When the System Sets You Up to Fail: Neurodivergence, Policing in Scotland & the Myth of “One Fair Test.”

There’s a famous illustration: a monkey, a penguin, an elephant, a fish in a bowl, and a bird all lined up in front of an examiner who says, “Police Scotland says everybody has to take the same test: please climb that tree.”

7/20/20262 min read

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There’s a famous illustration: a monkey, a penguin, an elephant, a fish in a bowl, and a bird all lined up in front of an examiner who says, “Everybody has to take the same test: please climb that tree.”

It’s meant to be funny — but for neurodivergent people dealing with police, councils, and public‑sector “management frameworks,” it’s not a joke. It’s daily life.

Because here’s the truth: Neurodivergent people aren’t failing the system — the system is failing them.

🚨 When management frameworks meet real humans, neurodivergent people get crushed.

Whether it’s police procedures, council complaints, NHS access routes, or safeguarding pathways, the pattern is painfully consistent:

Processes built for one “standard” type of brain
Zero flexibility for communication differences
Punitive responses when someone doesn’t fit the mould
Management teams who insist “the policy was followed” even when harm was caused
A culture where deviation = defiance, instead of difference

Neurodivergent people are expected to “climb the tree” — even when they’re the elephant, the fish, or the penguin. And when they can’t, the blame lands on them instead of the system that set them up to fail.

👮 Policing and neurodivergence: the stakes are even higher.

When the same rigid thinking is applied by police, the consequences escalate:

Misinterpreting shutdowns as non‑compliance
Misreading anxiety as aggression
Treating communication differences as suspicious behaviour
Escalating situations that needed de‑escalation
Failing to recognise vulnerability, trauma, or sensory overload

Every neurodivergent charity has seen it: Management frameworks designed for “the average person” become dangerous when applied to people who aren’t average.

📢 Equality isn’t equity — and equity saves lives

The image makes the point perfectly: You can’t measure everyone with the same test and call it “fair.”

Real fairness means:

Adjusting communication
Allowing processing time
Recognising sensory triggers
Understanding shutdowns and meltdowns
Training officers and managers in neurodivergent profiles
Building systems that flex instead of break people

💬 Our charity’s message to every public‑sector manager and police leader

If your system only works for one type of brain, it doesn’t work.

If your policies punish difference, they’re not fit for purpose.

If your organisation keeps saying “we followed procedure,” while neurodivergent people keep getting harmed, your procedure is the problem.

**🌱 Neurodivergent people don’t need to “climb the tree.”

The system needs to stop pretending the tree is the only measure of worth.**

A social cartoon showing an elephant, fish, and penguin being told to climb a tree to pass a test.

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