Can you imagine if someone in a wheelchair was told they just needed to try harder to get up the stairs without a ramp?
Or, perhaps, if a child with vision problems was told to strain their eyes instead of being allowed to use glasses?
These scenarios, which are clear cases of disability rights infringement, may seem unlikely to ever occur — but their counterparts, with people who have hidden rather than visible disabilities, are taking place across the UK every single day.
While society has come a long way in recognising the need to support those with visible disabilities (those disabilities that can be readily seen), the same cannot be said for children and adults with hidden disabilities.
It is thanks to laws such as the Equality Act 2010 that people with visible disabilities are receiving the support they need so not to be at a substantial disadvantage in their daily lives.
Yet while the same laws are likewise there to serve and protect people with hidden disabilities, such as ADHD and high-functioning autism (HFA), the same level of support is seldom granted.
In fact, many with hidden disabilities — which can also include dyslexia, OCD, anxiety, and mood disorders — are actively being discriminated against.
It’s as if the old saying ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ applies when, by law, this should not, and must not, be the case.
For people with hidden disabilities, who are often also known as ‘neurodivergent’, also need help whether we can see their disabilities or not.
Far from understanding this, however, our institutions from schools to businesses, often seem to have a blind spot, with the result that people with hidden disabilities face having their needs ignored.
They can also face unfair blame or criticism when they display the symptoms of their hidden disabilities, such as can happen to children with high-functioning autism when they have a meltdown, or children with ADHD are accused of being disruptive.
This gross misunderstanding is exacerbated by the stigma that still surrounds hidden disabilities, making it difficult to discuss the matter openly and bring about the vital changes we need to see in our schools, workplaces, and society more generally.
And this is not an issue that only affects a small percentage of the population. It is reckoned that up to one in eight British children live with one or more hidden disabilities.
That represents many thousands of people young and old who are, through no fault of their own, being denied the chance to thrive and develop their potential for not only their own benefit but also that of society.
As a parent of two neurodivergent children who has had to fight for their rights on numerous occasions, I’m only too aware of these challenges and I found that many families face the same difficulties while researching my new book, Raising Kids with Hidden Disabilities: Getting It.
Take mainstream education as a good case in point. There is a woeful lack of understanding about hidden disabilities that is preventing children and their families receiving the extra support they require to not be at a disadvantage to their neurotypical peers.
Often, they will be told to try harder or get over it, as if they can simply turn off the symptoms of their condition rather than appreciating that those conditions are hardwired into them.
This situation can be summed up in one word: hypocrisy.
If the same thing were said to someone with a visible disability then there would be a public outcry, and rightly so.
Perhaps it’s not so surprising to find that this is happening when you learn that only 14 per cent of secondary teachers have received any neurodiversity training at all, according to the National Autistic Society.
As a consequence, many highly capable children with hidden disabilities are labelled as ‘difficult’ or ‘slow’ when, in reality, they just need the right environment to achieve.
One common challenge for many people with HFA is dealing with sensory overload.
Schools, by their nature, are loud and hectic so punishing a neurodivergent child or judging their parents isn’t going to address the problem. It will only make the daily stresses of having a hidden disability worse.
Instead, for example, some children may need the allocation of quiet rooms and additional time to recover from the stresses of school life.
On the flipside, schools could be providing children with ADHD more stimulation, focused on their particular interests to feed their turbocharged minds.
If this happened, be it in school or the workplace, you would find just how productive and creative many neurodivergent people can be, if only given the chance.
In turn, this would in the long term save the economy money in the additional resultant productivity and reduction in welfare costs resulting from more neurodivergent people being able to lead fulfilling, independent lives.
From scientists and engineers to tomorrow’s bestselling artists, musicians and film directors, people with hidden disabilities can shine if only allowed to unlock their tremendous potential.
And all it takes is a simple change in attitude on society’s part, beginning with full recognition and comprehension of hidden disabilities, just as is the case with visible disabilities today.
It should be normal to talk about our needs and ask about others’ needs. For example, if a child is anxious about school, we should ask what would make them feel safe. In the workplace, we can ask people with ADHD how to help them focus.
Talking about mental health has become easier, and now we need to do the same for hidden disabilities.
But for these conversations to happen, we need more awareness and understanding.
Having spent the last 15 years researching this issue for my new book, Raising Kids with Hidden Disabilities: Getting It — and with the primary objective of bringing hope by identifying a parenting framework that is truly supportive of the needs of children with hidden disabilities — I can say with confidence that children whose hidden disabilities are recognised rather than being glossed over can go on to lead productive lives.
So, rather than continuing to ignore, or blame, people with hidden disabilities, let’s instead ask, “What reasonable adjustments can help people reach their potential, regardless of whether their disabilities are visible or hidden?”
This would be a positive, and empowering, change for everyone, and something that cannot come soon enough.
Raising Kids with Hidden Disabilities: Getting It by Naomi Simmons (Jessica Kingsley Publisher) is available now on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats, priced £16.99, £11.04, and £17.49 respectively. For more information, visit www.peaceandhappiness.info.
