One of our fifteen-year-old Members of Children’s Parliament on our Children and Families Panel from the Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework project has been reflecting on their experience of being a neurodivergent pupil in the current education system. They explain how a lack of understanding on neurodiversity impacted on their children’s human rights, discuss the impact of getting a diagnosis of autism, and how things improved for them when they moved up to high school.
When I started primary school, I quickly realised I was different to other children my age. It was difficult for me to make friends; I struggled with P.E. lessons and teachers didn’t know how to deal with me when I got upset. I was often put in a time out even when I didn’t see anything I’d done wrong. My classmates didn’t seem to like me, and I was teased and bullied. I would tell teachers about this, but I was often told just to ignore it, which I found very difficult to do. I didn’t feel listened to or properly understood. Getting diagnosed with autism helped a little, but I still didn’t understand why I seemed less capable than my classmates. I felt that I wasn’t getting the most out of my education, and this was very frustrating. I think things would have been a lot better for me if teachers had been educated on how to help children with additional needs to reach their full potential. However, at high school, support has greatly improved. Most teachers understand my needs and I have been able to access help and support from school, such as being allowed to sit exams in a separate room, which helps me feel less stressed. I now feel more accepted at school. I still get teased and get nasty comments, but any instances of this are taken seriously and dealt with. I feel my rights are now being properly respected. There are still improvements to be made, but I am hopeful for the future.
Children and Families Panel member
These experiences highlight why it is so important to get to know and listen to children, and the importance of meeting individual needs and understanding different learning styles. The UNCRC states that all children have the right to an education (Article 28), affords children protection from discrimination (Article 2), and states that children have the right to be listened to and taken seriously (Article 12). Children’s human rights are indivisible, meaning no right is more important than another, and that they cannot be separated from each other. They are inalienable, meaning that no one can give or take away anyone’s rights, children have them simply because they exist. Professionals need to consider children’s human rights in every aspect of their practice, whether they work directly with children or not, as every right not respected can impact children in many ways. In order for children’s human rights to be respected, all children need to be listened to, and their individual needs met regardless of whether they have formally diagnosed additional support needs.
We are grateful to our Children and Families Panel member for sharing their personal story. Their experiences have highlighted the impact of schools not respecting children’s rights and what needs to change. Their inputs, along with all the other members of the Children and Families Panel have informed the development of the Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework directly and ensured that children’s voices are at the heart of the work.
Blog series from the UNCRC Skills and Knowledge Framework programme, more information here: Children’s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework