Neurodivergent children and young people, particularly autistic children and young people, are over represented in the data related to difficulties in attending school. Some neurodivergent children may not have learning difficulties, but require adjustments in order to feel comfortable and confident in school.
Children and young people who find school more difficult than others their age are entitled to extra help or support in school to learn and to thrive, whether or not they have a diagnosis. Teachers and the school SENCo are responsible for ensuring that extra help or support is provided.
The four key factors that support school attendance are important for all children, whether or not a neurodivergent profile has been identified. No two neurodivergent children are the same, so a neuroinclusive approach to these factors with neurodivergent children and their parent carers is more likely to be impactful.
Creating a neuroinclusive approach
Drawing on research from Dinah Aitken and Sue Fletcher-Watson from the University of Edinburgh, a neuroinclusive approach in schools can be summarised in four areas.
Shift from ‘fixing’ to ‘supporting’
- Move away from trying to make neurodivergent children behave like neurotypical peers.
- Avoid behaviour contracts or social skills training aimed at conformity.
- Support self-advocacy and adapt environments to fit diverse needs (for example, noise-cancelling headphones, flexible seating such as beanbags and wobble cushions, visual timetables, access to laptops/tablets for writing support).
Centre neurodivergent voices
- Involve neurodivergent pupils, parent carers and staff in shaping inclusive practices.
- Recognise that lived experience offers essential insight into what works.
Challenge normative assumptions
- Accept that children may have different developmental paths and outcomes.
- For example, a child struggling with handwriting might be supported to excel in typing instead.
Promote belonging and acceptance
- Inclusion isn’t just about access, it’s about feeling safe, understood, and valued.
- Recognise that masking and coping can lead to mental health challenges.
Further information and resources
- Communication and interaction needs overview | Devon’s Ordinarily Available Targeted Support Framework
- Neurodiversity-affirmative education: why and how? | BPS
- Introduction to neurodiversity | Autism Understood