The barriers to equity in education: No Such Thing as Normal by Sonia Gray, episode 6

Theo King and his mum Rachel.

At least one in five New Zealanders are classed as neurodivergent, a label that covers conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia - yet society insists everyone should be “normal”. No Such Thing as Normal, a 10-part NZ Herald podcast with broadcaster Sonia Gray, explores how we can do better.

Theo King is 13 years old with a big heart and a great sense of humour. But although he’s been enrolled in school since the age of 5, he’s spent very little time there. Theo is autistic, with ADHD and the classroom setting is almost impossible for him to cope with.

“He’s been excluded twice – at age 10 and 12, so now we’re on to his third school,” says Theo’s mum Rachel. She’s talking on Sonia Gray’s podcast No Such Thing as Normal in the second of a two-part special on education.

Neurodivergent children – particularly those who are ADHD or autistic -are disproportionately affected by these school removal practices. Autistic kids are three times as likely to be stood down compared to their neurotypical peers, and the rates for those with ADHD are even higher. There are no figures available in New Zealand but in the UK, research shows 39 per cent of children with ADHD are suspended at least once from school.

“From day one, as a new entrant, he couldn’t do what was expected of him, he couldn’t sit on the mat, he was off outside, he was sweeping the leaves. He didn’t know how to operate in this place he found himself.”

After numerous stand-downs and suspensions, Theo was finally excluded by the school board of his primary school. Rachel says it was three parents on the board who made the final decision, citing “continued disobedience’.”

“They told us it was their first time doing this. They had a flow chart in front of them which they followed … and it ended up at ‘Exclusion’.”

Rachel said it was a hugely traumatic experience: “You’re entering a world you know nothing about, one that can have lifelong repercussions for your child, but you have no idea how to navigate it or what your rights are.

Specialist Education Practitioner Pippa Biggs says: “One of the biggest barriers to our neurodivergent kids having equity in the school setting is a lack of accurate information.

“Parents just aren’t made aware of the services and supports available.”

An example is the widely held belief you need a formal diagnosis to access accommodations for exams.

“You don’t need any formal diagnosis of dyslexia or any other specific learning disability to get those supports,” says Biggs.

“The Ministry of Education has a commitment to meet the needs of all students. If the school identifies a learning issue, there is a process to get the adequate supports.”

Tom Little and his mum Anna Coleman.

Year 13 student Tom Little was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5, and his primary school years were similar to Theo King’s.

“I couldn’t learn, I couldn’t sit still, the school didn’t know what to do with me.”

He recalls one teacher drawing a cross in vivid pen on the carpet and telling him to stay there.

“It was horrible”, he says. “I felt alienated, isolated, and different from everyone else.”

But school life changed dramatically for Tom when his economics teacher suggested he look at his ADHD in a different way - as his superpower.

“I was confused at first,” says Tom. “How could something so negative be a superpower?”

But thanks to his teacher, Tom now sees his ADHD as a positive, which strengths like creativity and visual-spatial awareness. He’s now an advocate for neurodiversity, and thanks to the economics teacher, is part of a Young Enterprise Programme at his school, which he is passionate about.

“As parents, we’d love teachers to know they are in a unique position to potentially change the lives of neurodivergent kids and their families”, says Sonia Gray. “I will be forever grateful to the handful of teachers who supported my daughter. They made all the difference.”

No Such Thing As Normal was made with the support of NZ On Air.

No Such Thing as Normal is a NZ Herald podcast, with new episodes every Saturday. You can listen to it on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.