Neurodiversity in the classroom: a teacher's guide
Paul Main
Neurodiversity in the classroom: a teacher's guide for making the curriculum accessible to every child.
Neurodiversity in the classroom: a teacher's guide for making the curriculum accessible to every child.
The term Neurodiversity indicates the viewpoint that brain differences are normal and acceptable, rather than deficits. In other words, the natural neurological difference between how a person's brain functions and processes information represents neurodiversity.
Neurodiverse people interpret, interact with, and experience the world in unique ways. The concept of neurodiversity helps to reduce stigma around how different people learn and think differently from others.
The majority of humans are neurotypical, and typically human brains interpret the world how society might expect. They express the typical cognitive, intellectual and developmental abilities expected for an individual of their age.
Acas reported that nearly 15% population of the UK is neurodivergent. This indicates that their brain functions differently from the majority of people. People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Dyslexia are typically categorised as neurodivergent people. There are several different types of neurodiversity, in fact, any person suffering from a medical condition that affects their thinking skills can be identified as neurodivergent.
Most individuals experience neurodivergence with a "spectrum" of traits. And these characteristics are different for each person. Psychological theories suggest that all neurodivergent conditions overlap with one another. For example, a person with dyspraxia may also be dyslexic. Or people with autism may possess the creative skills frequently associated with dyslexia. Within autism, using the terminology 'spectrum' helps us talk about a child's needs with a greater degree of accuracy. Outside the wider autism community, this condition is often misunderstood. From a teaching perspective, educators need to explore different ways of scaffolding the learning process. Making the curriculum accessible is a key challenge in every school. Instructional practice might need to include alternative approaches that embrace the neurodiversity paradigm.
Therefore, one must not stereotype and judge neurodiverse people based on their neurocognitive deficit and outward characteristics. But, according to the neurodiversity paradigm, it is still beneficial to be familiar with the common characteristics of neurodivergence. Most commonly:
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) influences a person's ability to focus. People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may also be impulsive and hyperactive. They might start a task but never finish, change from one project to another, or delay starting up something that doesn't particularly interest them. But, most of them tend to be great at problem-solving.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are most likely to be associated with individuals' poorly developed social skills. Most of the people with the autistic spectrum find it difficult to express themselves and engage in receptive communication. Autistic people may exhibit repetitive and restrictive behaviours. But, members of the autistic community are mostly good at learning and memorising information quickly.
Dyspraxia (also termed as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder) affects people's movement and coordination and the ability to collect thoughts. They are more likely to move clumsily. But they tend to be more empathetic and creative.
There are many people with diverse thinking patterns. We can make learning accessible to each child by applying different learning methods in the classroom, including:
The following section is designed to give you some practical ideas about making the curriculum more accessible to every child. We think that cognitive science holds some of the answers, understanding a few simple principles can be transformational. Some things to try:
1) Utilise the block building kits to enable children to break down big ideas. This playful approach to learning provides freedom not usually allowed in an exercise book. For some children, they need to have a physical experience of the concept to fully understand it. We use the term 'thinking with their hands' or in the world of cognitive research, embodied cognition.
2) Provide clear guidance to help children navigate their way through complex tasks. The universal thinking framework has been used to guide learners through challenging tasks.
3) Use visual strategies such as graphic organisers. These tools enable children to organise their ideas and elaborate on their thoughts.
4) Embrace imagery to help make the curriculum accessible by reducing the amount of decoding a child has to do.
5) Try to make classrooms inclusive and not move children out into the corridor away from their peers.
According to the Neurodiversity proponents, people with neurocognitive disabilities possess skills, talents and perspectives that can improve the workplace environment in many ways.
Neurodiverse persons see and process knowledge differently. Some may find it difficult to understand other people's feelings, while others may find it hard to stay organised. Neurodiverse people frequently show greater comfort with interpersonal interactions when neurotypical people consider environmental factors and make suitable accommodations for their needs. By providing an accomodating environment, supporting them through their weaknesses and playing with their strengths, we can help both neurodivergent students and employees to thrive and make valuable contributions to society.