These two words can help you spot a truly inclusive school

If a child you love (or teach) is neurodivergent, learning about ”neurodiversity-affirming’’ approaches can help you better understand and support them.

“Kids have to learn to sit still. If they can’t sit still, they can’t learn,” a colleague of ours remarked in a research meeting.

To us — three academics with ADHD — this seemed like an odd thing to say. After all, the three of us are unable to sit still, yet we all managed to complete PhDs.

Our colleague’s statement was also plain incorrect.

Research shows that students who are neurodivergent, or experience neurological differences such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia and other brain differences, can learn.

They just learn differently.

Our colleague’s remark echoes a sentiment that remains troublingly common among teachers, doctors and other professionals.

It’s centred on trying to make neurodivergent children learn and act the same way as others, instead of figuring out what works for them.

Fortunately, there’s a newer, research-backed approach that’s beginning to shape best-practice teaching approaches for these kids: neurodiversity-affirming practice.

What does ‘neurodiversity-affirming’ mean?

To be neurodiversity-affirming is to value and accommodate the unique strengths and perspectives of all people, regardless of their neurological profiles.

Neurodiversity-affirming practice, whether at school, at home or in healthcare settings, emphasises that being autistic, ADHDer or otherwise neurodivergent isn’t better or worse than being neurotypical. It’s just different.

The approach stems from the neurodiversity movement, which emerged in the late 1990s after autistic self-advocates and their allies pushed back against the medicalised view of autism.

They wanted autism to be seen as a natural and valuable part of human diversity, not a disorder or something that needs a cure.

Over time, the concept of neurodiversity then expanded to include other neurological differences, such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia (a condition affecting coordination and motor skills).

People also started to use the term neurodivergent as an umbrella term for people with brains that operate differently than what is considered typical.

Why the approach matters at school

When a child is forced to try to learn and act like their neurotypical peers, this can affect their learning, self-esteem, future behaviours and willingness to seek help.

For example, autistic, ADHD, dyslexic and other neurologically different children often experience excessive criticism, shame, stigma and a lack of accommodations at school.

Some researchers estimate that ADHDer children hear an estimated 20,000 additional criticisms by the age of 10 compared with their neurotypical peers.

They may be chastised for fidgeting in class, interrupting conversations and being too loud.

This shame and stigma, as well as the challenging physical and social environments in mainstream education, can lead to cycles of negative interactions with both teachers and peers and seriously impact neurodiverse students’ mental health.

These mental health challenges and negative cycles of teacher and peer interactions can result in school exclusion, whether through actual suspension and expulsion; through schools suggesting to parents that their child should change schools; or through schools making their schooling experience so unbearable that children cannot attend.

However, there is evidence that even children who have previously had severely negative experiences at school can thrive when their needs are met and teachers understand them.

Additionally, while the focus here is mainly on neurodivergent students, because their needs are particularly salient, a good neurodiversity-affirming approach caters to all students, regardless of diagnosis.

This can be particularly helpful for people like the authors of this article, who experienced challenges at school related to neurodivergence but went undiagnosed until adulthood (a common experience for girls especially).

Spotting neurodiversity-affirming schools

The good news is education systems across the world have begun to support schools to implement neurodiversity-affirming practices.

Many educators have started to prioritise neurodiversity-affirming practices, emphasising that students with neurological differences are both welcome and supported within their school community.

Some schools have started to implement the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) program, which was designed to help improve social inclusion by introducing students to the concept of neurodiversity and how it can affect peoples’ experiences at school.

However, this shift towards neurodiversity-affirming education has been slower than many would like, and it can also be difficult for parents to figure out whether a school is truly neurodiversity-affirming just by looking at their website or attending a tour.

For example, some schools have started to use the term “neurodiversity-affirming” as a buzz-phrase to attract families, without actually shifting their educational approaches.

Alternatively, individual teachers may be truly passionate about inclusion, but they may work at a school that still strictly adheres to unhelpful whole-school policies.

An example of this is SLANT (Sit Up, Listen, Ask Questions, Nod and Track the Speaker). Though these expectations were developed with good intentions, these rules unfortunately force neurodivergent students to suppress their innate and very real need to “stim“ and require uncomfortable levels of eye contact.

“Whole body listening” is similarly unhelpful, as students are expected to keep their whole bodies still and have “quiet hands”.

Four questions to ask your school

If you’re a parent wondering whether your kid’s school is supportive of neurodivergent kids, asking these four questions can help you gauge their approach.

1. Have your teachers completed training on neurodiversity and neurodiversity-affirming practices?

Ideally the answer to this is an enthusiastic yes, followed by a list of ways they have put this training into practice. If they are dismissive of this idea, or start talking about the importance of neurodivergent students having the same experiences as others, then this school may not be the right fit for you.

2. How does your school accommodate different learning needs in the classroom?

One big red flag to avoid is schools that inflexibly adhere to a set of expectations for students that may not be suitable for neurodivergent needs, such as the aforementioned “SLANT” or “whole body listening”.

But one of the biggest green flags to look out for here is the school’s or teachers’ willingness to create flexible lesson plans and environments that cater to every child’s learning needs. This is sometimes called Universal Design for Learning.

Flexibility can look like providing all children, regardless of neurotype, different spaces or tools for working to help meet their sensory needs, including standing desks, the encouragement of quiet fidgeting while working and the use of assistive technology such as speech-to-text software.

It also includes flexible lesson plans that allow children to work to their strengths and tailor their learning to their own passions and interests rather than expecting them to stick to a single script.

3. What accommodations and supports do you have in place to help support emotional regulation and wellbeing?

Neurodiversity-affirming schools recognise the importance of sensory and emotional regulation and provide regular opportunities for regulation throughout the day.

This may include providing access to a low-impact sensory space, regular movement breaks and building downtime into the curriculum.

Neurodiversity-affirming schools also never take these opportunities to regulate away as a punishment or treat them as a reward.

4. What is your school’s behaviour management policy?

One fundamental neurodiversity-affirming belief is that all behaviour is communication.

Therefore, neurodiversity-affirming teachers try to look beyond challenging behaviours to see what it is that the child may need.

Does the current environment suit their sensory needs? Is there a mismatch between their skills and demands? Are they going through a stressful time at home?

The answers to these questions then get fed into a behavioural support plan and appropriate accommodations are put in place.

This approach is starkly different to old-fashioned and non-neurodiversity affirming approaches, which promote the use of behavioural methods to correct challenging behaviours, such as set rewards and punishments.

Unfortunately, neurodiversity-affirming schools are still hard to find, as some schools are slower to adopt this approach than others.

What’s more, families often can’t afford to “shop around” schools until they find the right fit, due to economic, geographic or other challenges.

Advocates and researchers hope these practices become more widely adopted over time — and to see broader systemic change that allows better support and inclusion for all children.

Dr Jessica Riordan is a research fellow within the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education. Drawing on her research background in developmental psychology and lived experience of neurodivergence, Jessica co-founded the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project in 2023 and is now serving as the Project Leader for Staff and Student Wellbeing.

Dr Sarah Timperley is a research fellow within the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education, with a research background in psychology and neurodiversity. Drawing on her professional and lived experiences of ADHD, she co-founded the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project and is now serving as the Project Leader for Community Education and Professional Development.

Dr Matthew Harrison is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education. Drawing on his research background in inclusive education,digital technologies and lived experience of ADHD, Matt co-founded the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project and Next Level Collaboration, a neurodiversity-affirming gaming program helping neurodivergent children and young people build collaboration skills while doing something they love.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.