Next is ADHD and Crime, and this is a school to prison pipeline. Like forty percent, it's known fact forty percent of kids in youth vending institutions have ADHD. You heard earlier we have a very solid number of twenty five percent of people in prisons have ADHD, which obviously way above we'd expect proportionally and a lot of evidence suggesting it's much much higher. It's no surprise people get failed in education and fall into crime. And Doctor Neil Alexander-Passe, who is neurodivergent, he's written a book ADHD and Crime Investigating the School to Prison Pipeline. He's discussing he started his experiences at schools at Centro. He's then.

Running some innovative projects to support young people, to support people with ADHD in schools. He's going to talk about the challenges and the awareness of undiagnosed people. It's a big deal, it's a big topic. He very kindly pre recorded this yesterday, and that's because he's at a religious celebration today. And so I'm gonna play that now. And you gotta wish me luck because if for people here earlier, we knew we had some exciting challenges around video technology, which I'm hoping I've done some good jobs on fixing.

Hello. And I am very excited to, and I'm gonna see you give this talk today at the Global ADHD Conference. This is a new book called ADHD and Crime, which is just come out, available on Amazon, and I am here to, and, obviously, tell tell you about it. Work out. Okay. About me. I am London, UK based. I'm just let lexic my myself. I'm a graphic designer, my first degree. About twelve year years ago, I I retrained to be a secondary school teacher, really looking to work in in the field of of an MC special needs. For the last nine years, I've been a let me see. So that is a special needs manager with within schools. And and and I have just just joined a six at Vomcote College as a exam access assessor, which is really.

Great as it is allowing me to give the the more time or rest of breaks or or various supports need needed for an, obviously, six six form and sick 16 plus students to to really do do well in their NMC start studies. I'm also a expert for the Department of Education. For my fiftieth, I'm 56 now, I gained my PhD, and it was in dyslexia school based trauma and post school success. And I'm a read read such an author of 15 books on dyslexia, men mental health and success. See if this will move on. So here are some some of my my books. They are all, and I think, available on Amazon. And it really is, moving my own life, life as someone with neurodiverse needs. So you will see here a lot a lot of these are on mental.

And mental health and also surviving as a dyslexic through a school, through through get getting married, being a pet parent. And, really, the the books to the book bottom are some fiction I was working on. All all of these are, obviously, available. A fascinating one on on the top right is looking at at dating marriage and and parenthood. My this is based based on a new book series on crime. So the first one was dyslexia neurodiversity in crime came out in 2023. And the latest book on ADHD and crime came out in June, so it's it's fairly new. And I've just written these latest one on autism and crime. So it really is looking at and see different sides sides of school, from a school view, and it really.

It is all about the the school to put bits and pipe line. How how what happens in a school can lead to to peep people with newer diverse needs fall falling into the wrong crowd, and that therefore and, obviously, crime crime follows that. Also, it's very much about as a a school lead leader myself, what is it that that we're doing in school that either supports a a neurodiverse learner doing well, or it is creating more, obviously, barriers. And with dyslexia, it it is in summary, I guess, it is kids who are struggling with their reading, writing of being blamed being late lazy, and that therefore, they put put put into the lower sets, and that therefore, that leads leads to them fall falling in with the wrong crap crowd. With the ADHD.

It's very much about kids being perceived to be naughty and therefore blamed and therefore, just, dealt fairly severely by the school policies regarding just just, obviously, behavior. With the autism, it is quite strange because it's the the meltdowns. The meltdowns are are being blamed. The meltdowns are caused by the school not supporting them, so therefore, the child has a meltdown. And therefore, when the child, let's say, has a meltdown and and and lashes out some some times in a a blind panic, then just them being blamed for the property damage and violence on and the others on a very un just un unconscious re reaction. So why the book? Okay. So I began working in a secondary school in North London, and it was a boys school.

And post COVID, there was a huge rise in the number number of students with ADHD, pry privately tested and also taught it series on crime. So the first one was dyslexia neurodiversity in crime, came out in 2023. And the latest book on ADHD and crime came out in June, so it's it's very new. And I've just written these latest one on autism and crime. So it really is looking at and see different sides sides of school, from a school view, and we really it is all about the the school to put bits and pipe line. How how what happens in a school can lead to to peep people with newer diverse needs fall falling into the wrong crowd, and that therefore and, obviously, crime crime follows that.

Also, it's very much about as a a school lead leader myself, what is it that that we're doing in school that either supports a neurodiverse learner doing well, or it is creating more, obviously, barriers? And with dyslexia, it it is in summary, I guess, it is kids who are struggling with their reading writing of being blamed being late lazy, and that therefore, they put put put into the lower sets, and that therefore, that leads leads to them fall falling in with the wrong crowd. With the ADHD, it's very much about kids being perceived to be naughty and therefore blamed and therefore just dealt fairly severely by the school policies regarding the just the just the I don't see behavior. With the autism.

