More than inclusion: reimagining secondary education through neurodiversity-affirming practice

Despite growing recognition of neurodiversity as a valuable form of human variation, neurodivergent students, those who are autistic or have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia or other neurodivergent profiles, continue to face exclusion and disadvantage in secondary education. This article reports findings from Phase 1 of the Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools project: a participatory, co-produced enquiry applying a public and patient involvement and engagement approach. Using workshops, interviews and consultations with parents, educators, researchers, policymakers and neurodivergent young people, the study explored systemic barriers and facilitators to inclusion in mainstream secondary schools. Key findings highlight the need for whole-school culture change, reflective practice for teachers, lived experience-led training, alternative assessment methods and support for students unable to access school. Concepts such as epistemic injustice and the double empathy problem surfaced as critical in understanding barriers to inclusion. We outline a co-produced framework for future research into neurodiversity-affirming, universal interventions and scalable, sustainable change models in education. This article contributes to inclusive education, neurodiversity-affirming practice and systemic reform in the context of Scottish secondary schools, with likely applications in other similar educational contexts.