Neurodivergence Support From Community-Led Advocacy to Tech-Aided Conversation

As our understanding of ADHD and neurodivergence matures, inclusion in UK schools is moving beyond rhetoric. What matters now is practice: how we create cultures that notice needs early, value student voice, and equip learners with tools to thrive.

Three powerful drivers of change are emerging—youth-led inclusion, early screening, and assistive technology. Each has been pioneered internationally, but UK schools are carving out their own distinctive pathways.

1. Youth-Led Allyship: Inclusion from the Ground Up

In the US, the Neurodiversity Alliance has shown what happens when students support each other through peer mentoring, creative workshops, and safe spaces. The message is clear: neurodivergence is not a deficit, but a difference.

Here in the UK, the same energy is gaining traction. Neurodiversity Celebration Week, founded by British campaigner Siena Castellon, is now marked in over 3,000 schools. Pupils host assemblies, run peer discussions, and deliver projects that challenge stereotypes. Likewise, Children North East’s peer mentoring groups in Newcastle give neurodivergent young people the chance to connect through creativity and conversation, reducing isolation and reframing identity as a strength.

Why it matters: Inclusion feels authentic when students themselves lead the conversation. They shift stigma by showing their peers—and their teachers—what belonging can look like.

2. Early Screening: Spotting Needs Before They Become Labels

Delays in diagnosis remain one of the biggest barriers for ADHD and dyslexia support in the UK. Too often, children are labelled “lazy” or “disruptive” before their needs are understood.

That’s why Liberal Democrat MP Adam Dance’s proposed “Ten-Minute Rule” bill matters. Due before Parliament this autumn, it calls for universal, classroom-based screening for ADHD and dyslexia. Backed by the British Dyslexia Association and even chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver, it aims to help teachers spot learning differences quickly, fairly, and without bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, UCL researchers are building universal screening tools for SEND identification, and pilots like Wiltshire’s early dyslexia checks have already shown that spotting challenges by Year 2 can transform outcomes.

Why it matters: Early detection is not about labels—it’s about scaffolding. The earlier we notice needs, the earlier we can provide support that prevents confidence from eroding.

3. Assistive Technology: Executive Function Meets Everyday Life

In the US, tools like Understood’s HoloLens programme are exploring how mixed reality can support ADHD in real time—summarising conversations, prompting focus, and easing cognitive load.

The UK, too, is making ambitious moves. This summer, the government launched a £1.7 million pilot of “assistive tech lending libraries” in 4,000 schools, allowing staff to trial AI-based tools before rolling them out. Alongside this, UK-based innovations like Booost Education and AYOA are giving students digital scaffolds to manage time, organise tasks, and build independence. Long-standing centres like the ACE Centre ensure communication tools reach classrooms where they are most needed.

Why it matters: Tech should not replace human support—it should reduce overwhelm, free up attention, and give neurodivergent students equal footing in both learning and life.

The Three Pillars of Progress

inks

• Neurodiversity Celebration Week — https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

• Children North East — https://children-ne.org.uk/how-we-can-help/young-people/support-for-neurodiverse-young-people/

• Adam Dance’s Screening Bill — https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/better-screening-dyslexia-adhd-6ltttpj9c

• UCL research — https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jun/ucl-research-features-jamie-oliver-dyslexia-documentary

• Wiltshire pilot — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11340848/

• Assistive tech pilots — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-children-with-send-to-benefit-from-assistive-tech

• Booost Education — https://www.booosteducation.com/

• AYOA — https://support.ayoa.com/assistive-technology

• ACE Centre — https://acecentre.org.uk/

Final Reflection

True inclusion doesn’t come from glossy strategies or occasional assemblies. It is built into the daily infrastructure of schools—the clubs we run, the policies we pass, the technologies we trial.

The UK’s progress shows that when students raise each other up, teachers spot needs early, and schools embrace technology as an ally, inclusion moves from aspiration to reality.

Compassion matters. Clarity matters. Context matters. Together, they form the foundation of a system where every learner has the chance not just to survive school—but to thrive in it.