Spotlight on NoireDivergence: Navigating Black Neurodivergence in the UK birth space

Spotlight on NoireDivergence: Navigating Black Neurodivergence in the UK birth space

Last week, a wonderful friend sent me an Instagram reel and in the caption I spotted the term “Noiredivergent”.... “This is me! Who ever knew?!” she added. I hadn’t heard the term before but it felt like a key turning in a lock. A word for the moment where race and diagnosed neurotype collide in the middle of a crowded junction; where complex, beautiful and challenging stories can be named and shared.

We have seen Moya Bailey’s term misogynoir gain visibility since 2008, yet the nuanced experiences of neurodivergent Black women, especially in pregnancy, birth and parenting, remain critically overlooked and unheard. That silence has real-world consequences for our health and our families.

Becoming a mother, seeing the pattern

When I welcomed my daughters in 2019 and 2020, I thought I had a reasonable understanding of how structural racism shaped healthcare. I went to my NHS antenatal courses and made notes and read books and talked to mothers and midwives and doulas. I took my folic acid and harvested colostrum and just about remembered to pack a bag at 36 weeks… I was a university graduate with an ADHD diagnosis and a great network of support. I naively thought that these factors would be ‘enough’ to prevent severe birth trauma, childbirth related-PTSD and secondary tokophobia (fear of pregnancy and birth). I did not anticipate the critical scale of racial disparities in maternity, nor the exclusion I would face navigating the system as a disabled, Black single parent, with multiple health conditions.  I could never have prepared for the levels of medical gaslighting and threats I experienced, nor the ‘othering’ within Mothering.

In recent years, headlines have highlighted the brutal reality that Black and mixed-Black mothers in the UK face far worse outcomes during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, rooted in systemic racism and evident across multiple services. There are stark differences in access to perinatal mental health support and antenatal education, which leaves many Black birthers facing a much higher chance of dying in the year after birth than our white neighbours, friends and family members. I felt the weight of this long before I could evidence it, but my own journey into motherhood, armed with a strong sense of justice, made these patterns impossible to ignore, both personally and professionally. 

“How do you know it was racism?”

I recently gave evidence to Parliament about my experiences of racism and poor care during childbirth and the first 1000 days after, including how this was compounded by my ADHD and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). A white male MP asked, “But how do you know it was racism?” I answered, “The same way that, as a woman, I can usually sense when sexism is sexism.” My story is not an anomaly; unfortunately, it echoes what too many intersectionally marginalised parents across the UK report about their birthing experiences. When you are handed a combination of racism, ableism and sexism on a daily basis, it can feel like starting a swimming race underwater while holding a brick, then being asked why you are drowning, while everyone else splashes towards the finish. Many inspiring individuals and organisations have been relentlessly raising awareness and pushing for change in this area (long list of links below), but collectively, as a society, we have a long way to go before these lifeguards can leave the side of the pool unattended. 

Naming NoireDivergence in practice

NoireDivergence gives language to what many of us live. Black women and birthing people who are ADHD, autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or otherwise neurodivergent are navigating systems that were never designed with us in mind. Under-diagnosis and late diagnosis for Black and mixed-Black people are common. The rise in private assessments also risks widening health disparities between those who can pay and those who cannot, and therefore between those who become entitled to treatment and reasonable adjustments and those who do not yet know that they are, but who may struggle significantly without. 

Many who are undiagnosed or unsupported are misread as non-compliant, “difficult,” or neglectful, especially in maternity, education and social care. Without recognition or adjustments, people are pushed towards exclusion, child protection involvement, criminalisation, domestic and financial abuse, and ultimately poorer health. Meanwhile, those who do secure a diagnosis, or have other protected characteristics or conditions, are still too often left to fight alone for reasonable adjustments, despite this being our legal right under the Equality Act 2010. From responding to communication needs in antenatal care, to providing sensory-safer environments on postnatal wards, to offering religiously considerate visiting slots in community care, things are being missed for many. Our rights are only as viable as the people we have around us to uphold them, and continuous violations of rights cause community trauma. When we work consciously and collectively to improve things for just one person or group, we begin to improve things for all.

