Neuro-Normative Epistemic Injustice – Consequences for the UK Education Crisis and School Anxiety

The UK education system is failing to meet needs, leading to an attendance and school anxiety crisis. However, the system faults those disproportionately and most visibly struggling – namely Neurodivergent and SEND learners – as outliers instead of warning signs. Only through acknowledgement of systemic internal mechanisms can the complexity and scope of the education crisis be addressed. In this commentary, we explore school anxiety through the underlying systemic mechanisms within neuro-normativity, epistemic injustice, and consequent affordances, or opportunities for action. Specifically, we argue that the rigid adherence to neuro-normative academic standards inherently fosters a loss of inclusivity and poor teacher knowledge and attitudes. Student camouflaging, or behavioural changes aimed at minimising overt Neurodivergent characteristics, may, thus, arise to navigate neuro-normativity, exacerbating school anxiety. Ultimately, this piece advocates for a paradigm shift away from pathologizing a context-driven problem as inherent to neurodivergence and instead calls for recognising ‘school anxiety’, and other educational consequences, as signals of a deeper systemic issue.