The proposed SEND reform: to what extent does it make for a neuroaffirming school environment?

We are joined by Neurodiverse Connection Associate Lucy Gilbert, who explores the Government’s proposed SEND reforms and what they could mean for Neurodivergent young people. In this blog they consider the gap between the ambitions of reform and the reality of creating genuinely neuroaffirming, inclusive school environments.

The UK Government’s Department for Education consultation “SEND reform: Putting Children and Young People First” and the corresponding policy paper “Every Child Achieving and Thriving” was highly anticipated. The publication has sent ripples through the Neurodivergent community and opened up new questions and unknowns. Some elements of the proposed reform are welcomed, others prompted new concerns for our Neurodivergent young people.

Universal support for all sounds positive, but what does that support look like, and is there enough awareness, knowledge and capacity in the system to deliver it?

Standardised support sounds like a reduction in the postcode lottery but are we risking a move away from truly person centred support towards checklists and a manualised approach?

There is a real fear that with the proposed tiered support and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) reserved for those with the highest level of need means that more Neurodivergent young people lose legally enforceable support.

Whilst greater autonomy may allow schools flexibility to tailor support, there is a real question as to whether schools currently have the training, staffing, resources and neurodiversity-informed expertise required to deliver consistently neuroaffirming support without clearer accountability and specialist input.

We know from our work within healthcare that when health services move towards building neuroaffirming environments then it benefits everyone working and receiving care within them, whether they are Neurodivergent or not. There are many similarities between a school and hospital environment; the noise, chaotic nature at times, elements of unpredictability, sensory unfriendly spaces and a high level of social demands. So our biggest question is how will schools be supported to create neuroaffirming, inclusive environments?

So what does a neuroaffirming environment look like?

Importantly, a neuroaffirming environment is not only about the physical space itself, but also the relational and emotional environment created through adult responses, communication styles, behavioural approaches and the culture of support surrounding young people

It centres a culture of support which is needs led rather than diagnosis led. Where Neurodivergence is viewed through the lens of difference, not deficit. Where staff are able to retain curiosity about how each individual experiences and moves through their world; how classrooms are experienced differently by everyone. A culture which fosters belonging and acceptance. Where young people don’t stand out for needing adaptations or sensory aids, these are available for anyone. Where adults role model acceptance through actions and language so young people’s acceptance and curiosity about difference is nurtured. Those with needs and differences are supported alongside all their peers rather than segregated into inclusion hubs, which paradoxically make difference even more visible and deepen division.

An environment first approach is adopted, before assumptions about behaviour or motivation are made. If a young person struggles to attend school or remain in the classroom, school should first be explored through their eyes: sensory demands, unpredictability, transitions, routines and social expectations may all shape how safe and manageable the environment feels.

If behaviour changes around lunchtime for instance, has the sensory environment of the dining hall been considered and mitigated against as much as possible; the noise of multiple conversations, cutlery scraping, sounds of eating, the onslaught of smells from multiple foods. Then the unstructured play time which comes with an additional set of social rules and expectations which, rather than be a break, may feel like more hard work than the classroom. Right in the middle of the day when social batteries may need recharging, are they able to seek solitude, to have a break from socialising or able to escape demands into a soothing, restorative activity?

An environment-first lens also moves away from compliance-based behavioural approaches. Attention differences, movement needs and emotional dysregulation are understood as communication of need rather than wilful disengagement or poor behaviour.

Schools can be highly sensory, social and emotionally charged environments. For the adults working within them, but even more so for young people who are navigating new situations daily with developing emotional and nervous systems. A low arousal approach is the aim, to not add unnecessary social and sensory demands on an already highly charged environment. Staff are supported to recognise emotional dysregulation and co-regulate, supported to remain calm and provide an emotional anchor in what can often feel like a raging storm.

A focus on staff wellbeing is needed to allow adults to maintain this relational co-regulation, low arousal approach. This begins with equipping staff with current and in-depth understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm and key aspects of Neurodivergent ways of being, ideally from a lived experience perspective, as you cannot work with you don’t fully understand.

This would ideally include the following key concepts:

Monotropism- understanding the tendency to focus deeply on one task or interest at a time, and how difficult it can be to rapidly shift or divide attention. This can affect transitions, responding to verbal instructions and moving between tasks or lessons.

Double empathy- to understand that there is a mutual breakdown in understanding and communication, and that both groups may struggle to empathise with each other. Improved empathy and understanding from neurotypical individuals can support more inclusive environments and equitable approaches.   

Masking- often an unconscious survival response, and the fatigue associated with sustained masking can significantly impact wellbeing and mental health. Neurodivergent young people who appear to be coping in school may be working extremely hard beneath the surface to manage sensory, social and emotional demands. The child who is quiet, compliant and draws little attention to themselves may release that pressure once home in a safe and familiar environment. These young people may need just as much support as those whose Neurodivergence is more visible, though their needs may be harder to recognise in stretched systems.

Alexithymia- some Neurodivergent young people may struggle to identify, interpret or communicate their emotions, and may need additional support with emotional processing. Whilst they may be able to intellectualise emotions, they may find it harder to connect embodied experiences with what is happening around them. Adults may need to support this through regular check-ins, concrete questions and alternative ways of exploring emotional state to reduce overwhelm, burnout, shutdown or meltdowns.

A call to action

Within the proposed SEND reforms there is still a gap between their ambitions and truly neuroinclusive environments. The reforms as they are currently still rely on identification of need which may be missed without in-depth staff and system neurodiversity knowledge. There is still a focus on creating inclusion hubs rather than inclusive environments for all. There is still a focus on doing and creating, chasing numbers and auditable outcomes, rather than a focus on ways of being and creating cultures of acceptance and belonging.

Without investment in neurodiversity-informed understanding, relational practice and genuinely inclusive cultures, there remains a risk that reform changes systems without fundamentally changing young people’s everyday experiences.