Are you Neurodiverse or Special Educational Needs?
- Mable Green
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Neurodiverse or Special Educational Needs? Struggling to fit into the education system. Neuro means nerves and brain, and Diverse means different - a human being.
We are all Neurodiverse; we all think and behave differently. The human brain works slightly differently in everyone. Special Educational Needs identifies those who struggle to fit into the education system. Sometimes, it highlights what is wrong with them and how they don't fit in. What is the difference between Neurodiverse and Special Educational Needs?
Conservatively, 1 in 20 people are neurodiverse in some way, some estimate that up to 1 in 5 may be neurodivergent. Autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, and other neuro identities. (uptimize.com/neurodiversity-gaining-mainstream-traction)
~8% of people in the UK are thought to have ADHD.
~10% of people in the UK are thought to have dyslexia.
~8% of people in the UK are thought to have dyspraxia.
~6% of people in the UK are thought to have dyscalculia.
~1% of people in the UK are thought to have an autistic spectrum condition.
~1% of people in the UK are thought to have Tourette's syndrome.
It is thought that as research develops, certain mental health conditions such as psychopathy, some personality disorders and schizophrenic conditions will come to be re-interpreted as having been diagnosed both in people who experience symptoms due to poor mental health and people who are experiencing neurodiversity and require different approaches to care.
An additional ~3% of the population are known to have generalised intellectual disability.
Some people believe that being generally intellectually gifted might be a form of neurodiversity, citing rare conditions like savant syndrome and hyperthymesia (highly superior autobiographical memory) as extreme examples of neurodiverse giftedness.
Many aspects of society are based on the assumption that there is one form of 'the human mind' and accordingly, many systems (education, employment, health and social services, social relationships) have been built up premised on being neurotypical. Building a society that is accessible for neurodiverse people is not only beneficial for everyone, but fair.
ADHD Aware provides training services, for more information, see our page on workplace neurodiversity training.
Neurodiverse or Special Educational Needs?
Coming back to the statement ‘Neurodiverse or Special Educational Needs, ’ maybe we are excluding children from being able to learn within our education system? Inclusion sometimes feels like exclusion when singled out for being different. The need is obvious for some children with Special Educational Needs, and they can be supported with an EHCP (Education, Health Care Plan) and extra teaching support in a mainstream school.
Being human means we are all disabled in some way, having challenges with something in our lives. We are all on a spectrum of intellectual abilities.
Education and health systems use labels to understand and care for us. This only works if society includes our differences.
Our brains
Our brains work like computers, processing information. As humans, we can respond to changes in our environment, creatively and intuitively, and possess emotional intelligence.
We are different computer models with different operating methods. If we were to observe a situation, we may have a slightly different angle of view.
Schools are not designed to teach everyone, even though they are legally bound to. Many need help to gain what they need for their future employment and life. 'One size does not fit all. ' It is an arduous journey for those children who are intelligent and don’t fit in.
Falling through the gap
Some don’t fit within the assessment criteria for support, finding school stressful and anxiety-provoking. Many manage the school environment, but no one believes they are struggling. These children may be dyslexic or autistic; they just have to cope. Educational support is only given to those with apparent problems or who are seen as being disruptive. It's then too for their education.
Carter Review for Initial Teacher Training in 2016
In 2016, the Carter Review for Initial Teacher Training added that Special Education needs were to be a core part of their training. The Warnock Report 1978 planned to support Special Educational Needs in mainstream Schools. My question is - Can enough teachers see the teaching needs, or should we be saying the learning needs of their class.
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