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Chrissa Wadlow is an award-winning speaker, neurodivergent leader and Founder and Managing Director of Sunshine Support, a seven-figure SEND organisation that has supported more than 90,000 people since she founded it in 2017.
A late-diagnosed neurodivergent and disabled woman, mother of four neurodivergent children and leader of a predominantly neurodivergent team of more than 25 people, Chrissa brings a distinctive combination of lived experience, professional knowledge and business leadership to her speaking.
Her journey began with her own family’s experiences of the SEND system, including multiple tribunals and a High Court case. What followed was the creation of Sunshine Support, an organisation dedicated to empowering families, educators and professionals to understand their rights, challenge barriers and create better outcomes for children and young people.
Today, Chrissa is a recognised voice in SEND, school non-attendance, neurodivergence and inclusion. Her speaking experience includes the Autism & ADHD Show, Naidex, Birmingham NEC panels, universities, local authorities, government audiences, multi-academy trusts and business events. She is also an experienced media contributor, with appearances including BBC Breakfast, BBC News and Channel 4, and hosts the Sip of Sunshine podcast.
Named Neurodivergent Leadership and Inclusion Speaker of the Year 2026 at the Managing Director of the Year Awards, Chrissa is known for combining humour, honesty, vulnerability and challenging questions with practical, actionable insight.
Her sessions encourage audiences to look beyond assumptions and consider how environments, expectations and systems influence people’s experiences. Whether addressing educators, business leaders or parents, Chrissa helps audiences develop a deeper understanding of neurodivergence and SEND, while offering practical approaches they can use to create more inclusive, supportive environments.
When a child cannot attend school, the conversation too often becomes about attendance figures, consequences and getting them back through the school gates. But what if we’re asking the wrong questions?
Drawing on her lived experience as a parent, almost a decade of professional SEND advocacy and original research involving more than 1,100 families, Chrissa challenges traditional narratives surrounding school avoidance and non-attendance.
This thought-provoking session explores the relationship between unmet needs, school environments, trauma, neurodivergence and attendance. Chrissa encourages educators and leaders to move beyond blame and pressure towards approaches that prioritise understanding, safety, recovery and meaningful participation in education.
Audiences will leave with a clearer understanding of the factors that contribute to school non-attendance, practical strategies for supporting children and families, and a fresh perspective on how schools and professionals can respond more effectively.
What happens when you’ve spent much of your life trying to meet expectations that were never designed with your brain in mind?
Diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood, Chrissa knows what it means to spend years masking, adapting and trying to fit into environments that don’t always recognise or accommodate different ways of thinking.
Today, she leads a seven-figure organisation with a predominantly neurodivergent team and challenges conventional assumptions about professionalism, productivity, leadership and success.
Combining humour, personal experience and practical business insight, Chrissa explores adult neurodivergence, late diagnosis, identity, masking, burnout and the importance of creating genuinely inclusive environments.
This session can be tailored to focus on neurodivergence in the workplace, neurodivergent leadership, adult ADHD, late diagnosis or creating inclusive organisational cultures.
Audiences will leave with a greater understanding of how neurodivergence can affect adults in everyday life and at work, alongside practical ideas for improving communication, reducing unnecessary barriers and recognising different strengths and needs.
For many parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities, navigating education and support systems can become an overwhelming and exhausting experience. What should be a collaborative process can instead leave families feeling unheard, misunderstood and constantly having to advocate for their children.
As a mother of four neurodivergent children, Chrissa has experienced this journey personally. Her family’s experiences of tribunals, discrimination and the High Court eventually inspired her to create Sunshine Support, an organisation that has since helped tens of thousands of people navigate the SEND system.
Drawing on both her lived experience and her professional work supporting families, Chrissa explores the emotional realities of SEND parenting, the challenges families encounter and the importance of building genuine partnerships between parents and professionals.
This session is particularly relevant to schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities and education professionals who want to strengthen relationships with families and improve the way they communicate, collaborate and provide support.
Audiences will leave with a deeper understanding of the SEND parent experience, practical approaches to building trust and improving communication, and a greater appreciation of how compassionate, informed professional support can make a meaningful difference.
I have had the privilege of hearing Chrissa speak about her own SEND journey several times and she is nothing short of brilliant. Chrissa has a rare gift for taking deeply personal, often challenging experiences and turning them into moments of connection, insight, and even humour. She is witty, engaging, and effortlessly relatable – the kind of speaker who not only holds an audience’s attention but leaves them thinking differently long after the event. Her creation of Sunshine Support is testament to her passion and determination to make sure that no one has to navigate the SEND world alone. She understands, first-hand, the challenges families face, and has built something truly invaluable for others who find themselves in the same place she once was. Chrissa is not just a powerful advocate, but also a source of inspiration, comfort, and practical guidance. Anyone who works with her – whether as a speaker, trainer, or supporter – will walk away better informed, better prepared, and above all, uplifted.
Chrissa is an excellent speaker and a joy to work with. She spoke at the Autism & ADHD Show in London and Birmingham on school avoidance, bringing practical insights and her vibrant personality to our audiences. Chrissa can speak with confidence to large crowds as well as having meaningful conversations on an individual basis. It was wonderful to see those who listened to her walk away more equipped with knowledge, tools, and, most importantly, hope.
