Keynote address at the Neurodivergence in Education Conference
I was honoured to be invited deliver a keynote address at the Neurodivergence in Education Conference this week hosted by Westminster Insight. I have been a long-time advocate for the need for increased awareness and support for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in education. However, this support should not stop once you leave school. We need to ensure that support continues into adulthood and the workplace.
I talked about how in my maiden speech as a Member of Parliament, I talked about my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia and the importance of support for those who are neurodiverse. I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia at the age of 12 and was very lucky to get the support I needed.
I and everyone at the conference have a shared passion for all neurodiverse children to have access to such support and how early intervention in education is the key to enabling those with SEND to thrive. There needs to be more support for newly qualified teachers in understanding and being able to recognise those with SEND. Alongside early intervention and better teacher training, the ways that schools are assessed needs to be reformed. Ofsted should place a higher emphasis on the need for schools to have good SEND support.
I believe strongly that we should be using the term learning difference, not learning difficulty. It is not a disadvantage to have a brain that is wired differently to others. Instead, it means we have a more diverse society and ultimately workforce who can provide alternative and new insights to many areas.
As the Chair of the Dyslexia and Other Special Learning Difficulties All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and Chair of the Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security All Party Parliamentary Group, I am engaging in interesting and necessary conversations with Members of Parliament, the relevant Departments, specialists, educators and those with lived experiences to create meaningful change.
It was great to be in a room with others who share my passion for SEND and neurodiversity provision and support. After my speech, I hosted a Q&A where many interesting points were raised that I will continue to advocate for in my role as a Member of Parliament and Chair of two APPGs.
It was also announced this week that Suffolk County Council is set to receive an £11 million investment into SEND services. I welcome this investment from the Department for Education which will be life changing for many.
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