I am honoured to have recently joined a new cohort of trainers at The Neurodivergent Birth Company, supporting birth workers to upskill with CPD-certified training that recognises and responds to additional and complex challenges. For neurodivergent mothers, “standard care” often misses the mark; for example:

• Information overload without accessible formats, and rushed consent conversations.

• Sensory overwhelm in triage and theatres, including bright lights, alarms and frequent staff changes.

• Assumptions about pain, distress or “attitude,” instead of curiosity about need.

• Rigid processes that punish communication differences, such as needing more time to process or speaking plainly.

• Postnatal follow-up that ignores trauma, executive function challenges, or the realities of single parenting, racism and disability.

Achieving true equity demands that we design care around real people, not averages. It invites authentic cultural humility, not competence tick-boxes. It asks us to unlearn and re-learn, whether as professionals or parents, so we can change things for the better for the next generation.

Why this week matters

Black Maternal Mental Health Week is not just a campaign moment; it is a mirror. It asks us to tell the truth about what is happening, and to imagine better. Recent UK reports continue to highlight stark inequities and the compounding impact of severe and multiple disadvantages, including mental health, substance use and domestic abuse. In the 2024 MBRRACE report, 9% of the women who died during, or up to six weeks after, pregnancy were facing severe and multiple disadvantages. This week I heard Trish Balusa say in a zoom call “As Black ND women, we have gaslit ourselves into thinking our resilience through the suffering is something to be proud of, almost as if it is a choice…”. If you are reading this and recognising yourself, please remember, you are not the problem and you are not alone. You deserve to access appropriate healthcare throughout all life phases, in a space which sees you and fits you, not the other way around. 

What can you do?

1) Parents and birthing people

• Write a one-page needs list and bring it to every appointment. Include sensory needs, communication preferences, decision-making pace and support people.

• Ask for reasonable adjustments and for these to be recorded in your notes. Request written summaries after appointments.

• Bring a supporter where possible, brief them on your signals for overwhelm, and agree how they will advocate

• Consider an ND-trained doula, or apply to the Doula Access Fund if eligible.

• Use simple tools to reduce load, for example a pain and symptom tracker, a “what helps” card, visual scripts for consent and questions to ask.

• Consider connecting with a community group in your area and/or online during pregnancy, to access some solidarity and support

  
  

2) Professionals and services

• See and record needs: Ask “What helps you feel safe and informed?”, document the answer at booking, update it at each contact and handover.

• Make consent meaningful: Use plain English, interpreters and visual aids. Space information across time and repeat on request. Provide written summaries.

• Design for sensory needs: Offer quieter low-lit spaces, reduce unnecessary interruptions, explain sounds and steps, and agree non-verbal signals for overwhelm.

• Trauma- and neuro-affirming practice: Assume capacity and goodwill. Replace “non-compliant” with “unmet need not yet understood”.

• Deliver adjustments as standard: Longer or quieter slots, a named contact, flexible birth plans, pre-visit walk-throughs and companion policies that reduce anxiety.

• Intersectional data and reflection: Record, review and act on service data by race and disability together. Share learning with families and staff.

• Partner with community groups: Refer early to Black-led and neuro-affirming organisations. Pay lived-experience contributors for service design.

  
  

3) Commissioners and leaders

• Make adjustments unavoidable: build reasonable-adjustment duties into contracts, quality schedules and audits, and require a visible recording mechanism in maternity notes and IT systems.

• Resource equity: fund Black-led, neuro-affirming providers, outreach and advocacy, and ring-fence training time for staff.

• Measure what matters: require routine reporting by race and disability combined, with actions attached to gaps in access, experience and outcomes.

