MEET ETHAN
10 years old. Neurodiverse. Creating plaster figures for families to paint, personalise and enjoy.
Hi, I'm Ethan — I'm 10 and this is my studio.
I'm a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) kid, and I'm proudly neurodiverse. Being neurodiverse doesn't mean I'm less than anyone — it just means my brain works in a slightly different, brilliant way. I love numbers, problem-solving and taking the maths I learn at school and using it in the real world instead of only on a worksheet. Running a real business is my favourite way to do that: pricing, measurements, materials, time, profit — it's all live maths, and it clicks for me.
School days can be a lot. I mask throughout the day so I can fit into the classroom, and by the end of it I'm usually completely overloaded and exhausted. It isn't just the learning that's hard — it's regulating myself to stay quiet and still without the sensory input my body needs. My primary school is amazing at adapting for me, and I feel really supported there. Secondary school is on the horizon though, and that's a big worry for us, because the same understanding isn't always guaranteed.
That's where making things comes in. Creating plaster figures gives me a calm place to focus, explore my ideas and make something that other families can enjoy too. In the evenings, Mum and I choose new characters and plan how they can become figures ready for you to paint in your own colours. This business isn't a distraction from my learning — it's the place where my creativity, confidence and practical maths can shine.
10 years old
Ethan is a Year 6 pupil who loves maths, colour and inventing things. He helps choose and create the figures; mum handles safety, orders and packing.
Neurodiverse & SEND
Ethan is a SEND child. Being neurodiverse doesn't make him different — it gives him a different (and often sharper) way of seeing problems, patterns and shapes.
Maths in the real world
Instead of maths staying in a classroom, Ethan uses it every day — pricing creations, measuring plaster and paint, counting stock and preparing orders.
Plaster figures to enjoy
Ethan helps create fun plaster characters that arrive ready to paint. Each one is a blank canvas for children and families to make completely their own.
Masking & overload
Ethan masks all day at school to fit in — sitting still, staying quiet and holding it together. By home time he's often drained, and quiet creative time helps him decompress.
A brilliant primary school
His primary school has been incredible with his adaptive needs. Secondary school feels like a bigger unknown, so this creative business is helping build his confidence and independence.
Evenings with mum
Evenings are for ideas. Ethan chooses characters and themes with mum, then they prepare new plaster figures for customers to paint and treasure.
Why this matters
Every order supports a neurodiverse child building his own business — and helps fund more plaster, paints, moulds and proof that different minds create brilliant things.