In June, the Umbrella Project came to Aberdeen. It’s an initiative run by the ADHD Foundation. A series of stunning installations in the city have reminded us that an estimated one in five people come under the umbrella of neurodiversity.
It therefore seems like an appropriate time to raise a question that I’ve been posing to various pupils, parents and teachers recently. What would an exam system that embraces neurodiversity look like? The extent to which change is coming to Scottish exams is still unclear but, if there is a window of opportunity, we should consider how to level the playing field for Scotland’s neurodivergent pupils. Here’s the view from the three constituencies I consulted with:
The pupil perspective
These pupils have found the traditional exam system a challenge, given the immediacy and nature of a terminal exam.
“A neurodiverse-friendly assessment system would have open-book exams because, in a real-life situation, there would rarely be a point where we wouldn’t be able to refer to notes or ask for clarification or guidance,” said one.
Another said: “It would also be better if the exams were split over a few days, as it will reduce some of the stress caused by a long exam. From personal experience, I find it difficult to focus after around two hours.”
This led to an interesting point about how we conceive of continuous assessment. Very often this is just the terminal exam broken up into chunks but it is still essentially the same beast. Neurodivergent pupils would like to see a range of assessment options that enable them to showcase what they can really do.
The parent perspective
Speaking to parents who have tried to support their neurodivergent children has been fascinating. Identifying the root problem is not hard but finding solutions is. “One model does not fit all,” said one parent. “This is where equity comes in and that’s what’s missing from the assessment process in our education system. ”
And this parent’s viewpoint also resonated: “It’s unrealistic and unfair to assume one system of measurement could capture diverse ways of thinking, learning, processing and behaving. The current assessment process often results in a failure to capture a neurodivergent pupil’s true ability and potential.”
Another parent pointed out that the various systems that could be used, such as continuous assessment or increased use of technology, are still only as good as the people who implement them. How often, if ever, are neurodivergent pupils included in the design?
“I feel that the system is continuously failed by the inability to consider the experience of the neurodivergent child in its implementation,” a parent said. “I am always coming from the perspective ‘right, here is the system; find strategies to make it work for your neurodivergent child’ rather than ‘OK, design a system that would work for them’.”
This is where the transition from school to university is also significant.
“There is a wider discussion about how secondary and tertiary education assessments flow together,” another parent told me.
“Universities are using a lot of open-book exams, so research, structure, prep and presentation of supporting notes becomes more important than rote learning. There is no point in schooling secondary children to work one way and finding at university that their whole system for exam prep is turned on its head.”
The teacher perspective
Laura McConnell is a teacher and campaigner for neurodivergent people, and has several suggestions on what can be done.
“Switching exams fully online would be a fantastic shift towards a more neurodiversity-friendly system,” she said.
“Many neurodivergent pupils struggle with their motor skills and the writing process itself as a direct result of characteristics associated with their conditions. But there is a high comorbidity rate in the neurodivergent community with mobility conditions such as hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and cerebral palsy that also affect writing.”
“As use of ICT is already a common exam access arrangement for known affected pupils, making this universal would have a number of benefits. Not only would it be more inclusive, as it does not mark out neurodivergent pupils as different to their peers, but it would also benefit pupils with unidentified needs who struggle with the writing process. As an aside, the amount of staff time taken up by processing access arrangements would reduce too.”
Another teacher, Fergus Murray, said that universal design is something that should definitely be considered.
“So many failures of inclusion in schools come from rationing accessibility measures - treating them as an add-on to be allowed only in special cases, rather than something that ought to be built in from the beginning wherever possible. This is the essence of the Universal Design for Learning tool: the only way to fully accommodate neurodiversity in the classroom is to respect the huge variation in learners’ needs and cognitive styles by default.”
I was told that information, especially instructions, should always be provided in multiple formats; flexibility should always be planned for; and teachers should plan to motivate different students according to their interests and outlooks.
“These sorts of approaches stand to make things better for nearly all learners,” said Fergus. “Too many children find school boring, stressful and overwhelming. The more we can build in flexibility and autonomy for all learners, the less true that will be.
“For some learners, this sort of thing can make the difference between school being a place where they can learn and thrive, or a place they dread being forced to attend.”
Fergus also pointed out that, if the Covid lockdowns taught us anything, it was that there are many ways to make learning from home a success and that some people learn better that way.
He said: “A society that accepts home education and adult education would be a society where far more neurodivergent people are able to reach their full potential.”
So, where next? This article is merely the start of a discussion that needs to take place on a much wider and higher level. If we are sincere about our commitment to inclusive approaches to assessment, then this is an area that needs to be overhauled - and soon.
Robin Macpherson is head of college (headteacher) at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen. He tweets about education at @robin_macp
