about me

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Who I Am​​

Hi, I’m Sylwia, the person behind The Odd Socks Way. I bring together two things I care deeply about: helping neurodivergent children learn and supporting their emotional wellbeing through cranio-sacral therapy.

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My Background in SEN

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I’ve spent 18 years working in special educational needs, teaching and leading in both mainstream and specialist schools across London. Through all those years, one thing became clear: learning doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s deeply tied to a child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.

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As Assistant Head of a specialist Autism Base, I gained invaluable insight into the unique challenges neurodivergent children face, and how much they need environments that truly support their whole experience, not just their academic progress.

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Even in specialist settings, where approaches were more therapeutic and less rigid than in mainstream schools, there was still a sense of “one way” to do things. Despite the care and good intentions, the system often couldn’t offer the true flexibility or depth of support that neurodivergent children really need to feel understood and able to thrive. Some children simply need more than the system is designed to give.

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How Cranio-Sacral Therapy Came In

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About ten years ago, I began training in cranio-sacral therapy, driven by my desire to support children beyond the classroom. This gentle, non-pathologising approach became the missing piece I had been searching for, complementing the various SEN strategies I had studied. Its focus on supporting health, rather than “fixing” issues, proved especially effective for addressing the sensory, emotional, and mental health needs that often accompany neurodivergence.

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I quickly saw how cranio-sacral therapy could offer the deeper level of care I had always wanted to provide.

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Why I Created The Odd Socks Way

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In 2022, I stepped away from the constraints of traditional education to create The Odd Socks Way. The name? It’s a nod to all the wonderfully unique children I’ve worked with, and to my own journey, which hasn’t exactly followed the usual path either. Over time, I saw how not every child can, or should, fit the same mould. And yet, so many environments expect them to. 

That’s why I created The Odd Socks Way — because no child should have to match to belong.

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It brings together specialist tutoring and cranio-sacral therapy to support neurodivergent children as whole people. It allows me to deliver the personalised, emotionally informed care I know makes the biggest difference. Whether I’m supporting learning through specialist interventions, offering therapeutic touch, or simply being present in a way that feels safe and calm, I let the child guide the approach. I work flexibly, creating a space that meets their individual needs.

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This is a space where children are seen, heard, and supported, just as they are.

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Qualifications and training

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• QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)

• Post Graduate Diploma in Special and Inclusive Education

• Bachelor of Education (Overseas accreditation)

• Diploma in Cranio-Sacral Therapy, College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy, London

• ​The SCERTS (R) Model: A Comprehensive Educational Approach for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Level 3 OCN Accredited Training in Supporting Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults with Pathological Demand Avoidance

• Attention Autism

• PECs (Picture Exchange Communication, Advanced)

• Paws B (Mindfulness in School Project) – Mindfulness curriculum to children aged 7-11

• First Aid Training

• Safeguarding Training 

• DBS check

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