The Brain Charity

Moving to high school often means adapting to multiple changes simultaneously. Even when these changes are positive, adjusting to them requires emotional energy, flexibility and problem-solving skills.

Common changes include:

• New environments and buildings
  High schools are usually larger, busier and more complex than primary schools.
• Multiple teachers
  Instead of one main teacher, students often have different teachers for each subject, each with their own expectations and routines.
• Greater independence
  Young people are expected to manage their own equipment, move between classrooms, remember schedules and organise homework.
• More complex social environments
  Larger peer groups and changing friendship dynamics can make social situations more complicated.

Neurodivergent children and young people often rely on predictability, routine and familiarity to feel safe and regulated. When many aspects of their daily life change at once, this can place significant pressure on their coping systems.

It is important to remember that difficulty adjusting to this transition reflects the reality that the demands of the environment have increased.