Tom Howard, 29, is autistic and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Now he’s taking that passion and fire across the pond, lobbying for autism awareness training to be required for all UK teachers. This project comes from his late diagnosis of autism in July 2016. Back then, he was just 20 years old and putting his all into his university education. Howard’s petition, which has the support of more than 10,000 residents, has made a dent. Its aim is to empower educators with the knowledge and tools to understand and support neurodivergent students.
Howard’s own experiences with the education system and the ensuing activism inspired his campaign. He could not cope with shifting schedules and got lost in the classroom. He didn’t have the benefit of a regular series of one-on-one mentoring sessions with a trusted staff member. These challenges underscored the necessity to provide more thorough and well-rounded training for educators about how to better include autistic students in mainstream classrooms.
In his study, Howard conducted surveys with more than 80 postsecondary instructors. He found that 90% of them would like neurodivergent training. This statistic is a clear testament to the strong demand for PD focused on this specific area. Howard pointed out that 70% of autistic young people don’t feel teachers have enough knowledge about autism. He is committed to closing this gap with his day-to-day advocacy work.
Howard feels that mandatory autism training will help to make educational environments more friendly for students on the spectrum. He’s convinced it’s improving the mental health of neurodivergent students. He continued with, “Every autistic child has the right to get the right support at school – and teachers need the help too, to be able to deliver it.” His vision extends beyond just being in the classroom with students. While Hepp is excited that more neurodivergent teachers and support staff are entering the community, he believes that all education professionals need to have a proper toolkit to foster understanding.
Joey Nettleton Burrows, who leads a neurodiversity advocacy organization, agreed with Howard’s assessment. Sharing what happens when people don’t understand autism Free range students unapologetically visualizing how unsupported students with autism usually end up. This lack of understanding can have dire consequences, damaging their attendance and success. Lastly, Burrows made a forceful case for teacher preparation. He wishes for a wider knowledge among educators of how to identify the signs and symptoms of neurodivergence and approaches that best facilitate interaction with those individuals.
Howard’s call for change goes beyond just teacher training. Earlier this year, he urged the government to reinstate the Disability Cost of Living Payment to support individuals with disabilities in the face of rising living costs. As the father of an autistic adult, he passionately fights for the rights of all autistic people. His devotion was recently recognized when he won the Personal Achievement Award at the Autism Hero Awards.
The facts and figures about neurodiversity in the UK are striking. As stated by the national charity Children’s Society UK, neurodivergence represents between 15 and 20 percent of young people. This shifting demographic reality speaks to how important it is for our educational systems to meet this moment and lead with care and creativity.
Howard stressed the need for better teacher training. This improvement serves the needs of students and creates a culture of care for staff at all levels. “Every teacher deserves the tools to recognize and respond to neurodivergence—and every student deserves to be understood,” he said.
Looking back on the record-setting support for his petition, Howard said he was just thankful that the public engaged on his issue. Seeing Coming to the Table in action was powerful, of course, but what made it even more impressive was the public response to this event. For now, he’s watching with bated breath for the administration’s response.
