Neurodiversity - not everyone has an open door to support

Stigma and shame are bedfellows

Do you remember a red pen on your work and how it made you feel... could do better!

In October it is or has been, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and mental health awareness days and months. When I read a headline in the last few days in the newspaper discussing the lack of acceptance of poor spelling in universities and how being tolerant of errors can lead to mark inflation it did make me think about needing a bit more awareness and how responses like this can trigger feelings of shame and reminders of hellish times in school for some.

In the article, in the Times, Susan Lapworth, director of regulation at the Office for Students, said: “Students should be able to communicate their ideas effectively. This means their written work must be of a high standard, with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. It is not possible to analyse and explore complex theories and arguments without being able to write well, and universities should recognise this as they assess students.

She added: “The idea that they should expect less from certain groups of students is patronising. It threatens to undermine standards as well as public confidence in the value of a degree. It risks placing new graduates at a disadvantage in the labour market, and could leave employers spending time and money training graduates in basic written English.”

I was rather surprised that this potential exclusionary approach was being considered and the implications of this for widening participation.

Is this rewarding those that find spelling easy to do and discriminating those who were born with dyslexia, or have had less opportunity to gain these skills or know how to get support ( or that it exists)?

In this world of spellcheckers, and grammarcheckers, and computers why do we want to reward specific skills that some have when we can provide adjustments for them in the world of work?

There are many examples of great scientists who are thought to have dyslexia who may not have been able to be successful if scoring on their handwriting or their spelling skills as part of their assessment of their ability. For example; Alexander Graham Bell; Pierre Curie, and Michael Faraday.

Many scientists don't know where the commas or semi-colons go but are able to make scientific breakthroughs that we all benefit from.

We used to discriminate (not that long ago) people who were left-handed and were forced to write with their right hand ( My late mother-in-law was one of these and had been beaten for writing with her left hand).

Handwriting in exams was the only form of completion until the last few years but now we use computers for assignments and see this as the norm increasingly. The archaic practices of rewarding specific groups who are lucky to not have writing/spelling challenges need to change if we are to include all talents.

We still see in school still pen certificates or licenses being given out despite this being a discriminatory practice that rewards the motorically able and penalizes those with conditions such as Dyspraxia and Cerebral Palsy. For some children, there is little effort to be rewarded with a certificate. In comparison, there are other children who may have been trying so hard but wait years until they gain their license.

My point is- times change. What was very important in the past may not be so in the future.

Scoring for grammar and spelling skills has to also be a discussion about privilege. Not everyone understands the system to gain support and how it works. You have to be literate, motivated, articulate, and persistent.

It opens the door to:

• Getting DSA in university.
• Someone helping you with study skills
• Access to Work

We need to keep reminding ourselves that spelling/punctuation/handwriting skills are not a direct measure of our intellectual capabilities. We need to create metrics that allow those with maths, creative, musical, physical, communication, and emotional skills to be measured and showcased.

At work the reality is as you get higher up the job ladder then you can get others to proof your work or write your reports for you. You can use the technology that exists. But if you can’t get over the hurdle of gaining qualifications because of poor handwriting or spelling this has to be discriminatory practice – doesn’t it?

It is stigmatizing.

It is excluding those who could be in higher education and is certainly not widening participation.

In 2018 the government said:

"The widening participation agenda in higher education has been in place for decades. Widening participation strategy aims to address discrepancies in the take-up of higher education opportunities between different under-represented groups of students. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower-income households, and other under-represented groups may face barriers to entry to higher education. Widen participation schemes attempt to remove these barriers and improve access to education, progress within higher education and to improve graduate outcomes and employability."

We need to remind ourselves that gaining a diagnosis of any of the different conditions associated with neurodivergent traits remains really challenging for many adults ( and for children) and is often a diagnosis provided to those who shout loudest.

Many people are having to pay for the diagnosis because of long waiting lists. In some countries, ADHD/DCD (Dyspraxia) and Autism aren't even on health agendas at all. For some, there is no choice or consideration about paying several hundred pounds for an assessment when heating or food choices have to be made on a day-to-day basis before anything else. These are people who may already be marginalized from society.

Those who get it get a 'golden ticket' can access support in school and in the workplace.

I live in the world of neurodiversity at home and at work. Most of my family are neurodivergent. However, we are lucky in the respect that we have got support in place ( I have made it my job to do so!) and I can see the huge benefits this has had for my close family members.

This is certainly not true for all.