Duncan Lewis Director Featured in The Review on Fidget Tools for Neuro-divergent Clients. (17 August 2026)

Jane Wilson, a childcare solicitor and director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, was recently featured in The Review in an article exploring the needs of neuro-divergent parents during court proceedings.

The article, titled ‘Fidget Tools: self-regulation aids for neurodivergent clients’ explains the constant disregard for neurodivergent parents in these overwhelming environments and the way that sensory engagement can  support focus, reduce anxiety and improve capacity to remain present and functional under stress.

Understanding of the client

Jane provided expert insight on the ways the parent’s behavior can be misinterpreted and misunderstood as difficult to work with and unengaged. When actually, the reality could be the complete opposite and they ‘may be doing everything within their neurological capacity simply to remain present’.

Evidence for fidget tools

There is only limited research relating to fidget tools however it has been proven that they prompt the brain to increase attention on the task at hand. They can mean the difference between a parent losing their child or not.

Building a practice that caters to various needs

Jane recommends that the best thing to do is to introduce these tools as early as possible, ideally the first meeting and should not be dealt with as an afterthought. She emphasises that this can remove the burden from the client who is usually already juggling a lot emotionally.

Co-regulation and the lawyer’s role

Jane explains that co-regulation consists of an attuned, trusted adult supporting a person in managing their physiological and emotional state, especially when under high stress. The solicitor’s role is perfect for that as they are familiar to the client and present across the process in a way other professionals may not be.

Jane lists the things that she would do to support a neurodivergent parent which include:

• Handing them a fidget tool at the start of a hearing
• Checking in with them before entering a courtroom
• Watching for early signs that a client is approaching overwhelm during proceedings
• Prompting them to engage with the tool when viewing they are becoming too dysregulated
• Where necessary, asking the court for a short break before the threshold is crossed

The case for systematic change

Jane reiterates that it is not optional to advocate for these fidget tools, it is a professional obligation. Anything else comes down to a client not being represented. But, it is hard to get change as individual practitioners can only do so much. We need to reach a point where this is normalised and not seen as unusual.

Access the article here.

Jane Wilson – Director & Child Law Solicitor

Jane Wilson is a Director and specialist Child Law Solicitor based in the Newcastle office. A member of the Law Society Children Panel, she has extensive experience representing parents and children in proceedings involving local authorities, particularly where there are complex child protection or neurodivergence issues.

Jane regularly acts in public law care proceedings, deprivation of liberty and secure accommodation cases, and represents children through their Cafcass Guardians. Trained as a barrister, she is an experienced advocate known for her skill in contested hearings.

Passionate about supporting neurodivergent children and families, Jane holds a Level 2 Qualification in Understanding Autism and sits on the Advisory Committee of Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community (FLANC). She was shortlisted for Young Family Solicitor of the Year at the Family Law Awards in 2019.

For advice in relation to any childcare matter:

Email: janew@duncanlewis.com: Telephone: 020 3114 1194

Why Duncan Lewis?

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors we instruct experts throughout all of our areas of expertise and we pride ourselves on finding suitable experts which best meet our clients’ needs.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors, an award-winning law firm, is renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times. Duncan Lewis was crowned Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis awards 2024, further establishing its credentials as one of the leading law firms in the UK.