Teachers: Embrace your ND students as they are

For many neurodivergent people, the minute they step out the door they are entering a world designed for brains different to theirs.

Classrooms, playgrounds, community spaces, public transport, shopping centres – these are largely built for those with neurotypical brains.

This can impact your ND students in many different ways. Sensory overload, a feeling of being out of place, systems that don’t match their needs, communication styles that don’t match their communication preferences, social hierarchies and rules that are confusing, friendships that are hard to navigate, classroom expectations that are hard to meet…the list goes on and on.

These kids are swimming against the tide. And if they feel pressure to mask and adhere to ‘typical’ norms, then they will start swimming against their internal tide as well.

So, what can teachers do?

Well, you can change the world – slowly but surely equity and inclusion will improve as teachers everywhere champion the absolute truth that difference is not a deficit. BUT until our plans to change the world come to fruition (easy!), I strongly recommend that you…

…let your ADHD, autistic, PDA, magic-brain NDers students relax in class.

Let them go with the flow of the internal tide, to be authentic and embrace the way their brain would like to be.

Make space for them to be themselves, to stim and info dump. To not speak. To sing. To fidget and bounce. To having varying capacity and capability each day.

Safely allow their sensory seeking or avoidance, switch off the ‘big lights’ when you can and grab the noise cancelling headphones. And enjoy these kids at their best.