• Incentivise improvement: tie commissioning levers to sensory-friendly environments, accessible information standards and uptake of adjustments.

• Co-produce at every stage: establish paid advisory panels of Black neurodivergent parents to shape priorities, procurement, monitoring and evaluation.

• Join up pathways: align maternity, mental health, primary care and social care so adjustments follow families across settings.

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Black-led / Black-focused ND & SEND parent support

• Black SEN Mamas (BSM) — advocacy, SEND law support, therapeutic interventions, national online community. Site + NAS directory listing. Black SEN Mamas+1

• Black Special Needs Parents Support Network (BSNPSN) — UK network amplifying Black families raising disabled children. Black Special Needs Parents UK+1

• National Black Parents Association UK (NBPAUK) — signposting platform uniting and supporting Black and Dual-Heritage families across the UK. nbpauk.org

• Include Me TOO — national charity supporting disabled children, young people and families from diverse communities, with culturally responsive SEND peer networks and outreach. Include Me TOO+1

• Neurodiverse Connection: Black & Autistic Support Group — peer group for Black autistic adults, launched 2023; useful for ND parents seeking identity-safe space. Neurodiverse Connection

Perinatal, maternity & mental-health orgs centred on Black families

• Five X More — national campaign improving Black maternal health; resources for families and professionals, plus the 2025 Black Maternity Experiences report. FIVEXMORE+1

• The Motherhood Group — Black Maternal Mental Health Project with MMHA and Centre for Mental Health; community programmes and policy work. themotherhoodgroup.org+2Maternal Mental Health Alliance+2

• CAHN Perinatal & Infant Mental Health (PIMH) — Caribbean & African Health Network programme supporting Black birthing people and partners across the perinatal period. PIMH CAHN+1

Neurodivergent-affirming perinatal support (open to all, relevant for Black ND parents)

• The Neurodivergent Birth Company (ND Birth CIC) — UK-wide training and support for ND people in pregnancy, birth and beyond; CPD-certified training for birthworkers. ND Birth+1

• Autistic Parents UK (APUK) — national autistic-led charity for autistic parents; resources, peer spaces and education (not Black-specific, often collaborates inclusively). Autistic Parents UK+2Autistic Parents UK+2

• AIMS (Association for Improvements in Maternity Services) — articles and guidance on autistic/ND pregnancy and neurodivergent-friendly birth support. AIMS+1

Rights, advocacy & anti-racism in maternity (useful for escalation and service change)

• Birthrights — Racial Injustice Inquiry and report Systemic Racism, Not Broken Bodies; rights-based tools for safer, respectful care. Birthrights+1

• RCOG response / BMJ coverage — clinical bodies acknowledging the inquiry’s findings; handy for influencing local services. RCOG+1

Wider ND/SEND resources with Black-community strands

• National Autistic Society: Autism and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people — barriers and tailored guidance; useful signposting for families. National Autistic Society

• Ambitious about Autism — BAME Parent/Carer Group — community space for Black, Asian and minority ethnic families. Ambitious College

• ALLFIE (Alliance for Inclusive Education) — Disabled People’s Organisation campaigning on intersectional equality for Black Disabled people and families. ALLFIE

• Family Fund: “Support, not suspicion” — insights on how services should better support Black and ethnic-minority families of disabled children. Family Fund

• Urban Health: Better SEND support for Black and mixed-heritage families — research and recommendations you can cite in bids or local advocacy. Impact on Urban Health

Scotland / regional but often open UK-wide (online access)

• SEMA — Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics — peer support and multilingual resources for Black, Brown and ethnic-minority autistic people; many events are online. Medium

Black doulas, trainers & directories (UK)

• Abuela Doulas (training + directory) — first Black-owned UK doula course; public directory to find Black and culturally aligned doulas. Abuela Doulas+1

• Mars Lord — Abuela Doulas founder; longtime doula, trainer and activist for equitable maternity care. Mars Lord Coach+1

