QT Season 4 Ep 4. In this episode, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore best practices for welcoming and supporting neurodivergent individuals in Quaker worship and educational settings. Poet and writer Kate Fox shares insights from her article “A Place of Unmasking,” drawing connections between early Quakers’ spiritual practices and contemporary understandings of neurodiversity. Kate discusses her experience of Quaker meeting as a space where she can authentically be herself, free from the pressures of masking neurodivergent traits.

Kate Fox raises essential questions: How can places of worship and schools better accommodate neurodivergent individuals? How do sensory practices, like stimming, help with spiritual grounding and concentration?

We also explore Julia Watts Belser’s book, Loving Our Own Bones, Disability Wisdom, and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole, which invites readers to reconsider disability—not as something needing fixing, but as an integral part of human diversity, rich with spiritual wisdom and power. You can read Greg Woods’ review in Friends Journal. 

Listener Responses: Neurodivergent Voices and Best Practices

We hear directly from listeners who share their experiences and recommendations:

• Clayden, a South African teenage artist and TikTok creator emphasizes the value of dedicated spaces in schools and churches designed for people with sensory sensitivities and learning disabilities. You can follow him @claydendesigns 
• Kody Hersh shares about creating a sensory-friendly space at a Quaker gathering, allowing attendees to adjust lighting, use fidgets, and regulate their environment to feel comfortable in worship.
• Another listener highlights how simple tools like printed bulletins can support neurodivergent attendees by providing structure and predictability during worship services.

Question for Next Month

What belief have you had to unlearn in your spiritual or personal journey?

Share your response by emailing podcast@quakerstoday.org or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next episode.

Resources

For neurodiverse individuals, here are some useful apps designed to support communication, sensory regulation, social skills, executive functioning, and emotional well-being:

• • Communication & AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Apps
    • Proloquo2Go – A symbol-based text-to-speech app for non-speaking individuals. Official Website https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go
    • CoughDrop – A cloud-based AAC app for customizable communication. Official Website https://www.coughdrop.com/
  • Sensory Processing & Regulation Apps
    • Sensory App House – A collection of apps designed to support sensory needs. https://www.sensoryapphouse.com/ 
    • Autism 5-Point Scale EP – Helps users understand and regulate sensory and emotional states. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/autism-5-point-scale-ep/id467303313 
  • Social Skills & Interaction Apps
    • Social Story Creator & Library – Allows users to create social stories for different situations. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/social-story-creator-library/id588180598 

• ABA Flashcards–Offers a customizable library of flashcards to reinforce learning and skill development across various areas, from academics to daily living skills https://chicagoabatherapy.com/aba-services/aba-therapy/ 

• Routine & Executive Function Support Apps
  • Visual Schedule Planner – A visual scheduling tool for structured routines. ​​https://www.goodkarmaapplications.com/visual-schedule-planner1.html 
  • Routinely – Helps track habits and provides gentle reminders. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/routinely-habit-tracker/id6449163027 
• Emotional Regulation & Anxiety Management Apps
  • MoodMission – Suggests activities for managing anxiety and emotional challenges. https://moodmission.com/ 
  • Rootd – A panic attack and anxiety relief app. https://www.rootd.io/ 

This podcast follows the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a way of creating content that works well for all audiences. It helps us make clear, easy-to-understand episodes that are welcoming for everyone. We follow UDL principles by carefully choosing audio, using plain language, offering transcripts for each episode, and inviting your feedback in multiple ways. 

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Transcript

Quakers Today: Quakers and Neurodiversity

Peterson Toscano: In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What best practices do you recommend for supporting neurodivergent people in places of worship and schools?”

Sweet Miche: You’ll learn about Loving Our Own Bones by Julia Watts Belser. Kate Fox also explores connections between early Quaker practices and her neurodivergence.

Peterson Toscano: I’m Peterson Toscano.

Sweet Miche: And I’m Sweet Miche. This is Season Four, Episode Four of the Quakers Today podcast, a project of Friends Publishing Corporation. This season is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary and the American Friends Service Committee.

Peterson Toscano: Sweet Miche.

Sweet Miche: I know—I’ve changed my name.

Peterson Toscano: Name changes are significant. They represent victory; you get to name the towns.

Sweet Miche: True, and honestly, Sweet Miche is tame compared to some early Quaker names. Remember the viral list of 17th-century Quaker names?

Peterson Toscano: Oh yes, fierce names indeed!

Sweet Miche: Exactly, like “God Blessed” or “Revolution 6 Smith.”

Peterson Toscano: And although not a Quaker, I think of Sojourner Truth.

