Skip to main content
Advertise with the Morning Star
Assisted suicide poses particular risks to neurodivergent people
Former chair of the all-party parliamentary group for special educational needs TOM HUNT examines some tragic cases from countries which have legalised assisted death
Campaigners protest outside Parliament in Westminster, London, ahead of a debate in the House of Commons on assisted dying, April 29, 2024

AT 12 years old, I had the reading and writing age of an eight-year-old. Yet as a young adult, I graduated from Oxford, and had the honour of serving as a member of Parliament for Ipswich 2019-2024. So what happened?

The plight of neurodivergent people is sorely overlooked in the UK. So many are written off because of their differences or weaknesses. With the right support and a lot of hard work, weaknesses can be turned into strengths.

Dyspraxia, for example, can result in improved long-term memory. A difficulty in following instructions can develop innovative, out-of-the-box thinking. Whether it’s autism, ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia, having your brain wired a different way isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
People take part in a demonstration at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, London, to oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, November 29, 2024
Britain / 4 May 2025
4 May 2025

Focus on equal access to assisted death rather than risks of legalisation for oppressed groups wrongheaded, MPs and campaigners say

People take part in a demonstration outside the Houses of Pa
Features / 19 March 2025
19 March 2025
The controversial legislation now threatens even more vulnerable people after the committee stage stripped away the key High Court safeguard that convinced many MPs to support it, writes Dr CAJETAN SKOWRONSKI
RATIONAL FUTURE: Passenger and freight train on the West Coa
Books / 6 December 2024
6 December 2024
WILL PODMORE welcomes a demonstration of the incomparable virtues of rail travel, and the political obstacles to realising its potential