Schools should be safe spaces if they’re to encourage children to learn. However, even the seemingly safest and most supportive school environments can harbour perils for neurodivergent children and young people (CYP). The hustle and bustle of an active classroom can generate deep anguish. This is their daily reality – an emotional battleground with them at the front lines. So, it should be no surprise when they want to retreat. Psychology researchers at the University of Newcastle, UK, have discovered just how closely connected neurodivergence is to school refusal. Their research prompts uncomfortable questions and introduces a sobering term to the lexicon of neurodiversity studies.
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