Sweet Miche: Absolutely. Today we have Quakers named Pink Dandelion and Sweet Miche—it feels almost safe!

Kate Fox draws parallels between early Quakers and concepts of neurodiversity

Sweet Miche: Speaking of name changes, I spoke with Kate Fox this month. At 18, Kate changed her surname from Renard, French for fox. She’s not related to George Fox, the Quaker founder.

Peterson Toscano: Which would have been Georges Renard! Kate is a stand-up poet from Northern England who attends Monk Seton Meeting. Her article, “A Place of Unmasking,” draws parallels between early Quakers’ rejection of social norms and modern neurodiversity concepts. Kate asks: How can Quaker meetings explicitly welcome neurodivergent people?

Kate Fox: When performing my poetry show “Bigger on the Inside,” I discuss neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who. I openly invite audiences to stim. Not everyone knows what stimming is—it’s self-stimulating behavior like repetitive movements, humming, finger flicking, or tapping toes. It helps with focus, concentration, and provides calming regulation. Encouraging crochet or doodling can help some listeners focus better. But how would stimming work in the quiet Quaker meeting room? That’s tricky—one size doesn’t fit all. Honestly, I might not want to sit next to someone whose needles are clicking loudly.

Sweet Miche: Stimming offers a fresh perspective on centering in worship. Like repetitive prayers, mantras, or breathing exercises, stimming provides sensory input, grounding individuals in their bodies and reducing distractions. Kate describes “masking” as hiding autistic traits to fit societal expectations.

Kate Fox: I view my Quaker meeting as a place of unmasking, where I’m accepted as myself, dropping the usual social norms. Early Quakers seemed to do something similar—questioning traditions like hat-doffing, vows, swearing, and titles, seeking a direct, embodied connection with something beyond human hierarchies.

Peterson Toscano: Kate’s experience highlights the early Quakers’ willingness to question social norms.

Kate Fox: I’m not diagnosing early Quakers as autistic, but perhaps they were neurodivergent or neuroqueer, using activist Nick Walker’s definition. Neurodiversity can be seen as a movement or paradigm, valuing different ways of processing as strengths—much like biodiversity.

Sweet Miche: Neuroqueering is a playful concept. It questions the rules around how our brains and relationships “should” function. What if we explored alternative ways of thinking, feeling, and loving?

Peterson Toscano: Exactly. This aligns genuinely with early Quaker spirituality. Kate notes how embodied, sensory-first experiences might have been central to their practice.

Kate Fox: Many neurodivergent people process from the bottom up, prioritizing sensory or energy inputs. Conversely, top-down processors might find these bodily signals elusive. I’m lucky words themselves are a stim for me. Pure silence in Quaker meetings wouldn’t work; I need words too. Yet words aren’t everything—they’re imperfect tools we use as best we can. The interplay of silence and speech makes meetings neurodivergent-affirming. Most other settings overload with words, sermons, or lengthy texts.

Peterson Toscano: As Kate said, one size doesn’t fit all. Knitting may help one person concentrate but distract another. Contradictions of noise, silence, movement, and stillness coexist in our meetings.

Kate Fox: Quaker meetings are ideal for these open discussions. Direct, honest conversation helps neurodivergent people feel welcomed. It’s often challenging to ask for accommodations. How wonderful when someone proactively asks, “Is there anything specific that would help you feel comfortable here?”

Sweet Miche: That was Kate Fox, author of “A Place of Unmasking: Quaker Meetings as Neurodivergent-Affirming Spaces,” featured in Friends Journal, March 2025. Visit friendsjournal.org.

Book Recommendation: Loving Our Own Bones

 

Listener Responses

Shirley (Ireland): Communication and training are essential. Individualized plans based on each child’s unique needs must be consistently implemented.

Clayden (South Africa): Schools and churches should have dedicated spaces for children with sensory issues or learning disabilities. Creating structured environments and making activities enjoyable significantly aids learning and reduces anxiety.

Kody Hersh (Albuquerque, New Mexico): Offering sensory refuge rooms, accommodating personal adjustments like holding a stone or sitting on the floor, and providing art or journaling supplies can make spaces neurodiversity-friendly. Flexibility and non-judgmental attitudes enhance everyone’s worship experience.

Nova (Brooklyn Monthly Meeting): Printed or virtual bulletins detailing service activities help neurodivergent individuals focus by providing clear expectations and reducing anxiety about unknowns.

Sweet Miche: Thanks to everyone who responded! Next month’s question is: “In your spiritual or personal journey, what belief have you had to unlearn?” We invite you to share your responses.