It is quite strange because it's the the meltdowns. The meltdowns are are being blamed. The meltdowns are caused by the school not supporting them, so therefore, the child has a meltdown. And therefore, when the child, let's say, has a meltdown and and and lashes out some some times in a a blind panic, than just them being blamed for the property damage and violence on and see others on a very un just un unconscious re reaction. So why the book? Okay. So I began working in a secondary school in North London, and it was a boys school. And post COVID, there was a huge rise in the number of students with ADHD, pry privately tested and also referrals to MMC CAMS. I was quite busy, and I knew just what MMC screeners should be used for cabs.

And I could see that these kids were falling foul of the school, but but and a behavior policy kept gaining a lot lots of negatives and sent to the local PRU, pupil referral unit. There was a lack lack of skill skill and awareness about ADHD with within these teaching staff, and they they weren't really sure what what to do. And parents were choosing to not medicate relying on on the school to severe severe ADHD kids, but with without any form form of treatment. And the the the parents were blaming the school for not supporting their choice to to not med medicate. Now I'm I'm not someone that that will will say that you should medicate your your child, but.

So you choose to not, then then really, I think you should be supporting them in another way so that they can cope cope. So so I did something something positive. I worked with Addis, which was a charity in North North London with the amazing Andrea Bilbao. And I found a pot pot money, and we got ADHD men at all to to come into the school, specialized MMC staff, either pick people with ADHD themselves or or or obviously, parents of of of kids kids with ADHD. Parent courses, parent empathy help, alliance staff training, and a and a free fit fit fidget toy for for for every student with either ADHD or an MC or autism. And the results were amazing. It completely changed the the score. There there was a d a decrease of negatives and over.

Referrals to to the PRU and an increase as supportive tray training of staff. Staff learned learned learned about medication and why it's used, and to send also the the and the negatives took to it. Parents felt listened to. The students felt listened to, and it was a much time time to place to be. And then then we we gained more and, obviously, fund funding for a second year for the project. There were a lot of challenges in just in school, and the and the book talks it talks about these. It teachers perceive ADHD kids being naughty and dangerous. So all the the impulsive traits they will show, and and they weren't really asking why. Because there wasn't there wasn't time for for that. They are juggling a a a a class of four four 30 kids.

It's not really well known what what is these cause of ADHD, and that that is the the dope dopamine deficit. So so so with without that, these child is in shock. So what what is ADHD? Well, it's a dopamine deficit. Dopamine is the the pleasure give giving drug with within the body. It's normally created in a in a natural way. So a child, you or I just might not just not have an ADHD. So a a chocolate bar or a nice apple could just could and, obviously, give us pleasure. For a child child with ADHD, that's not going to work. They will need sport. They they will need, and I'm seeing adrenaline just going through their veins. So a a a run or a fight or a argument could be that for them, and that gives them far more pleasure. It's alterate.

Pro processing, obviously, difficulty. So that means that to to try and decide what are things to do first and to organize their their studs studies and to and to try and break down energy task is is a pro processing task. Say that you, and obviously, struggle with with that, then you will you will really, and obviously, have a hard time. A last week, I I saw on Facebook a really lovely analogy analogy. Here is a pen, a biro. It's got one lead lead there with with ink or or tube with with ink. Now imagine so it's quite easy for for someone to to use it to write. Imagine those those pens where there is, like, set seven inks inks there, and you are choosing which one to use. Now this is what someone with a ADHD.

Struggles with. It's because they they're trying setting their brain, there are voices telling them to do things. Their their brains rate racing. And so rather than getting out wanting to write, they're pressing on all of them together, and therefore, it it gets jammed. So so you can't write. And the this is the these processing and, obviously, difficulty. There's there's too much going on, and therefore, nothing's done. There were three subtypes. You've got hyperactive and the impole impulsive subtype. You've got the attentional subtype and and the combined, the the two the two above. So so there are three LMC subtypes. And subject to the the subtype, you will treat treat it in setting LMC different ways. So.

A problem is also the the school the the policy. Class sizes are growing. The demands on on teachers grow growing. And then then the school wants wants them to to sit down, you know, to to sit down and and be so called normal. No one's normal. It's call causing kids kids with ADHD to fill traps like like a cage a cage lion, all these rules of of what of what you should do and shouldn't do, of sitting downs sitting down and sitting up and not moving and not playing with your pen. You know? All these rules rules are really difficult, and that causes them to to to just feel feel feel like a trapped lion. So the start study began with with a on the alliance survey just with various facebook groups, ADHD facebook groups, and there are a lot.

It's asked asked and obviously how they were diagnosed, how they were treat treated in in school, and why why they and and how they they were draw drawn into MC crime. Some of them had gone gone to to prison, but mainly low just low level crime just not be being caught. A lot fill filled it out, and and and, obviously, 25 were were then in the in the interviewed by myself for the book. There are no quotes from them, but, really, it it was to to confirm the the themes the themes I was talking about. Results are huge. So it said it was about medication, the the traits showing up. Seven seven seventy one percent of the group lacked focus. Sixty five percent had poor time management in impulsivity, lack of motivation, poor self image.

