With thanks to Dan Licence, an Education Mental Health Practitioner, for writing this blog for us.
As part of my job as an Education Mental Health Practitioner, I assess students for mental health problems. The process is always the same; I receive a referral from the school along with a list of presenting problems. I then meet with the student to explore these problems and identify any potential underlying mental health issues. However, what I often find, either at the point of assessment or as the sessions progress, is that there are a number of students who present with neurodiversity – differences in how young people think, learn, and process the world.
This is no surprise – studies show that approximately 15-20% of children and young people in the UK are considered neurodivergent, and of that 15-20%, roughly 50-70% experience co-occurring mental health difficulties. But where things get tricky is that it’s often the mental health presentation that gets them identified for support, which influences the type of support they receive.
It’s a bit like the iceberg image (below), where the tip of the iceberg poking out above the water is what we see. But the bulk of the iceberg that sits beneath the water is the bit that we don’t see (“we” being teachers, parents, support staff etc in this scenario). In the case of neurodivergent students who have co-occurring mental health difficulties – what we see might be anxiety, low mood, challenging behaviour, persistent tiredness etc. But what we don’t see are the daily challenges associated with having to navigate a world designed for neurotypical brains – sensory overload, executive dysfunction, social communication challenges to name a few.
For parents and teachers, recognising what sits underneath a child’s behaviour is key to getting the right kind of support. That’s not to say that a neurodiverse student wouldn’t benefit from some of the universal principles a mental health intervention can offer (psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, breathing/grounding techniques etc). But by taking a mental health approach to a neurodiversity issue, we focus on managing the symptoms, not the cause.
One way of combating this is through educating mental health practitioners around neurodivergence. In the NHS, this has already started taking place. The Health and Care Act 2022 requires NHS-regulated service providers to ensure their staff receive mandatory learning disability and autism training tailored to their roles. This is a positive step as it helps us to understand the overlap between mental health and neurodiversity issues much better. We can then tailor our sessions accordingly, or refer on to specialist support where the presenting problems exceed the remit of our role.
However, in an ideal world, parents and teachers would also receive training on this topic. This would help reduce the number of inappropriate referrals, and ensure that the young person gets access to appropriate professional support at a sufficiently early age.
Ultimately, the goal is not to label too quickly, but to understand. Neurodivergence calls for adjustments and acceptance, while mental health difficulties may require emotional support or intervention. By staying curious, observant, and responsive, parents and teachers can create environments where young people feel understood and supported, allowing them to thrive, not just survive.
For more information about neurodiversity, I recommend the following links:
At Osborne Cawkwell, we have been raising awareness of Mental Health issues and Special Educational Needs (SEN) since 2016. Our tutors are well placed to spot the potential early warning signs, and work collaboratively with our in-house specialists to provide the best support for your young person.
For more information or advice, contact our founder, Lucy Cawkwell, at lucy@octuition.co.uk
