A critical look at education and medical science for neurodiverse learners
As an educational care consultant, I too often see professionals in education and youth care looking at pupils from their own frame of reference. As a result, the child’s holistic learning and development process fades into the background.
In particular, when I look at the ‘education’ debate on inclusivity for neurodiverse learners, specifically those within the autism spectrum.
I am reminded of a 2021 article in the AD in which the headline reads, ‘Children with autism who suffer from overstimulation may benefit from the drug Bumetanide. Research from the Amsterdam UMC shows that children show more flexible behaviour and are better able to keep their attention at school, for example.’
With a still increasing rise in medical interventions such as the use of Bumetanide – a drug prescribed for high blood pressure that is being investigated for overstimulated autistic children – we are faced with a critical ethical dilemma: do we choose to medicalise ‘deviant’ behaviour to facilitate integration into standard education systems, or do we strive to normalise neurodiversity by fundamentally rethinking education itself?
Findings from Amsterdam UMC in the article show this dilemma all too well. While from a medical perspective the research shows potential for improved stimulus processing in autistic children by Bumetanide, it throws open the door even further to a very worrying trend: prioritising pharmaceutical solutions over social, pedagogical, didactic, methodical and societal adjustments.
Once again, the madness of approaching neurodiversity as a ‘problem’ to be ‘corrected’ rather than an aspect of human diversity to be embraced and supported by the education system becomes visible.
The choice of medicalisation over normalisation has us all on a very slippery and, more importantly, icy slope, where the unique needs of neurodiverse learners risk being ignored in favour of a one-size-fits-all approach.
It distracts and shifts the focus from adapting educational systems and practices to adapting the child to the system, leaving the fundamental question of true inclusivity unanswered. While those answers are there.
Instead of leaning on medical interventions, those involved around the child should focus on creating an educational environment that is truly inclusive of all forms of neurodiversity. And yes, for many this requires a paradigm shift: from seeing neurodiverse learners as individuals to be ‘fixed’, to recognising and adapting the education system itself to accommodate a wide range of learning needs.
This approach calls for flexible pedagogical strategies, adapted curricula, smaller classes, and the use of technology that supports learning – all aimed at embracing the diversity of learners. An interdisciplinary approach, combining the expertise of both medical professionals and educational experts, is crucial to provide holistic support that goes beyond academic achievement to include social, emotional, physiological and biological development.
Moreover, awareness and education about neurodiversity plays a key role in fostering a culture of acceptance and support within schools and youth services, partnerships appropriate education, and preventive sectors such as welfare, culture and sports and all of us as a broader community.
By increasing understanding of neurodiversity, we can work to reduce stigma and create a truly inclusive society that values the unique contributions of everyone.
Instead of forcing neurodiverse students to adapt to a system that is not designed for them, we need to redesign the system to meet their needs!
It is time to move beyond the dichotomy between normalising and medicalising and create a learning and development landscape where every learner, regardless of neurodiversity, gets the support and recognition they deserve. And this goes beyond the role of education alone.
The road to true inclusiveness requires guts, innovation, and an unwavering belief in the value of every individual in the whole of society to live together!
Erwin HW Niedeveld