Relationship, and difficulties. Sixty three percent have been offered medication, but forty five percent of of that group carried on taking it. A lot self self medicated for their ADHD. A lot felt felt blamed by their school and and for for doing things out out of their control. Thirty two percent of the sample had been spoken to by the police between the ages of 12 to 18 years old, seven percent in, I don't see, primary school, and ten up and ten up up percent between the the ages of nine, 18, and 30. The type of drugs they were involved with were drugs, stealing, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, violence towards property, and violence towards others. And.

And the book talks, it talks about set several things. So so the the need need for early screening of fast and the diagnosis. Fifty four percent of my sub sample were and I'm seeing diagnose from a 30 year years old and and up. It's 30 to 45, so sorry, for the typo, and twenty five percent between nine and ten and 30. So a lot were not seen at school, and that and that that is quite telling for for me. We need to to to check change the narrative, of of teachers seeing a a child being perceived to be naughty and then blaming them for that rather than, obviously, asking why. Why why why are they, obviously, doing it? In fact, what is it that just that the teacher isn't doing? They're not in just in in engaging.

The learner. They're not thinking about their needs. And, therefore, this is going to be some fairly difficult chat with the MC teacher because the way that they are teaching isn't supporting all the learners in their and, obviously, class classroom. And that and that message required. They are required under the quality first teaching framework to be the main teacher for every learner within their within their classroom. They're not doing that. The the third point are the school just per just per, I don't say, behavior policies. They're very strict, and they are there to con a troll. School school is more like a and, obviously, prison.

It is a form of con a troll on everything that they do at that time. All all the doors are locked. So in some schools, toilets are just are are locked. They must sit sit sit in a class in a in a certain way. So some of the schools that you are you need to be silent walking around. Okay? Everything is about con and control, and it's through that con and control that schools can just can really cope. But kids with ADHD, they feel feel feel like like like a caged lion with all these these rules. They need bit physical movement. They they need to to develop their own and, obviously, adrenaline build building act to act just act act activities. So rather than saying sit sit in your your chair for the next forty five minutes.

Allow them to go for a run before, yeah, before the the lesson, and then they will come in with the with with a natural level of adult dopamine. They've got awesome problems. Say that the the child take takes the medication, they will feel numbed numbed by it. And therefore, many take to take glycate's high high it's just a high caffeine drink to to do do with feeling numb. And and so the caffeine drinks gives them that buzz. But but the caffeine drink is giving them that dope dopamine high, and following that, you you will have a low. And, therefore, some to some kids are taking three or four of these cap caffeine drinks a day, and they're going high, low, high, low, high, low, and they're just bouncing throughout the day. So so in.

Summary, a lot lots of kids kids with ADHD, they feel rejected and miss misunderstood by the adults that that should be the, obviously, experts. Could be the parents, could could be teachers or or school school school lee leaders. So they feel they feel that everyone is against them. And and that and that sort of thing drives them to do things. Crime crime is a a choice, and they're choosing to get their own back, really. So the way that we, obviously, tackle this is to try to break the the school to put prison pipe alive, and that is changing how we in school support kids with, let's say, ADHD. We need to get to get them diagnosed earlier. And for that to, obviously, happen, we need to raise the the level of awareness through.

Through, really, training. So so to to to break the the school to print and piper line, we need to, obviously, assess kids earlier. We we need to treat them earlier, and therefore, they will not need they will gain through the medication, say you choose to choose to to really take it that constant level of dope dopamine drug so that they can sit down in lessons and do well. I've seen kids who are taking ADHD medication who are doing so well in their MTC score. They're gaining GCSEs. They're gaining a a levels. They're going to to u u uni. They are they are attaining their their really, obviously, potential. And I've seen kids where the pet parents have chosen to not give the medication, and that's fine. It's their it's just their.

It's just their m c choice as parents, but these kids are m c struck struggling. They're into to trouble a lot. They're falling out of school. They are being sent to sent to the PRUs. Crazy thing is is that the that the government stats last year have have shown that zero point five percent of the pop the population are are being given ADHD medications, say that they they can can find find it. Zero point five percent. K? However, the stats are suggesting that the prevalence of ADHD is four point five to five percent. So, therefore, you've got a lot of people who are not getting the medication they they need, and they are being un just un unfairly blamed. So these stats also say that that there were more adults now receiving ADHD medication.

Than than the just than young to young people. Again, it's a shocker. These kids need it. They need to be assessed and to be diagnosed and to be supported. Okay. So so so we need to break to break this pipe align, and we have to stop these our our young people fall falling in in to to drug drug and gang and gang and gang and gang and, obviously, cult culture. So there's a new book coming out next month on ADHD and addiction. And next year should should be the book book on ADHD. They're all autism and crime. All these books you can find on Amazon, and there should be a and, obviously, audio version coming out soon. Thank thank you for your time.