Beyond neurodiversity and diagnostic capital: a biopsychosocial manifesto and ‘grammar’ for inclusion

This paper argues that inclusive education requires a coherent conceptual and operational framework capable of aligning identification, provision, and outcomes across sectors. Drawing on analysis of contemporary SEND theory and policy, it identifies persistent fragmentation arising from reliance on diagnostic categorisation and inconsistent definitions of inclusion. While the neurodiversity movement has contributed significantly to reframing difference as a natural and valuable aspect of human variation, it does not, in isolation, provide a sufficiently specified framework for system design, resource allocation, or equitable access to support. In response, this paper advances the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and its underpinning biopsychosocial or functioning model as a ‘Grammar for inclusion’. The ICF offers a standardised and relational framework for describing functioning, capturing the dynamic interaction between biological, psychological, and environmental factors. It enables a shift from categorical identification towards contextually grounded functioning profiles, supporting more equitable, needs-led systems. The paper further examines the socio-political dynamics of the English SEND system, highlighting how Diagnostic Capital and quasi-market forces reproduce inequalities. It concludes by proposing that an ICF-informed approach can integrate neurodiversity-affirmative perspectives within a broader, system-oriented framework, operationalised by the ICF, to enhance coherence, equity, and participation.