• Kemi “Birthjoy” Johnson — UK birthkeeper, educator and speaker; former midwife; widely followed for physiological birth advocacy. Kemi Johnson Birthkeeper+2Instagram+2

• 2 Dope Black Doulas — Black doula hosts sharing practical birth support via podcast and socials. Spotify+1

• Black Doula Directory (UK section) — searchable directory to connect Black families with Black doulas nationwide. blackdouladirectory.com+1

• Precious Bambini — preciousbambini.co.uk Bristol-based “birth and beyond” consultancy offering antenatal and postnatal doula support, parent-education classes, pregnancy/baby yoga and baby massage, with flexible packages and WhatsApp support. preciousbambini.co.uk+2preciousbambini.co.uk+2

• Dua.Doula (Instagram) — @dua.doula Bristol doula sharing practical birth prep, affirmations and everyday insights from pregnancy through early postnatal; contact and updates via Instagram. Instagram

Black birth world changemakers (UK)

• Tinuke Awe & Clotilde (Clo) Rebecca Abe — Five X More (co-founders; national campaign, tools and training; 2025 Black Maternity Experiences report). FIVEXMORE+1

• Sandra Igwe — The Motherhood Group (founder; Black Maternal Health Conference UK; Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK). Sandra Igwe+1

• Dr Christine Ekechi — RCOG Race Equality spokesperson and Taskforce co-chair; prominent clinician-advocate for safer, equitable care. Dr Christine Ekechi+2RCOG+2

National orgs & campaigns relevant to Black ND/SEND parents

• Five X More — advocacy, resources and professional training; widely cited across NHS and media. FIVEXMORE

• Birthrights — Racial injustice resources for asserting rights and challenging poor care. Birthrights - your human rights during pregnancy and maternity care

• Tommy’s x Five X More helpline & resources for Black and Black-mixed heritage parents (incl. loss support). Tommy's+1

• Black Midwives Network UK — peer network elevating Black midwifery leadership and inclusive practice. Homepage - Black Nurses & Midwives UK black nurse midwives midwife uk london england health

UK-wide mental health (good for Black ND/SEND parents & birthing people)

• Black Minds Matter UK (BMMUK) — free, time-limited therapy with qualified Black therapists. Self-refer online. Black Minds Matter UK+1

• BAATN (Black, African & Asian Therapy Network) — UK directory to find Black and global majority therapists; groups and resources. BAATN

• Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre — intercultural psychotherapy, multiple languages; London-based with wider referrals and groups. Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre+1

• Black Thrive — systems-change charity focused on Black mental health; local partnerships (Lambeth, Haringey, Birmingham) and research hub. Black Thrive Global+1

• Barnardo’s Boloh Helpline — culturally informed emotional support, practical advice and therapy for Black, Asian and minoritised families (phone, web, multiple languages). Barnardo's Helplines+1

• Mind — perinatal mental health info and self-help; Infoline 0300 123 3393. Mind+1

• Nilaari — Black-led mental-health charity offering culturally responsive talking therapies (useful perinatal adjunct). Home - Nilaari Agency

• Rethink Mental Illness — advice line 0808 801 0525 for rights, care pathways and carers’ support. Expert Advice Hub+1

• PANDAS Foundation — perinatal mental health charity, helpline, email and groups (parents and partners). PANDAS Foundation UK+1

• Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) — national peer support, forums, café groups and training around PP. App Network+1

24/7 crisis & immediate help

• Samaritans — free, 24/7 listening line 116 123; web resources. Samaritans+1

• Shout 85258 — free, 24/7 text support (“SHOUT” to 85258). Shout 85258+1

• NHS urgent mental health — how to access local crisis teams now. nhs.uk

Perinatal-specific (national)

• Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) — national hub for perinatal services, info and signposting. Maternal Mental Health Alliance

• NHS perinatal mental health info — symptoms, when to seek help and routes in. nhs.uk