Empowering Today's Learners To Be Tomorrow's Neuro-Inclusive Leaders

My teaching career began in 2013, and like many in the profession, I was unprepared to truly support neurodivergent pupils in the classroom. At the time, teacher training only briefly covered Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). I didn’t know how ill-equipped I was.

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In 2016, my son was born, and our journey began. Along with his love for climbing, spinning, and shuffling cards and coasters, he identifies as autistic and ADHD, with global developmental delay, sleep onset insomnia, a restrictive diet, and as pre-verbal. These qualities make him the funny, wonderful person he is. His school is fantastic with him, providing him with the support he needs, and I couldn’t be happier with how they work with him.​ However, our journey in identifying his neurodivergences also led me to my own self-discovery, realising that I too am neurodivergent. This newfound understanding reshaped both my personal and professional outlook on how we approach neurodiversity.

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When we went out as a family, we often encountered unhelpful comments and behaviours from the public, which seemed to stem from ignorance. This experience made me think deeply about the kind of world I wanted for my son—a society where he could be whatever he aspires to be. I realised that for this to happen, the education system needed to change. It became clear that all pupils, neurodivergent and otherwise, should be equipped to understand, accept, and support each other. This meant not just teaching the predominant neurotype about neurodivergence, but also helping neurodivergent students understand the predominant neurotype.