When supports are unavailable, neurodivergent students are expected to function in environments not built for them—without accommodations, understanding, or safety.
They may be labelled as “disruptive,” blamed for their distress, or excluded from the classroom altogether. Families are left to navigate crisis after crisis, often paying out of pocket for private assessments, therapies, or supervision just to keep their children safe.
This dynamic creates what many parents describe as a “parallel system”: a private patchwork of care for those who can afford it, and a hollow public shell for those who cannot.