PROMOTING an understanding of neurodiversity and providing tailored support for pupils is crucial in creating an inclusive learning environment for young people with learning needs, according to the deputy head of the only school in the Channel Islands to be given an ADHD-friendly award.
Anthea Carroll, who has personal and professional experience with the condition, has been leading a campaign over the past two years to make Springfield School more supportive to neurodivergent students.
This resulted in the school receiving an ADHD Friendly School Award from the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, which is an integrated health and education service based in Liverpool.
Miss Carroll has been working to support neurodivergent students for the past six years in her role as the special educational needs co-ordinator (Senco) at Springfield.
She said she was driven by a desire to “ensure that every parent and child felt supported and informed”.
“Managing a child who has ADHD is all about making small adjustments, co-regulation and calm acceptance,” she explained.
The school has hosted information evenings and coffee mornings for parents of children with ADHD.
She said: “Parents appreciate those times when they can speak to others and share their woes because it’s hard work and it’s relentless.”
The school has also set up “a big board of ADHD superheroes” to counter the stigma surrounding ADHD and to provide children with positive role models.
Miss Carroll said: “When children found out that the famous YouTuber Mr Beast had ADHD, it flipped a lot of children’s opinions.
“When you are neurodivergent and find something that interests you, you can go far. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, all of those neurodivergent people have done so well in life.”
Miss Carroll added that flexibility in the classroom, including the use of sensory tools and “brain break” activities, helped to support students and accommodate individual needs.
She said: “It’s about making small adjustments on an individual case to allow that child to thrive.”
The school’s efforts have not only improved support for students with ADHD but also fostered a culture of acceptance among peers, she explained.
“I once witnessed a supply teacher making unkind remarks about a child with a tic, accusing them of rolling their eyes,” Miss Carroll said. “When the child explained that the tic was due to their ADHD, the teacher dismissed it as ‘stupid’. However, two classmates stood up and defended the child, which was heartwarming to see.”
Miss Carroll views her ADHD as her “superpower” and said that her passion for justice and dedication to supporting students are due to her ADHD traits.
“People with ADHD are looked for by employers because we always try to find the quickest and easiest way to do a job, which means efficiency and productivity.
“We think outside the box and are very empathetic and caring towards others.
“These are real skills that are needed in the workplace. And what we need to teach our children is those the skills they need to be proud of.”
She feels that there is “a lot of good practice going on in schools” and that “recognition and understanding [of ADHD] has improved”.
“From a government level, ADHD has been recognised and the funding has been put in, which shows that there is more importance given to it.
“Positive things are being done and it is being recognised and those old-fashioned views are being wiped away. That takes good role models and people who are willing to stand up and fight.”
