© Anastasiia, Adobe Stock
New Zealand has one of the least equitable education systems in the world, ranked in the bottom third for educational inequality across the OECD.1 Among other factors like socioeconomic disparity and the impacts of colonialism, one significant contributor to this inequity is students with unaddressed additional learning needs.2
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Neurodivergent students are known to be inadequately supported within our education system, increasing the likelihood of poor educational attainment, which has flow-on effects for the whole of life. An estimated one in five people is neurodivergent, and we have around 320,000 neurodivergent young people in New Zealand.3
The Education and Training Act 2020 explicitly states that our education system should provide “equitable outcomes for all students”. However, evidence shows that many students with special learning needs are not able to access the required support.4
Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for people who are wired to process and understand the world differently to neurotypical people. The term encompasses many different conditions such as ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Many neurodivergent people have cooccurring diagnoses.
Each neurodivergent condition comes with strengths and weaknesses including differences in processing speed, working memory, spatial awareness and sensory sensitivity.3 This makes communicating, analysing and processing information different for neurodivergent people compared to their neurotypical peers.
Although some neurodivergent students with higher needs will receive additional learning support, evidence suggests that the majority of neurodivergent ākonga will experience neurodivergence as an invisible disability.
As school’s work to balance their limited resources, learning support is often only seen as a priority for students who present with disruptive behaviour patterns.3,4 Currently, an estimated total of five percent of students receive learning support through one of the four main funding pathways. Principals often report using operational funding to cover other students who require support. This, however, likely does not meet the significant shortfall, as around 15 to 20 percent of people are neurodivergent, and an estimated 11 percent of 0 to 14-year-olds in New Zealand have a disability.4
In 2019, the Ministry of Education released their Learning Support Action Plan, which noted that neurodivergent learners usually don’t qualify for the ORS, but “need teachers and other educators with increased capability, as well as targeted or specialised support”. It was recognised that neurodivergent learners are more likely to need “flexible ongoing support, rather than a specific, shorter term, intensive intervention”.5
When the different ways that neurodivergent people process and understand information are not understood or supported, neurodivergent learners report being alienated from the classroom and are at risk of disengaging.
“I was perceived as a troubled, disobedient boy but that’s not who I am. I just had learning difficulties, and I needed more support.
“I remember one situation led to my teacher getting a vivid marker and drawing an X on the carpet, where I was confined to sitting and staying. This made me feel alienated and different to everyone else, and this is the worst thing for a neurodiverse student.”6,7
Tom Little is a Young Neurodiversity Champion with the Neurodiversity in Education Project, and he shares his experience as someone with ADHD. Sadly, his experience of feeling alienated as a neurodivergent learner is not uncommon in the education system.
Many neurodivergent students report that the education system is designed by and for neurotypical people. This includes the use of standardisation and rigid curricula and timetables that can alienate neurodivergent ākonga.
“The system is designed for one specific type of person, I don’t ever feel supported, understood,” said one student.
“I had been so ashamed all through school of my many ‘faults’”, said another. “When I got diagnosed, I realised that they were not because I wasn’t trying or incompetent at basic human activities but because of a difference in my brain structure. It changed my life.”3
Parents said that the rigidity of curriculum demands and the requirement for students to demonstrate learning in prescriptive ways did not meet neurodivergent needs. Additionally, some neurodivergent students and their whānau reported not being able to access special assessment conditions, impacting their ability to complete tasks and therefore achieve.4
This reality is exacerbated by a lack of teacher training and support to address the needs of neurodivergent students. Almost half of primary school teachers feel they don’t have enough support to teach students with learning support needs.4 Additionally, many schools do not have whole-of-school policies to support neurodivergent students such as providing quiet spaces and support groups. This leads to stigma and exclusion for neurodivergent students.3
Many neurodivergent people, without adequate support and/or diagnosis and understanding, find themselves facing increased mental health challenges. More than 90 percent report facing social and emotional challenges because of their neurodivergence, with 35 percent reporting their challenges as “severe”.3 New Zealand research shows that by the age of eight, neurodiverse students have a lower quality of life and satisfaction than neurotypical people, and are already displaying anxiety and depression.3
Evidence has shown so far that effects of the Ministry of Education’s Learning Support Action Plan have been minimal, and neurodivergent students are still disproportionately impacted by a “one size fits all” education system.3,4
In recent years, advocates have called for several changes to the education system to allow neurodivergent students to thrive. These include increased funding, better access to specialists through a centrally coordinated system, improved in-class support and upskilling teachers.4
But while these larger policy changes form the backdrop of the wider education experience for neurodivergent students, many teachers and students don’t have the luxury of waiting for additional resources to come down the pipeline.
There are classroom and school-level adaptations that can help meet some of the needs of neurodivergent ākonga, many of which are already being implemented by classroom teachers. Free resources are also available from neurodivergent advocacy groups such as the Neurodiversity in Education Project.
First and foremost, supporting neurodivergent ākonga to succeed requires some understanding of neurodivergence and its myriad expressions. Though this is a daunting task which ultimately requires systemic changes to ITE and professional development provision, educators can come to basic understandings with the help of neurodiverse people and advocacy groups. Educators can also rely on colleagues such as Learning Support Coordinators, SENCOs, or other relevant professionals who can give practical advice.
Teachers may notice differences in learners in the classroom, which can help identify a neurodivergent student who may need tailored support. Educators looking to be more neuroinclusive can follow a “notice”, “recognise” and “respond” framework to ensure neurodivergent students thrive in classrooms.8
Once educators have a basic understanding of neurodivergent students and their needs, it becomes easier for teachers to recognise neurodivergent characteristics. This in turn leads to better relationships with all students through empathy, respect and understanding. Teachers who can recognise and support the needs of neurodiverse students are also able to facilitate improved peer relationships, improving the wellbeing of their students.9,10
Teachers who understand how neurodiverse students learn can also help neurodivergent students gain a sense of agency and ownership over their learning. Enabling flexible learning environments can help students develop a more positive attitude and better behaviour management for neurodivergent students, improving their self-esteem. Importantly, teachers should support students to understand and manage their behaviours and create accepting environments for neurodivergent students in the classroom.9,10
Finally, diverse teaching strategies are more likely to engage neurodivergent students and help them use their strengths in a learning environment. Educators may wish to review their teaching strategies and learn to adapt the curriculum and content to best engage their neurodivergent students. This may mean diversifying how information is presented, the pace of learning and breaking up class schedules or group activities in novel ways.
School leaders may want to consider how organisation-level interventions or training can support their staff to meet the needs of neurodivergent students. There are free online resources available for New Zealand school leaders to think about how neuroinclusivity can be built into school codes and policies.11
For instance, school leaders might think about their strategic plans — how does the plan support neurodiverse students? Are clear goals and targets set to meet their needs? Have these goals been developed in consultation with students and the community? As for policies, are there social and emotional supports for neurodivergent students? Are neurodivergent staff seen and valued? These are just some of the questions school leaders might ask to ensure neurodivergent students thrive at school.11
Although neurodivergent students often struggle within the education system, that doesn’t have to be the case. With the right support for teachers and students, understanding and interventions, neurodivergent students can thrive. Using their individual processing ability and methods, all students can excel in academic, emotional and social aspects of school and life.
References
The Term 4 edition of School News is out now. Read it HERE.
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