In Poland, the qualification process usually begins when teachers see a “problem” with a child – they then say that the child is “difficult,” “naughty,” not concentrating. And it is sent to the psychological and pedagogical counseling center. I have this experience not only as a counselor of families who told me how it looked in their case, but also as a graduate of pedagogical studies and a mother -.I diagnosed my son a few months ago – states educational consultant Barbara Salamon.
Increasingly, it’s also the parents who are stepping forward to say that maybe something is up. Teachers in Poland often don’t have time to think about it, they just see the problem and pass the information to the parents without thinking about the possible causes. This can be seen especially in public schools, where classes are quite large – notes the expert, then adds:As we are already in this psychological and pedagogical clinic, the process of diagnosis are very cool, very reliable, meticulous, and the children get neurodiversity certificates. Although the parent does not have full support – coming to the counseling center, it is the parent who has to suggest in what direction the child should be diagnosed. He can’t come in and say he’d like a diagnosis because he doesn’t know what’s going on with the child. Just how is a parent supposed to know whether to diagnose a child for ADHD or autism spectrum disorder? – he asks rhetorically.
The process itself often takes up to several months due to the low availability of specialists – a psychologist, an educator, and often a psychiatrist are involved. The ruling issued includes instructions to the school on how to work with the child in question. Unfortunately – our Polish system focuses on minimizing problems, instead of developing the student’s strengths. More emphasis is placed on how to function with the child in the classroom, rather than how to draw out his full potential.
In contrast, in foreign, doctored private schools, especially in British and Swiss ones, qualification is more holistic. Already applying, we must have a diagnosis from a psychological-educational counseling center – if it turns out that the student doesn’t have one, and already during the course of study there is a suspicion that something is “up”, parents are often turned back to a Polish counseling center. It is simply better to diagnose the child in his native language – Barbara Salamon notes.
If we already have a ruling from a national counseling center, it is translated into English. In addition to this, the schools conduct their own tests – this could be the Morrisby test or the Cat4 type test, which help identify not only the difficulties, but also the talents and aptitudes of the student. This ensures that the process focuses on the child’s potential, rather than just the challenges of learning – emphasizes the expert, then adds:In Poland, neurodiversity is treated as a problem and therapeutic support is offered, such as classes with an educator or therapies organized outside of school. Sometimes individual lessons are implemented, if the school is able to provide them. What is missing, however, is an approach that supports the talent and development of these students’ passions. It is very often the case that students with neurodiversity are above average in intelligence and their potential is not realized. It is for this reason, among others, that the Neurodiversity Foundation was established by Veronica Tomiak, a boarding school graduate. Its goal is to make the public aware, not only at the school stage, but also among adults in workplaces, of how the potential of people with neurodiversity can be used.
Different countries and schools, different approaches
Boarding schools in Europe or the US offer very different approaches. These can include specialized programs in inclusive schools. Although there are schools strictly prepared to teach students with special needs, very often students with neurodiversity are admitted to completely “normal” schools. They are provided with trained assistants, extra support so that they learn to function in society, alongside their peers. In practice, this means, for example, access to on-site therapists, mentoring programs, activities that develop their abilities, such as art, music or technology – Barbara Salamon describes.
In terms of living in a community and boarding school environment, there is a special emphasis on routine – a lot of predictability is a factor that people with neurodiversity are much more secure with. As a result, their development passes much more easily, quickly and efficiently. As a result, it very often turns out that students, especially those with ADHD or on the autism spectrum, later often achieve top results, get into top universities and have great careers.
Particularly in the UK, a great deal of work is being done to integrate children with neurodiversity into the school community, into active group life. A lot of attention is returned to emotional development, to social skills, with, of course, adequate support, which in this case means proper trained educators.
Curricula in British schools often use elements of behavioral or cognitive therapy. In the United States, the system is more diverse. Some schools specialize in SEND, or Special Education Needs. These are schools that primarily teach children with neurodiversity. Of course, there are also “regular” schools that accept children with special needs, especially high-functioning children with autism, for example. Support is based on art programs, classes in technology, art, music and as much integration into society as possible.
The first year is often the so-called transition year – children learn a new system, a new life, a new country. Another example worth citing is Switzerland, where structure and precise planning of the day is even more important. There, the day is planned from the very morning – what to do, when to do, how to do it. As a result, children with neurodiversity, but also those who are “completely healthy,” learn much better how to function in a group and plan their lives.
The beginnings are the most important – after that it gets easier
The beginning is indeed a challenge, which is why it is so important to properly prepare and support the child even before the trip. Preparation of both the child and the parents is crucial. It’s first and foremost to work on the language to eliminate at least this one difficulty, but also to work intensively with a therapist. It would be good if it was therapy for the family for at least a few months, to prepare them for the challenges that await them and to facilitate later adaptation.
My experience shows that children who may initially have difficulties often surprise themselves, their parents and their environment by integrating into their new environment. I spoke with a mother whose son started at a boarding school in Italy in September, with English taught. She said that her son now feels great because he has an assistant who is his “second mom” – She often talks to him about what he’s bad at and gets various protips on how to cope.
He also told his mother that he now feels like someone special – and it must be said that he is indeed above average in intelligence. In Polish school, having a ruling and clashing with the Polish system, he felt as someone inferior, dumber. He had to go to individual lessons. So just how students are perceived and how their self-esteem is built is very important here. Schools focus on just discovering these talents of theirs and maximizing their potential, so they don’t feel inferior in any way. All of this applies to private schools, of course. Unfortunately, the world standard is underfunded public schools, and it costs money to train and hire specialists. And it is precisely these specialists that are in short supply.
It may happen that if a school has already accepted several students with neurodiversity for the next school year, it has no more places. Then it will deny a particular student admission, because it doesn’t want to accept a student it can’t take care of. And that’s why it’s so important to apply early, because the school’s refusal decisions usually don’t depend on the fact that the school doesn’t want to take care of a particular child, but simply isn’t able to anymore, because it already has its resources allocated to other children.
The process of choosing a school itself is different, but certainly not more difficult. For example – especially for the last years of high school, the A-levels system will often be better for such children than, for example, the International Baccalaureate, which is very directional. In the United States, they are careful to take a very individual approach, so you can even skip subsequent subjects by a couple of years. The key in this process is the experience of the counselor.
Let’s not be afraid of neurodiversity. Let’s note that the world’s greatest businessmen, the world’s greatest artists are very often the very people with neurodiversity. And they are, after all, unparalleled minds.
