Neurodiversity and homelessness

Neurodiversity and homelessness

I was reading an article at the weekend about the risk of the Big Issue continuing because of the cost of living crisis. The Big Issue is a great example of on of UK's leading social businesses, set up by John Bird and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.

It made me want to write about the inequity that exists in those from adverse backgrounds who are likely to have higher rates of neurodivergent traits but lower chances of support and identification.

“The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.”?

―?Jane Addams

Who counts as ‘homeless’?

There are several different definitions of ‘homelessness’.

• Statutory homeless?– those who are legally defined as homeless and who meet the strict conditions for receiving assistance by their Local Authority.
• Rough sleeping?– visibly homeless people living on the streets (however, official records only count those who areseen actually sleeping or bedded down?in the open air or in buildings or other places not designed for habitation on a single survey night per year).
• Hidden homeless?– those who are homeless but are not entitled to and/or do not approach their Local Authority for housing help. These people may sleep in hostels, B&Bs or squats or may ‘sofa surf’, sleeping on friends’ and/or relatives’ sofas, floors, etc.

How many people are ‘homeless’?

Crisis estimated that?around 227,000?people were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness – rough sleeping, sleeping in vans and sheds, and stuck in B&Bs – across England, Scotland and Wales in 2021.

Neurodiversity and homelessness

Few studies have been done assessing rates of neurodiversity among homeless people and most of these have sampling problems. However, it appears that rough sleepers and those using homeless services, have?much higher rates of neurodiversity?than the general population.

This week I also got published a paper relating to homelessness, neurodiversity and where some people end up.... prison!

Data from male people in prison was collected using Do-IT Profiler about their neurodivergent traits along with other factors such as homelessness prior to prison and whether they had been in care.

We know that 'Looked after children' (LAC) (side note: it always makes me smile cynically that we call children looked after when we don't always do so!!) are criminalised at five times the rate of children in the general population.

Children in contact with both child welfare and child justice systems have higher rates of neurodisability and substance use problems, and LAC in general have high rates of school exclusion, homelessness and unemployment.

The study found that prisoners who were LAC scored more poorly on a functional screener for neurodisability (effect size = 0.24), and on four self-report measures capturing traits of dyslexia (0.22), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (0.40), autism spectrum disorders (0.34) and developmental co-ordination disorder (0.33).

Prisoners who were LAC were also more likely to have been to a pupil referral unit (0.24) ( excluded from school), have substance use problems (0.16), be homeless or marginally housed (0.18) and be unemployed or unable to work due to disability (0.13).

Taking a person centred approach is so important upstream and once out of education. We need to consider cumulative adversity and not see neurodiversity in one box and adversity in another. We are messy people! Inequity in society is not a choice. But the way we design our systems and processes and how we do it is for many of us.

If someone in prison was homeless beforehand it is likely they will be when they leave unless we plan early.This can mean if they have specific support needs e.g. medication for ADHD or other conditions they won't have a G.P.

If you have traits like ADHD and it is untreated your impulsivity/challenges with time management may get you into trouble again, and you may not turn up for appointments ... and the circle turns again.... Lower literacy also makes it hard to engage with services....

Do-IT have also been aiding an amazing programme by the wonderful organisation Llamau in Wales supported by Cardiff University to try and identify and support learners 'upstream' in schools .'Following in the footsteps of the successful Geelong Project in Australia, Upstream Cymru begins with a simple survey completed by students aged 11-16 whilst in school. The survey focuses on a range of areas, allowing for a wide scope of data to be collected by the Upstream team and the respective school. Student wellbeing, resilience and engagement with education are among some of those core areas.' This project aims to identify those pupils earlier that may be at risk of becoming homeless and help to mediate with their parents and the young people to change the trajectory.

There is still plenty to do..

'As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest' said : Nelson Mandela

Some charities working in this space:

The Big Issue wrote an article about this and reflects on the fact that "Just as each person who becomes homeless?will have different needs, so each charity within the homelessness sector offers specific and specialist services."

They provide a list of some of them including:

https://www.centrepoint.org.uk/

Crisis

Llamau in Wales

Shelter

The blog author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of?Do-IT Solutions?a tech-for-good company that delivers web-based screening tools and training that help 1000s of people deliver person-centered solutions relating to neurodiversity and wellbeing.

I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity. I am a medical doctor, Professor, and have a Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity.

I have very personal multi-generational experiences of being neurodivergent with my wonderful family.

Theo Smith and I wrote the UK award-winning book?Neurodiversity at Work?Drive Innovation, Performance, and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce. I have my 10th book coming out called?Neurodiversity and Education?coming out in March 2023. I was also voted one of the top 20 Thinkers by?HR magazine for 2022!

I had a lovely parcel in the post this week too..Lifetime Achievement award and being placed in the top 50 diversity power list for 2022/2023. Thanks to everyone who works with me and I am privileged to know and call my ally.

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