Many Neurodivergent children experience school-related anxiety, but it's often wrongly seen as a personal issue rather than a response to an inflexible school system. This commentary argues that school rules, routines, and expectations are based on narrow ideas of 'normal' that exclude Neurodivergent needs, leading to stress, exclusion, and the pressure to hide one's true self. The authors call for a shift in focus, from fixing the child to changing the system, to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments.
Many Neurodivergent children experience school-related anxiety, but it's often wrongly seen as a personal issue rather than a response to an inflexible school system. This commentary argues that school rules, routines, and expectations are based on narrow ideas of 'normal' that exclude Neurodivergent needs, leading to stress, exclusion, and the pressure to hide one's true self. The authors call for a shift in focus, from fixing the child to changing the system, to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments.
