family?’

• ‘What should we stop doing because it’s not helping?’ 

If you do attend a one to one clinic, write down the key points straight afterwards. Your brain will be full, and it’s easy to lose the useful stuff in the noise.

Exhibitors

You’ll find a wide range of exhibitors offering specialist resources and services. Some will be helpful, some won’t apply to your child. Before going, decide what you’re looking for by looking at the exhibitor list on the show website: Special schools? Residential care? Sensory products? Learning tools? And set yourself a limit for browsing. Take photos of stands/business cards rather than carrying every leaflet, pick-up a show guide from the front of the show (which lists all the exhibitors with contact details) and give yourself permission to say ‘No thanks, I’m just gathering information today’. 

Planning for overwhelm

If your child is going to accompany you to the show, you’re likely already planning ahead for when things get too much. The good news is: The Autism & ADHD show provides a Quiet Room at all venues and has a uniquely empathetic atmosphere. Unlike all too often in the outside world, visitors will not be judgemental or jump to conclusions if your child begins to feel overwhelmed at the show.

It’s also worth arriving early. Not only might it be quieter and easier to navigate, but you can also locate the toilets, exits and Quiet Room. 

Build breaks into your day, pack any headphones, snacks and water (for you as well) and if possible, attend with another adult so you can take turns stepping out. 

Planning for The Autism & ADHD Show: a checklist

Save the below to your phone to help you get the most out of your visit (and avoid taking home a bag full of leaflets you’ll never look at again). 

Before you go

• Pick your main aim (e.g are you looking for practical strategies and advice or looking for a special school which can meet your child’s needs)

• Choose your top theatre sessions and workshops - those that align best with your current challenge(s)

• Write your 30-second summary after a consultation or conversation

• Prep any questions and keep them in your notes app

On the day

• Do the important thing first (hoping for a one-to-one consultation? Prioritise that and book as soon as you arrive at the venue)

• Take notes like you’ll need them later

• Pace your day - talks, break, exhibitors, break… 

After the day

• Do a ‘top three download’: three useful ideas, three possible next steps and three links/resources to follow up

Questions worth asking (and a few suggestions to steal)

If school is your main stressor:

• “What adjustments are reasonable to ask for in a mainstream setting?”

• “What support can be put in place while we’re waiting for assessment?”

• “How can we reduce overwhelm across the school day?”

• “What does good home-school communication look like in practice?”

• “If you were in my position, what would you prioritise first?”

If you’re dealing with EHCP processes or considering them:

• “What evidence is most useful?”

• “What common gaps do you see in support plans?”

• “What needs to be written clearly so it doesn’t get ‘interpreted away’ later?”

• If you’re trying to understand meltdowns, shutdowns and overload

• “What are the most common patterns you see behind this?”

• “How do we spot overload earlier?”

• “What helps in the moment, and what helps long term?”

• “How do we support recovery after school?”

If mornings, bedtimes and transitions are the hard parts:

• “What’s the simplest change to try first?”

• “How can we make transitions smoother without adding loads of extra demands?”

• “What supports regulation at the end of the day?”

• “How can we keep routines predictable without becoming rigid?”

If you’re exploring therapies, services or products:

• “Who is this most suitable for - and who is it not suitable for?”

• “What changes should we realistically expect, and in what timeframe?”

• “What does this require from us at home?”

• “What’s the total cost in time/energy as well as money?”

A helpful follow-up is: “What would you recommend we stop doing?”

About the Autism & ADHD Show

The Autism & ADHD Show is the national event for autism and ADHD. It’s packed with trusted information and advice, the latest news in research and best practice, and a selection of specialist resources and services to help you support a neurodivergent child in a home or school setting.

This year the event will also focus on the implications for parents, carers and professionals of the proposed Government changes to the SEND system.

The comprehensive theatre programme offers a wide range of perspectives, from leading professionals sharing their expertise on core topics, to neurodivergent adults offering insights based on their lived experiences, to specialist practitioners providing effective strategies for day to day challenges.

Plus free one to one consultations with advisors and therapists are available on a first come, first served basis.   

Choose your venue and book tickets

Frequently asked questions about The Autism & ADHD Show

Do I need a diagnosis to attend?

No. You don’t need a diagnosis to find the event useful, you can visit if you just want to find out more about autism and ADHD.

Is the show suitable for my neurodivergent child to visit

You know the individual needs of your child best and the show can get quite busy in the middle of the day. However the show has been designed to be as accessible as possible with wide aisles, lowered lighting and wireless headphones used in all theatres to greatly reduce sound levels in the exhibition hall.

It’s common for children to attend with one or more parent particularly on the Saturday. Children under 16 enter free when accompanied by an adult.

Is there a quiet space if we need a break?

Yes. A Quiet Room is available at all venues. It can be a helpful reset point if you or your child need time out from the busy show.

Are the talks, workshops and clinics included in the ticket entry price?

Yes - all sessions are free to access once you’re inside the show, but they are offered on a first come, first served basis, so it’s sensible to arrive a little early for anything you really want to see.

How do the one-to-one clinics work?

The show offers free one-to-one consultations with professional advisors and therapists. Sessions last for 30 minutes and can only be booked at the show.  

How long should I plan to stay?

There’s no “right” length of visit. It’s usual for families to spend at least half a day at the show leaving and returning to the exhibition hall as many times as needed. By visiting the show website you can view the content which is most applicable to you and plan your day accordingly. 

Will there be things to buy?

There are exhibitors who sell products which you can buy on the day of your visit, such as sensory products and learning tools. However you don’t need to buy anything on the day - it’s completely fine to collect information and exhibitor contact details and decide later when you’ve had time to think.