Because “everyone is important”, it is essential to support schools in the way they welcome students to create an “inclusive education”: this is the mission of NeuroIdentify, a startup from Belém do Pará, Brazil, which helps teachers and educators to identify early signs of neurodivergence in students, particularly in children with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia.
This platform, present at this year’s edition of the Web Summit, has already worked in educational institutions in three states in Brazil and provided support to more than 200 children, as CEO and co-founder, Gleyson Santos, explained to Expresso. “It’s been a very beneficial experience. In the schools we helped, we had an 80% improvement in children’s performance and 20% fewer school dropouts, because they understood the needs of these students and placed them in schools, providing quality education”, he highlighted, explaining that it is “very positive” to feel that teachers and educators are more aware of these topics.
And how does this help reach schools? Through this platform, characteristics related to the conditions of these students are analyzed and updated scientific criteria are used to provide practical action plans to teachers and educators, with the aim of adapting the school environment to the individual needs of each student. No clinical diagnoses are provided, but possible areas of intervention are indicated. This analysis helps teachers better understand each student’s profile and implement personalized teaching strategies.
“Our tool was designed to assist in early identification, providing data that helps teachers and educators recognize possible neurodivergent characteristics. If the platform indicates characteristics that require attention, we recommend a complete clinical evaluation by specialized professionals to confirm or rule out a diagnosis”, can be read on the startup’s official website, which was created in November 2024.
“We come into direct contact with schools. We also participate in events and speak with those responsible. There is also a third option, which is to contact governments to work with public initiatives”, highlighted Gleyson Santos to Expresso, wanting to make clear what teachers have been feeling: “We have had very positive feedback, because you can see that professionals need these tools to sharpen their vision towards inclusive teaching”.
For now, the startup is available in Brazil, but will soon expand to all of Latin America, Europe and Africa: “Everyone is important and we must help build a school environment that minimizes learning barriers”.