Jack's Story - Chapter One

His name is Jack, and he is 13 years old. His story is 8 years in the telling, he has another 5 years ahead of him.?

?Despite relentless inappropriate and negative comments and language levied at him; the inappropriate approaches that name and shame him, insults to his being rather than his behaviours, the lack of respect, being shouted at, being isolated, being humiliated in front of his peers.?

Despite the barriers to learning that Jack encounters on a daily basis.?

Despite the difficulties Jack encounters as a result of his dual diagnosis of ADHD and ASC.?

Despite the continued failure of (a minority of) teachers to provide appropriate support and follow Jack’s pupil passport. For example;?they won’t repeat instructions or provide prompts or visual reminders for tasks as Josh ‘should have been listening’ or ‘should have been paying more attention’?

Despite the weekly endeavours of his Mum to negotiate, navigate, advocate and pursue access to a safe supportive and positive learning environment - often to no avail…?

Mum is worried that Jack will become just another shameful SEND statistic?

Children with SEND make up 50% of all permanent school exclusions?

Children with mild SEND are seven times more likely to be excluded than non-SEND children?

Children with severe SEND are four times more likely to be excluded than non-SEND children?

But…?

THIS CHILD GETS UP EVERY DAY.?

FOLLOWS THE SCHOOLS UNIFORM /DRESS CODE.?

ARRIVES AT SCHOOL ON TIME WITH THE INTENTION OF ENGAGING WITH LEARNING AND SCHOOL AS BEST HE CAN.?

HE DOES THIS EVERYDAY??

Knowing he is likely to fail.?

Knowing he is likely to get something wrong or say the wrong thing.?

Knowing he is likely to be in trouble for ‘not listening’ ’not understanding’ ‘not concentrating’ ‘getting distracted’ ‘messing around’ ‘forgetting to put his hand up to speak’ or ‘not contributing in class’.?

Each day knowing that it is likely that he will fail to meet the mainstream expectations of a neurotypical child.?

Knowing that his teacher will record every time he doesn’t meet an expectation.?

Despite this, he goes to school every day, with optimism and hope that today will be ok, that he won’t fail, that he can be normal.?

But he is not a neurotypical child he is a neuro-divergent child with an Education and Health Care Plan that teachers should read, and understand and follow.?

But they don’t, at least some of them don’t.?

And that is confusing for him and means he finds it difficult to engage in the learning.?

So he becomes anxious.?

He asks the teacher for help.?

But help doesn’t arrive.?

‘You should have been listening Jack, you should have been paying more attention’.?

He looks round for support, but there isn’t support available in this class as resources are stretched.?

Other children laugh at him and add their own cruel comments.?

He feels more anxious, vulnerable and frustrated.?

And finally he breaks?

And when he breaks, he gets the blame for all of the shortcomings of those entrusted adults who are there to teach him.?

To care for him and to keep him safe.??

?He goes to his detention.?

He sits in the hall and is told to read a book.?

For an hour.?

In silence.?

He has ADHD.?

And the next day he will do it all over again.??

And the following day.?

And the day after that.?

For the next five years.?