🔍 Quick Event Links

Jump straight to the section you need:

📝 About the Session

• What we will be doing:Be part of building our shared knowledge!This workshop is an opportunity to contribute to a growing body of community and professional knowledge about food and eating. By joining in, you’ll be helping us explore experiences, perspectives and ideas that can inform future understanding, practice and research. Come and be part of the research!

  This workshop will be a little different from previous sessions. I hope to bring together what we learn to develop formal written work, with the potential for publication in an academic journal. What participants share during the workshop will be captured (with your consent), and everyone will also be invited to complete a short online questionnaire.

  You can choose how you contribute. You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts with the group or privately with me, whichever feels most comfortable. All contributions will be anonymous. No identifying information will be included in any resulting written work or publications.

  If you would like to check out how participant input was used in a prior publication, you can check out ‘Same Food as Self Care’ here on this link.

  We often focus on what a young person is eating, but not always where, when, with who, or under what conditions eating feels possible.

  Many parents, carers, and professionals will recognise experiences like:

  -A young person eating a food in one setting but unable to eat it elsewhere
  -Foods only being accepted at certain times or within certain routines
  -A child happily eating with one person but not another
  -Eating patterns changing completely when expectations or environments shift

  These experiences can feel confusing from the outside, especially when the food itself hasn’t changed.

  In this talk, I’ll be exploring how eating is shaped by far more than taste alone. We’ll look at the role of routine, predictability, sensory experiences, emotional safety, relationships, and environmental cues in shaping eating experiences for all of us.

  The session will also help us in understanding how the wider context around eating can help us offer more supportive, compassionate approaches.

• What to expect (The Vibe): An interactive, collaborative workshop with a focus on developing understanding around food and the impact it has on children and their families. . The course runs from 10:00am – 12:00pm, followed by lunch and dedicated time for your questions. Each in-person course has a maximum of 15 attendees.
• Who it’s for: This session is for everyone! We apologise, but these courses are not suitable for children and there is no childcare available. This is a chance for you to learn practical tools, build family relationships, and chat with people who get it!
• Date & Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm (Plus lunch and questions afterwards)

🎤 About Our Presenter / Guest Speaker

• Who is joining us: Laura (Laura ND Nurse)
• What they will be sharing: Insights into understanding distress behaviours as communication, practical approaches to boundary setting, and tools to navigate moments of distress while building trust and safety.
• About the Presenter: Laura is Autistic/PDA and ADHD herself. She is a Nurse, Sleep Consultant, Advocate, and a parent to two neurodiverse children—so she is living the life and talking the talk. While her speciality is supporting Autistic/ADHD people, her teaching is created in a way that can be helpful for all families as the foundations centre around mental health, strengthening family relationships, and self-advocacy.
• Website / Further Info: www.laurahellfeld.co.uk

🚗 Getting There & Arrival

• Parking Details: There is plenty of parking available around the back of the building (including designated Blue Badge spaces) as well as additional street parking on the roads surrounding the venue.
• Finding the Little Hiccups Group: Look out for the Little Hiccups signs and team members on arrival to direct you straight to our workshop space.

🚶 The Venue Space & Seating

• Room Layout & Lifts: The venue and course space are entirely on one level (ground floor).
• Access Requirements: Please do let us know if you have any specific access requirements so we can ensure you are fully accommodated.

🚽 Toilets & Accessibility

• Standard Accessible Toilet: Yes, accessible disabled toilets are available on-site.
• Changing Places Toilet: Yes, this venue features a full Changing Places toilet facility.

🍰 Atmosphere, Food & Drinks

• Lighting & Noise Levels: The workshop is limited to a maximum of 15 attendees to maintain a comfortable, relaxed, and conversational environment.
• Food & Refreshments: Lunch will be provided directly after the workshop session. When booking your ticket, please ensure you let us know of any dietary requirements you may have.

⛑️ Safety & Venue Details

• Little Hiccups Staff: As always, our staff and volunteers will be on hand to make sure everyone feels welcome. If you are nervous about coming alone, drop us a message beforehand and we will make sure someone meets you at the door!

🎟️ How to Book

Spaces are limited to a maximum of 15 attendees so we can keep the workshop size relaxed and comfortable. Please book your spot below:

Important Booking Information:
Bookings close exactly one week before the event to allow for catering and session planning. Please note that our events are heavily subsidised by Little Hiccups to support our community. Because the charity covers the remaining costs based on our final confirmed numbers (such as venue hire, lunch, refreshments, and presenter fees), we kindly ask that you let us know if your plans change. If you can no longer make it, please cancel your places by emailing events@littlehiccups.co.uk so we can reallocate the spots and prevent charity funds from being lost.

If you have any questions, dietary requirements, or are unsure about attending for the first time, please reach out to us at
events@littlehiccups.co.uk. We’d love to have you join us!