Learning,living and working with dyspraxia and ADHD: A neurodiverse dramatherapist’s comment on the formal education system

Abstract

The environment of formal education systems can be a difficult place for neurodiverse individuals to exist, navigate and thrive. This clinical comment explores the impact of these structures on individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The evolutionary theory underpins the article’s argument that ADHD ‘symptoms’ could be considered adaptive depending on their environment, yet a plethora of neurodiverse people experience feelings of failure and negative life trajectories, so it is imperative that education systems reconsider their structures. To further support the case for educational restructuring, trauma-informed research is used to highlight flaws in the United Kingdom’s mainstream education system that parallels the gaps that neurodiverse learners fall through. This article uses an autoethnographic lens to look at the problems within these structures and how they impact both learners and employees, from children to adults. The Sesame Approach to Drama and Movement Therapy (DMT-Sesame) is considered as a comparative structure, which focuses on the body, creative freedom, exploration, authenticity, and individuality, and could accentuate the quality of many neurodiverse traits. DMT-Sesame could therefore inspire the changes that ought to be made to formal educational structures, whereby learning environments are accessible to every individual and enable self-discoveries that support successful development.