Supporting care-experienced students during Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 (17-23 March) provides a great opportunity to consider the intersectionality between neurodiversity, the care experience and education. It is also a chance to consider what we can do to make a difference to the prospects of neurodivergent care-experienced young people.
The overlap between neurodiversity and the care experience
Children in care are disproportionately more likely to be neurodivergent. Foster carers often need support for children placed with them and this can include children with a disability or special need requiring extra support. Sadly, children with disabilities are more difficult for local authorities to place in foster homes. Additionally, many children in care have special needs that go unrecognised as many people are only diagnosed as neurodivergent a long time after leaving care.
The care experience can be difficult and traumatic to navigate for young people and it only poses additional challenges for those with neurodiversity. This overlap highlights the need for tailored care and understanding from those responsible for supporting these young people.
Impact on educational prospects
Care-experienced young people often face significant challenges in the education system due to factors such as disrupted schooling and inconsistent support networks. For those with neurodiversity, these issues are exacerbated by a lack of understanding from schools and environments that do not accommodate their learning needs.
Sensory issues, social communication differences, and the need for structured routines mean that traditional classroom settings can sometimes be overwhelming. Without appropriate adjustments, these young people may find it difficult to thrive academically and are at increased risk of school exclusions, disengagement, and lower academic attainment. They are also far less likely to move into Higher Education (HE) as a result.
Even if these young people have appropriate adjustments in secondary and post-16 education, accessing continued support can be a barrier to them when exploring HE. Whilst specialised support is available, accessing these resources can be a struggle. This is why having strong, knowledgeable advocates is so important to these young people. To empower HE staff to be these advocates, Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) has an e-learning for HE staff to help them understand and support disabled students.
Schools, carers and care professionals must work together to ensure these children receive the consistent support they need to reach their full potential through Further and Higher Education. Information on how they can support disabled learners on their HE journey is available at GHWY’s Supporting Disabled Learners on their Higher Education Journey webinar, which will take place on Thursday, 1 May. Registration is open now.
Another useful resource is GHWY’s Disabled Learners Transition Pack which helps learners and those supporting learners transition from Further Education (FE) to HE.
So, what can we do?
Recognising neurodivergent needs is key to ensuring that care-experienced children thrive and must go hand-in-hand with other adjustments.
Actionable steps you can take may include:
- Listening to your young person to understand what kind of support they feel they need
- Working with your young person to develop a support plan, empowering them and involving them in decision making
- Helping educators understand and adapt to your young person’s communication differences
- Working to provide as much stability and routine as possible outside of school
- Providing a safe space where they can express themselves without judgement and in a way that is comfortable for them
- Advocating for the right support systems in schools and at a local government level
Celebrating neurodivergence in the care system
Neurodivergence should not be seen as a challenge to overcome but as a strength to embrace.
Neurodivergent young people can bring incredible creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills to the world. This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, let’s challenge misconceptions and foster environments that ensure neurodivergent care-experienced young people feel valued and empowered.
Robb Scott, GHWY Training Delivery Officer
