Beyond the Limits of Mainstream Thinking : Reimagining Support for Neurodivergent Individuals

In many mainstream schools, conversations about supporting neurodivergent individuals often begin with good intentions—but they are also often framed by invisible boundaries. One phrase I’ve heard used with educators is:

“We’ll do what we can—but this isn’t a specialist setting.”

On the surface, it sounds practical, perhaps even honest. But underneath lies a deeper belief: that inclusion in mainstream settings is conditional—that there's a limit to what is possible here, and anything beyond that belongs somewhere else.

This mindset, though rarely intended to exclude, can subtly reinforce the idea that neurodivergent learners are out of place in mainstream environments. And for the young people themselves, the impact can be profound.

A Question of Belonging

In my research, neurodivergent young people have described feeling like guests in their own classrooms—accommodated, but not truly included. Many schools are structured around an idea of "normal" that remains largely unchallenged, with deviations from that norm requiring adjustment, support plans, or in some cases, removal.

But what if we flipped the question?

What if instead of asking, “How far can we stretch the mainstream to include this student?”, we asked:
“What kind of environment helps this student thrive—and what can we learn from that?”

This moves us from the language of limits to the language of possibility.

The Specialist vs. Mainstream Binary

Framing support in binary terms—mainstream or specialist—can oversimplify the complexity of learner needs and strengths. It also risks positioning specialist settings as the only places where inclusion can “really” happen, rather than exploring how the principles of specialist practice can enrich every classroom.

In reality, many of the practices that support neurodivergent learners—low arousal approaches, clear communication, sensory-friendly environments, flexible pacing, strength-based teaching—are simply good pedagogy. They benefit all students.

So rather than asking whether a student “fits” the setting, we might ask: How can the setting evolve to fit the diversity of students within it?

A Shift in Perspective for Educators

Teachers and support staff are often doing their best within structures that weren’t designed with neurodivergence in mind. But the phrase “we’re not a specialist setting” can become a subtle shorthand for resignation. And that resignation sends messages—both to students and to colleagues—about whose needs matter most.

Coaching can play a powerful role here. By inviting reflection, challenging assumptions, and fostering curiosity, coaching conversations can help educators notice the narratives they hold and shift from compliance-based inclusion to commitment-based inclusion.

Reimagining What’s Possible

True inclusion doesn’t mean pushing the boundaries of mainstream practice until they break. It means rethinking what those boundaries are for in the first place.

It means designing for difference—not reacting to it.

It means holding space for the messiness of learning, the complexity of behaviour, and the full humanity of every young person.

And above all, it means believing that flourishing shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for some—it should be the expectation for all.