The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2024 issue - Magazine - Page 20
How technology can help neurodiverse pupils’
return to the classroom and why it is long overdue
Written by Dom Longford, Founder of Cog ADHD
Back to school season is upon us,
nd with it arrives a time of change
and fear of the unknown. For an
estimated 690,000 children across the
UK, the stresses of this time are often
heightened due to the added pressures
of living with attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Whether a pupil is simply moving up
an academic year, or a more daunting
prospect such as making the transition
into secondary school or beginning
GCSE years, returning to school with
ADHD requires additional support
parameters compared to a neurotypical
pupil.
With school and teachers’ resources
often stretched, the added attention
and management required by pupils
returning to school with ADHD can
go ignored. How can schools ensure
neurodiverse pupils experience a better
return to school after the summer
holidays?
Greater attention required
Following six weeks of rest and
relaxation, returning to school brings
a sudden period of readjustment and
stress. Pupils are expected to seamlessly
fall in line and conform to their new
timetables, expectations and, in some
cases, new schools altogether. Not all
children are the same – thus also comes
different reactions to times of change.
In short, a ‘one size fits all’ approach to
back to school season does not work.
For pupils living with ADHD, a
greater, more personalised approach is
needed to facilitate the back to school
transition. Offering those with ADHD
greater guidance and therefore control
during these periods of change can go
a long way to help start the school year
the best way possible.
The difficulty for schools is the lack of
time available to address each pupil’s
requirements – which is why
technology can now offer the solution.
Technology to the rescue
Providing ADHD-friendly support has,
historically, been difficult to access for
so many school children across the UK.
The power of technology can provide
much needed personalised experience
for neurodiverse pupils seeking
guidance on their return to school.
Having a toolkit on hand to provide
coaching, therapy and other resources
to educate and inform pupils about the
effects of their ADHD could provide the
support so many have been seeking.
Pupils who can access ADHD-friendly
tools on their return to school will be
better equipped at mitigating any
stresses and concerns they may have
for the upcoming academic year.
Addressing an annual issue
For so many children, back to school
means a chance to reconnect with
friends and seamlessly return to the
classroom. But for too long now,
children with ADHD often dread this
prospect and have been let down by
the lack of support on offer for when
September returns.
Starting a new academic year in the
right way is so important. Pupils with
ADHD who struggle at first due to the
lack of support can find themselves
behind quickly, which can rapidly spiral
into a feeling of being overwhelmed by
mounting workloads and pressure.
It is time for schools to properly address
this issue which leaves so many children
at a disadvantage every year.
Providing them with the necessary
support – without exceeding budgets –
is paramount to ensuring equal
opportunities for neurodivergent
children up and down the country.
Levelling the playing field
For too long, September has
represented a time of uncertainty and
anxiety for pupils with ADHD.
Thankfully, the latest solutions are
available to equip schools and their
pupils with the necessary toolkits and
resources to better manage their ADHD
when returning to school.
Providing the much-needed and
long-awaited tools to ADHD pupils
will likely improve their transition back
to school. In the long term, this means
that a large number of children will
no longer be falling behind during
the crucial early stages of the
academic year, therefore ensuring the
best possible chance for neurodiverse
pupils to keep on top of new workloads
and achieve the right level of education
they work so hard for.
