Inclusion for Neurodivergent Children: Why Safety Is Not an Excuse

Inclusion for neurodivergent children is not optional—it is a right.

My son Makaio is five years old. He has ADHD and Autism. We don’t cling to labels, but labels help others understand. Over the past few years, our family has invested more than $300,000 into early intervention therapies so he can thrive.

Makaio is bright, funny, and incredibly intelligent. He is chatty, talkative, and curious about everything. His challenges are not about his mind’s ability but about how it processes the world. His brain runs a million miles an hour, which makes sitting still and focusing like other kids nearly impossible.

Despite all our support, the truth is painful, everywhere we go, he has been kicked out, shunned, or excluded.

What Happened at Jiu Jitsu

Recently, I was told my son could no longer join his Jiu Jitsu group classes. The reason? “Safety.”

This is nonsense. I attend every single week and watch closely. Makaio has never been a danger to the other children. On Saturday mornings, with support, he participates just like any other child. He follows along, he engages, and he lights up with joy when he is there.

Yes, he can be loud. Yes, he sometimes talks over the teacher. Yes, he gets upset when he doesn’t win a game. But he is five years old, neurodivergent, and still learning how to navigate this world.

The suggestion was that Makaio should be in “1:1 classes.” But my son already receives 30 hours of one to one therapy every single week through Journey 2 Learn, and the team there are FANTASTIC. What he truly needs are group environments where he can build social skills, learn resilience, and gain confidence alongside other children. Excluding him does not keep anyone safe, it isolates him.

The Hidden Message Behind Exclusion

When an organisation says, “we can’t safely deliver classes,” what I really hear is, “your child isn’t wanted here.” How do I explain that to a five year old boy who just wants to belong?

Community sport should be about resilience, discipline, and inclusion. Hiding behind the word “safety” is not inclusion, it’s rejection in disguise.

This isn’t just about Jiu Jitsu. This is about how society treats children who don’t fit neatly into a box. Our kids deserve spaces where difference is welcomed, not punished.

To Every Mama of a Neurodivergent Child

Are you raising a child who doesn’t fit into the square box that society demands? Does your child think differently, act differently, and get excluded for it? Mama, I see you. I feel you. I am walking this path right alongside you.

I declare that I will stand for every excluded child. I will use my voice, my platform, and my reach, whether through blog posts, podcasts, or collaborations to drive change. If you know of a platform or podcast where I can share this message, please reach out: belle@surfthewildwoman.com.

Why Inclusion Matters

Every child deserves the chance to belong. For children like Makaio, group settings are not optional; they are essential. It is in these spaces that he learns to adapt, to share, and to grow alongside peers who may not think or act like him.

Inclusion is not an extra, it is a right. If we continue to push children like my son out, we are teaching them that the world does not want them. That is not the kind of world I want to raise my child in.

I will keep fighting for Makaio, and for every child like him. Because our kids deserve better than exclusion disguised as “safety.”

Gracie Barra Burleigh Heads are not inclusive of children with disabilities.