Schools should be the platform from which our children learn equally. Early years education has historically offered a holistic, child centered, play based framework, offering the potential for learner diversity to thrive equally. But what happens beyond this brief moment in a child's educational journey? How can a model that expects children to learn exactly the same things at the same time, in an adult led, environment nurture individuality and developmental differences?

The conversation around neurodivergence is evolving and the narrative is starting to positively shift with greater awareness and acknowledgement of the natural variations in learning and development.

However, education has a long way to go to nurture the inclusive environments that enable neurodiversity to thrive.

The effect of a narrow, one size fits all system of schooling is clear and evident in higher levels of anxiety and depression for those who are expected to fit into the normative mold a 'successful student'.

So what can we do as parents, educators and advocates to resist the dominant deficit narratives around neurodivergence that prevails in schools and wider society?

Kerry Murphy is our guide to thinking critically and practically about how we can make small changes for big impact.