I recently had a really fun conversation with Sarah, from ECIS. We exchanged leadership stories. She shared proudly about how her school was known for accepting a broad range of neurodivergence. At one point, someone in Sarah’s community tried to insult the school, referencing the diverse needs represented there. She told me what was meant to be an insult was one of the greatest compliments she had received.
We began discussing how many schools are still saying NO. Sure, we’ve come a long way in saying YES, but not nearly as far as we could come. Sarah said something that really stuck with me as a mantra for admissions teams and school leadership teams. She said you’ve got to “get to KNOW before you NO.” Plain and simple, that’s it. Sometimes, admissions paperwork comes onto a desk with a diagnosis, and assumptions are immediately made. Generalizations are had. Worry mounts. The NO comes out of fear.
But what if we took a moment to KNOW before we said NO? What if we spent the time to understand the students, and their needs and hear from them and their families and previous teachers? Not just in a reference request, but what if we really got to KNOW a child before telling them they would be excluded from our community? What difference might that make?
It is important to acknowledge this is a huge, life-altering decision we are making by saying YES or NO. Families and children move to new countries based on this decision alone. Stopping to reconsider, to shift our minds to a different approach is worthwhile.
How might we reframe this process all together? What if we looked for the different stages of saying YES? What if we found ways to reduce barriers, allow more access, and to think innovatively and get to YES?
A big thank you to Sarah for this fantastic conversation. Here’s a 2025 challenge to KNOW before you NO.
