Supporting all in education and into employment - should not be a game of snakes and ladders!

Why do some people get help who have neurodiverse conditions and others never seem to get the help they need? It seems like a game of snakes and ladders but using weighted dice.

We know that at least 1 in 3 people in prison are neurodiverse or have a learning or communication challenge

( e.g.have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, ASD, Dyscalculia, DLD, learning disability, Tourette's)

Many people won't have had their needs identified or a diagnosis made before they get to prison but we assume we can ask them and they will tell us.

Why do some people miss out on gaining the support they need and recognition of the challenges they have ... and a diagnosis?

We know that many children who are excluded also have additional learning needs. Children who have been excluded are 7x more likely to have a learning difficulty. Also children who are 'looked after' ( in care) are 5 x more likely to have been excluded. Looked After Children and Young People are also more likely to be neurodiverse. Around 1 in 4 people in prisons have been in care.

You start to see the wheels within wheels.

They are far more likely to come from low-income families. Parents of children who are neurodiverse are also more likely to be neurodiverse than others.

How can we make provision more equitable?

At the present time with increasing waiting lists for services for a diagnosis of ASD/ADHD and DCD, for example, there are insufficient dedicated resources to support the demand. There is both an economic and emotional imperative to bring services together and working effectively.

There is not only a need to raise awareness of neurodiversity among teachers, social workers, youth workers, and parents but also work collaboratively in community settings so we don't waste the precious resources that we have.

If we raise awareness alone then the results may be an even greater bottleneck, longer waiting times and perhaps even greater frustration! This may also lead to those with the most complex needs being less likely having their needs met in a good time.

How do we manage this?

Step 1: It requires us to take public health perspectives i.e. providing functional and practical advice for parents, teachers and youth/social workers that is available and accessible to all. No-one should find it hard to find out about information about how to help your child to feed, dress, study, communicate, organise themselves etc.

A 'do no harm' approach can keep this very practical while parents wait and so they can start to try out what may be helpful and ultimately remove the need to go and see the professional. At the least, parents and professionals supporting children can start doing this while waiting for a referral.

Step 2: Identifying learners of concern

We have extensive evidence that we could recognize certain learners are at greater risk of having learning/communication challenges e.g. Family history of language/communication difficulties; family history of neurodiversity; premature children; looked after children; concerns from teachers or parents; children of parents with a history drug and alcohol misuse; children who have had a history of traumatic brain injury; children at risk or having been excluded.

Step 3: Use your community resources and parents to create a network of support.

Step 4: Have practical strategies and processes in place for cognition, memory and emotion that link together.

Step 5: Prepare early for times of transition and plan for future skills for life.

Professor Amanda Kirby is the CEO of Do-IT Solutions( www.doitprofiler.com ) and Professor in Developmental Disorders and has been a clinician, researcher, and advocate for more than 25 years for very personal reasons -as neurodiversity is at the heart of her family.