Thread by @naomicfisher

‘Lack of psychologists hits pupils with special educational needs’ this article demonstrates how psychology is (inefficiently) being used to prop up the educational system which fails many children. Thread below. theguardian.com/education/2021…

1/ It works like this. Child is not thriving in the system, whether that is shown by distress, behaviour or academic difficulties. Child is referred to psychology where they often wait for a very long time.

2/ During this time, everyone’s energies are put into hoping that the assessment process will provide the desired solutions. Finally the top of the waiting list is reached.

3/ Child is then assessed and a very lengthy report is written on all the things this child is finding hard. Sometimes a diagnosis might be given. Either way, it’s about assessing the child and what might be ‘wrong’ with them.

4/ This job, of assessing a long line of children and writing reports about their deficits, is not much fun and burns psychologists out quickly - hence part of the problem eluded to in this article, they can’t keep people in these jobs.

5/ Child then returns to school with their assessment reports which will contain recommendations of things the school could do. Perhaps movement breaks, or wobble cushions, or a space to go when overwhelmed.

6/ Assessing the school environment and how child-friendly it is is typically not part of the assessment process. No one asks, are the things school asks of this child reasonable? Might I behave like this child, given these circumstances? Might the system be the problem?

7/ In this way, psychologists prop up a system which they may see isn’t working for a lot of kids - this article says 130 a day. Because when the children are defined as the problem, we don’t ask whether the system is fit for purpose.

8/ We separate off some children as if they are distinctly different and don’t fit, rather than asking whether a system which fails so many children might require rethinking for all.

9/ And we sell families a lie, because we tell them that the only way to ensure their child’s happiness is assessment and diagnosis, when in fact these things may, but also may not, help. They wait, desperately hoping for solutions.

10/ What if instead, we could say to parents, you know what, this educational system is wrong for your child, no fault of the child or you, but it’s not going to meet their needs. It needs to change, but right now, you might want to try something different.

11/ And then we could support all children to learn and thrive in the way that works for them, rather than diagnosing them with disorders and tell them that they are the ones with the problem.