If schools cater to "typical" kids, what about the rest?

"Last year, I worked with a boy who dreaded school so much he would sometimes vomit on the drive there. His anxiety wasn't about tests or teachers in the usual sense. It was about the environment itself-the noise, the lights, the pressure to sit still in a classroom not built for how his brain works. His parents tried everything from walking him into school to rearranging schedules but nothing helped."

"One in five kids learns differently This child is neurodivergent, part of the one in five U.S. children who learn, process, and engage differently. Instead of helping these students to adapt, schools have tended to push kids like my client into rigid structures or "special" programs. The problem isn't these kids. It's that schools were built for neurotypical learners and haven't kept pace with what we know about development, learning, and mental health."

"October is ADHD awareness month, one of the many awareness months that highlights how common these challenges are. But unless schools change what happens in classrooms, awareness won't be enough. ADHD remains one of the most common childhood diagnoses, affecting 11.4% of school-aged children. The CDC now estimates that 1 in 31 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, up from 1 in 44 in 2018."

Neurodivergent children make up about one in five U.S. students and include those with ADHD, autism, and learning differences. Many schools rely on rigid, neurotypical-focused classroom designs and segregating special programs rather than adapting environments and teaching strategies. Sensory overload, inflexible seating, and pressure to conform contribute to anxiety and school avoidance in some children. Small, individualized adjustments by teachers—relationship-building, environmental changes, and reduced overwhelm—can transform engagement and belonging. Awareness months like October highlight prevalence, but systemic changes in classroom structure, pedagogy, and mental-health-informed practices are necessary to meet diverse learners' developmental and educational needs.

Read at Fast Company