Raising humans not rewards seekers

In recent years, schools across Ireland have opened more and more autism classes. This is genuinely positive progress. For many families, these classes mean access to support that previously simply didn’t exist. They represent recognition, awareness, and a willingness to adapt our education system to meet diverse needs. But while celebrating this progress, I often find myself wondering: what about the other neurodivergent students? What about ADHDers? What about twice-exceptional learners? What about students whose needs don’t fit neatly into one category? Neurodiversity is much broader than any single label. Autism classes can provide essential support for many students, but the wider school environment is still often built around a very narrow idea of how children should learn, move, focus, and behave. When that happens, teachers, even the most dedicated ones, are left trying to bridge the gap between students’ needs and environments that were never designed with them in mind. And there are so many incredible teachers in Ireland doing exactly that every day. But sometimes the issue isn’t teaching practice. Sometimes the issue is the environment itself. Equity in education doesn’t begin and end in the classroom. It extends to the entire school building. Lighting, noise levels, movement spaces, sensory regulation areas, predictable routines, flexible seating, quiet corners, and safe places to decompress can make an enormous difference. For many neurodivergent children, these environmental factors determine whether they can truly engage in learning or simply try to get through the school day. This is where the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) becomes so powerful. Universal design asks a simple but transformative question: What if we designed schools from the start to work for as many learners as possible? Instead of creating systems that fit only one type of student and then adding accommodations later, universal design encourages us to build environments that naturally support a wide range of minds. Flexible spaces. Multiple ways to engage with learning. Opportunities for movement. Different ways to show understanding.  When schools embrace this approach, everyone benefits, not just neurodivergent students. Autism classes are an important step forward, and the teachers working in them, and in mainstream classrooms, deserve enormous recognition. But the long-term goal should be broader: schools designed with neurodiversity in mind from the start, where different ways of thinking, learning, and being are expected rather than accommodated. Because when we create environments that support different kinds of minds, we don’t just make school more accessible. We make it better for everyone.

Very often, when we talk about neurodivergent childhood, we do it from a pity view. From a framework that teaches the child about their "lackings" and their deficits. But rarely are we willing to assess the environment where that child lives, or even the educational system itself. This is not just about using neuroaffirming language or showing real inclusion. We need to go further and deeper into the rabbit hole. What is this doing to the child’s self-esteem or the child’s self-concept? What about their ability to connect with themselves and respect their needs? What about teaching them from a framework that promotes genuine well-being and good mental health? Personal development is possible, even when your neurology is different, just like everyone else’s. Somehow yours is more interesting, and everyone is pointing at you. But yes, there is power within you; there is a personality and an identity worth treasuring. And no, you are not broken, you are not a default. You are marvellous! Even though your nervous system gets hurt in this crazy, fast, loud world, you have the amazing power to connect with nature far beyond typical norms. I’m talking about true connection, like looking at a landscape and crying out of wonder. You can feel your heart fill with authentic joy while doing something as simple as soaking your hands in dried lentils! But there is no time for this in the modern world. You are not given the time to allow your mind to get hyper focused, no time to adapt the curriculum, no time to present materials from a monotropic perspective. And you are not certainly given the time to stim, because, hey, it looks too weird. And remember: if you are moving, you are not paying attention. And then is when it truly hits you! You feel like you have to step aside, you feel like you cannot be yourself, like you don’t belong. The message you receive is: The system is not broken. You are. Who can fight this strong statement, when everyone is agreeing: your teachers, your doctors, your aunts and uncles, and now even mum and dad? Because the pressure is too much. It gets to everyone. What can we do to help you believe again? To give you permission to reconnect with yourself? Would you believe us if we tell you that you are amazing? That the power lies within? You just need to trust. And be patient. Please, believe us when we tell you they will get there eventually.  In the meantime, try to protect yourself. Because you are worthy of true love.