Neurodivergent Affirming Practices for Educators

Welcome to “Neurodivergent Affirming Practices for Educators.” There has been much written about health care and neurodiversity-affirming therapy practices, but I wanted to take this chance to explore some of what I learned as a teacher of neurodivergent students, as well as someone who is also neurodivergent. I am not a therapist; but instead a former educator. I will talk a bit about what neurodiversity is, what neurodiversity-affirming practices mean in the context of education, and some ways teachers, together with families and schools, can best support neurodivergent individuals.  

Neurodivergent Affirming Liberation and Acceptance 

The term neurodiversity is defined by Merriam-Webster as “individual differences in brain functioning regarded as normal variations within the human population;” also “the concept that differences in brain functioning within the human population are normal and that brain functioning that is not neurotypical should not be stigmatized.”

This is essentially the idea that people's brains are simply wired in different ways due to natural variations. So instead of trying to “correct” someone, it is better to modify the environment in order to support, celebrate and honor them exactly as they are. This is what is considered a neurodiversity-affirming approach. 

When we consider the extremely important place education holds in one's life, it seems logical to assume that it should be at least somewhat influenced or affected by the student. The student should, in fact, be central to the design of the curriculum. This is a main tenet of child-centered pedagogy, an example of a rights-based approach to education. 

In rights-based approaches to education, “[This] rests on the human rights principles of non-discrimination and equality, accountability and transparency, participation, empowerment, and the right of education to guide and organize all aspects of learning, from policy to the classroom. Duty bearers, such as parents, teachers, education authorities, and politicians, are bound to meet their obligations and to support children, as rights holders, in claiming their rights.” (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies)

What is more unique to a person than the way they view, interpret, and interact with the world? Neurodiversity-affirming practices are central to quality education for any child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, or any number of neurological or sensory processing differences. Along those lines, if not in the formative years of education, exactly when do neurodivergent people or autistic people learn to embrace their unique strengths? 

Judy Singer, who coined the term in her undergraduate thesis over 30 years ago, gave an interview with John Harris of the Guardian. Here is what she had to say when discussing how she came up with the term. “I knew what I was doing,” she tells [Harris]. “‘Neuro’ was a reference to the rise of neuroscience. ‘Diversity’ is a political term; it originated with the black American civil rights movement. ‘Biodiversity’ is really a political term, too. As a word, ‘neurodiversity’ describes the whole of humanity. But the neurodiversity movement is a political movement for people who want their human rights.” The article discusses how the rise of the movement is “implicitly demanding liberation and acceptance for people who are, to use an associated word, neurodivergent.  

Neuro’ was a reference to the rise of neuroscience. ‘Diversity’ is a political term; it originated with the black American civil rights movement.

Judy Singer, Australian sociologist who coined the term neurodiversity.

Neurodivergent Affirming Practices for Educators 

Just as a neurodiversity-affirming therapist focuses on celebrating and honoring the unique blueprint of each of their neurodivergent clients, educators do much of the same work in their roles. With this in mind, let's take a look at a few ways that educators can intentionally support neurodiverse children in the classroom. (Note: teachers with a special education background will likely already have much of this training. This information is intended more for non-SPED teachers of any stripe: homeroom, specialist, elementary, high school, etc.) I am assuming the majority of readers would consider themselves to be neurotypical people; if you are neurodivergent, welcome!

Finally, this is written with the understanding that it is not solely an educator's job to affirm an individual's identity or to celebrate their neurodivergent traits. The education system, for anyone who has never worked in it, is extremely complex and nuanced. It is an ongoing project of communication, collaboration, and negotiation between the student, family, teacher, administrators, and community. It is often highly political as well, which is why having supportive community members is so important. 

• Understanding Neurodiversity: So often as a teacher we learn about the unique behavioral, academic, or social challenges that a student presents. As a specialist, I would at any given moment have multiple students who either needed behavioral support or behavior analysis interventions (e.g., from traumatic stress) or more specific skills-based help in different subjects, like speech therapy. While there was some focusing on exceptional strengths, they often got buried under all of the required documentation, tracking, and accountability demands. (Again, not judging. It is an impossible task.) I did notice, however, that so many of the autistic children or ADHD student I worked with, excelled far, far beyond their peers in creative areas such as music or art. It would be wonderful if there were a way to balance all of the required meetings with time spent appreciating these strengths. As someone with an interest in the workings of the human brain, as well as in art and the performing arts, I think much more knowledge is needed by everyone to truly understand the condition(s) and what they mean: both in terms of challenges and neurodivergent affirming strengths-based areas. 
• Embracing Individuality: When families, educators, and administrators allow the neurodiverse individuals' strengths to become central to the discussion, the dialogue and outcomes can start to shift. This, in turn, helps them to develop a more positive self-identity that reflects these special interests. As an educator I became adept at noticing these areas of natural talent and/or interest for the student. (The terms ‘talented' or ‘gifted' are often accompanied by judgments, which is why I'm adding ‘interest.') A student would start to be known in social situations for their vibrant paintings or the effortless way they can improvise a piano solo.
• Flexible Teaching Strategies: Educators are some of the most creative, flexible, resourceful people on the planet. They can focus on using that strength when designing activities and curriculum for a supportive environment, rather than focusing on what needs ‘fixing.' Accommodating learning disabilities is a given. I'm referring more to unexpected creative ways to include and celebrate students. Is there a song a student absolutely loves? What about a color or another image? Is there a way to incorporate some of that into lesson planning?
• Sensory Considerations: Educators can create a sensory-friendly environment by providing accommodations such as noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, or quiet spaces for students who need a break. (Do you also have sensory challenges? Check out my post, “50 Neurodivergent Adult Workplace Accommodations Checklist” for a neurodivergent adult accommodation checklist made especially for teachers!) Neurodivergent students frequently have certain physical needs that need to be met in order for them to be able to learn.
• Clear Communication: One of the other top ways educators can give neurodivergent affirming support students with neurological differences is to practice extremely clear communication with the student, family, and school. Of course, this is only as effective as to the degree that the other parties can or wish to be included. Find the type of communication that is more successful and try to stick with it. Does this family prefer text messages to emails? Is there an app for that? Figure out what are the best practices and use those. 
• Protecting Oneself: If you are also a neurodivergent person, maintaining comfortable workplace environments can feel even more challenging. If your ears are hurting, don't feel ashamed to wear ear plugs. Do you not want to be hugged? That's okay. Get in touch with your limits you are not willing to cross. The discussions on creating safe spaces for students also need to keep your needs in mind. (Check out my other post on this topic called “10 Ways Neurodivergent Educators Can Request Accommodations” for more information!)

More Resources 

This blog post by Heinemann Blog contains resources for teachers who work with neurodivergent students. I personally have not used all of the options listed there, but the ones I know are quality! (You can check out ADDitude magazine here.)

Please comment below with some of your other favorite resources for teaching autistic individuals or any neurodivergent students! In what ways have you included neurodivergent affirming practices?

Let's Work Together

Let's work to continue making a paradigm shift for the neurodivergent community. Whether that is through professional development, or sharing and healing our own mental health issues with a licensed practitioner, educators are one of the key stakeholders in the building of the neurodiversity paradigm. The process to creating a neurodivergent affirming society

For more tips on managing daily challenges as a neurodivergent teacher, read the Key Neurodivergent Teachers' Guide to Managing Daily Challenges round-up!