Neurodiverse children struggling in Jersey's education system

Three Jersey woman are campaigning for more government support for neurodiverse children in education.

Rachel Kelly, who runs an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) support group, said children with ADHD and autism were not properly supported.

She said she faced challenges in getting her children to attend school every day.

Jersey's education minister said training was being provided and a support centre was being set up.

Rachel Kelly said: "It got to the point where the children feared every point of school. I was driving them into school, I was having to deal with panic attacks.

"I have to call the teachers to come out and try and talk to the children to even get them into school... it's been horrific."

After her children were recently diagnosed with ADHD and Autism she started setting up the support group and has been "inundated with parents who are suffering".

Kate Thompson said she faced "daily challenges" in getting her child to school.

She said the education system for neurodiverse children was "broken... it hurts them, these kids are so sad and miserable and as a parent you are made to feel like a criminal, like you are not bothering to send your son to school".

Ms Thompson moved to Jersey in 2021 with her family. She said her son Oscar developed severe anxiety around going to school and would not attend.

School refusal is a common problem amongst children with the disorder, the ADHD foundation said.

It said ADHD in children was presented through struggling to sit still and concentrate on tasks, which could cause mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

Emma Hammond, said it took her "years" to get her ADHD diagnosis and she worried her son would face the same difficulties.

She said: "He's already suffering from anxiety and he is only six years old.

"He is scared to go into school, I didn't feel I was heard at all. Government need to prioritise this, the fact that we aren't being prioritised means we are struggling all our life with our mental health and not achieving our full potential."

The Education Minister Inna Gardiner said she was aware of the problem and had already started to provide more training for teachers and support for parents.

She said a neurodiversity centre would be set up in January 2023 to support children with ADHD and Autism.

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