Should neurodivergent & disabled children’s needs be decided by schools & teachers?
Like many others in the LinkedIn space, this week I'm deeply saddened by the continual, unhelpful, uninformed, and frankly ableist narrative, emerging in some sectors of the political world in relation to Neurodivergent children.
The idea that the support rights and needs of children with special educational needs should be thrown back to the schools, and that they should be making the majority of the decisions, is unjust and unfair at best... and dangerous at worst.
As a professional working in this field for over a decade, and previously a CAMHS nurse, I've been involved with over a hundred schools, and teachers will almost unequivocally state that they feel under equipped, under trained and under supported in being able to support neurodivergent children within the educational system. When I deliver training into schools, they are so grateful and thankful that they are able to access this additional insight and can now see things in a different light.
So, the expectation that we can just hand over those decisions to schools, is simply disgusting. In no way has it been implied that the support, funding or training will be increased to allow schools to make informed decisions. There is no discussion around how they are actually going to support educational organisations whilst fighting to dismantle and eradicate support for disabled children.
Quite frankly when we're seemingly at the point looking to cut money and spending for children to access education... We've hit a real low in our priorities.
Additionally, the idea of ear defenders being “insane” is horrifically ableist as it completely negates the experience of sensory sensitivities and overwhelm for children both with and without neurodivergent conditions.
The claim that teachers and heads are asking for this, I challenge. Which ones? How many? Why?
So many educators that I have spoken to are happy for children to use accessibility aides which can be instrumental in their ability to access mainstream education. Because, obviously, specialist SEN provision is under funded and under supported, and there is nowhere else fore these children to go.
The mention that there is £2 billion of overspend getting SEN children into schools, has included absolutely no reflection of why this is happening.
This 'overspend' is happening because children with additional needs are having to travel further and further afield to access suitable education.
These taxis and different modes of transportation are becoming increasingly expensive, because there is just such a huge lack in localised provision. Children are unable to go to suitable schools in their area, because they just don't exist. They don't exist because this sector has been chronically underfunded for too long.
The chronic underfunding is the problem.
The increased costs of travel is the bandage.
Without the bandage, all that will be left is the festering wound of our failure to support disabled and neurodivergent children.