Since its inception almost 70 years ago, ESB’s never-diminishing focus and mission to unlock learners’ potential – to stretch the most able, support the least confident and close the disadvantage gap – is more poignant than ever as we celebrate Neurodiversity Week!

According to the Department of Education in England, 15% of students in the United Kingdom have a learning difference.

Founded in 2018 by Siena Castellon, an advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity in schools and the workplace, Neurodiversity Celebration Week celebrates people with learning differences.

The initiative aims to encourage educators to recognise the strengths and talents of neurodivergent learners and aims to educate teachers on how to identify and support them. Despite the significant percentage of students being neurodiverse, in England, teachers often do not feel sufficiently trained to provide a curriculum where the needs of neurodiverse learners are met.

Parallel to Siena’s vision – to educate and foster supportive environments for the neurodivergent, and to change the way they are perceived and supported – is ESB’s vision, reflected in its dedication to embrace inclusivity and to empower all its learners, through its assessments, to achieve their potential.

“By celebrating the strengths of neurodivergent individuals, we can begin the seismic shift of changing the way neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported, empowering them to achieve their potential”. Siena Castellon

ESB’s long-term commitment to supporting neurodivergent learners is demonstrated by its unique Speech portfolio of qualifications for learners with significant special educational needs and disabilities. By enabling its learners to develop key oracy and communication skills, ESB’s Speech assessments enable learners with special educational needs and disabilities to develop a sense of belonging, encouraging autonomy, as well as facilitating the fulfilment of potential.

Speaking at the Oracy APPG launch in April 2018 about his perspective on social mobility as a learner with Asperger’s, one of ESB’s Ambassadors commented that although recognising that like many people who live with Asperger’s he had good language skills, he felt that oracy training enhanced his communication skills. He recounted:

I wanted social communication but didn’t know how to go about getting it. That changed in Year 4 when I found ESB, which was so beneficial to me. It helped me with presenting skills, it helped me with eye contact which I used to struggle with a lot, it also showed me how to interact with people. It also helped me to listen to people, I didn’t know how to see things from other people’s perspectives but talking to people and learning to understand them was brilliant. I also experienced an unparalleled sense of achievement with every qualification I got, which boosted my confidence even more. Oracy Skills, developed from an early age can help bridge the social mobility gap for people like me, with disabilities such as Autism.

Tina Renshaw ESB’s Chief Executive, says:

We all want to be seen, be heard and understood, and for our strengths to be appreciated and for barriers to learning to be removed. ESB’s purpose to positively impact and provide inclusivity and the same opportunities for learners with significant learning disabilities is part of a wider campaign – its 70/70 Campaign. ESB aims to reach out to disadvantaged learners (those facing disadvantage from socio-economic factors, migration, and special educational needs and disabilities) and will support their schools, colleges and organisations financially to access its assessments, support and training. ESB’s trainers share with teachers classroom activities to build oracy skills and knowledge as well as guiding teachers to understand the levels of performance and its assessment criteria.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about promoting acceptance, tolerance, and understanding of difference. With its work and through its 70/70 Campaign, ESB endeavours to ensure that every learner reaches their full potential and embraces their unique super power!

If you are interested in our refreshed portfolio of Speech qualifications for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, we would love to hear from you! Please contact a member of our Business Development Team at business@esbuk.org for further information.