By Natalie Raedwulf Pogue (she/they), learning support teacher and Committee for Action on Social Justice—Disability Justice Group member, Campbell River

Author’s note: I use identity-first and person-first language interchangeably and without judgment; this practice reflects the desire within many neurodivergent communities to use identity-first language in the belief that their neurodivergence is an inherent and integral part of their identity.

April is observed by many as Autism Awareness Month, and many self-advocates have begun to use this time as an opportunity to recognize, bring awareness to, and celebrate neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is the naturally occurring variety within human neurology and processing styles and, like all other diversities, it creates a net positive to our society. It also creates unique challenges for people who are not neurotypical. People who are neurodivergent, such as people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism, may struggle to navigate a world not built for them, but they also bring a lot of strengths and unique positive attributes to the table when practices are inclusive.

As a high school learning support teacher, I am keenly aware of the gap in school attendance and graduation rates between neurotypical and neurodivergent learners. In Canada, one in three autistic students do not complete high school,¹ while students with ADHD are almost three times more likely to drop out of school than their neurotypical peers.² There are also serious concerns about the significant increase in neurodivergent student mental health struggles and its relationship to school absenteeism.

As an autistic person and former student myself, I can attest to the barriers a neurodivergent person may encounter daily in the average classroom. Everything from the physical space and sensory sensitivities, to social and participation expectations, to how language and attitudes about neuro-divergence can be detrimental to our sense of belonging and learning. If we as educators are to embrace diversity, we must also become more familiar with and validate the needs of our neurodiverse students.

Strategies to increase neurodiverse representation and positive self-identity
Representation matters. It combats stereotypes and helps all students to understand that we are a diverse society with many unique experiences and perspectives. If neurodivergent students can see themselves reflected as valued and competent members of the community, they are more likely to feel comfortable and confident in expressing themselves and participating in the learning community. Neurodivergent conditions, such as dyslexia, ADHD, and autism, are fraught with stereotypes and misconceptions, and those who are neurodivergent often struggle with negative self-image and feelings of being deficient. Teachers can help combat this by becoming familiar with the strengths of neurodivergent people and using strength-based language and strategies to represent and support neurodiversity in the classroom. Did you know that many people with ADHD excel at creativity and innovation, often finding success as entrepreneurs? Students with dyslexia tend to possess visual-spatial strengths and can excel at art, construction, and engineering. Autistic students tend to have talents in finding patterns and problem-solving in unique and unconventional ways, and more and more companies are realizing that hiring autistic people leads to an increase in business performance and profits.

In an effort to celebrate neurodiversity and raise awareness Dionne Lapointe-Bakota, our teacher-librarian, featured books by and about neurodiverse people. We also created a “Celebrate Neurodiversity” display that includes the strengths and positive attributes of several common neurodivergent conditions and featured a collection of influential neuro-divergent people. It will never get old watching students’ faces light up when they look at the display and exclaim, “Hey! That’s just like me!” Other ways to represent neurodiverse perspectives and people can be done through the literature you introduce to the class, using neuro-affirming symbols, like the rainbow infinity symbol; highlighting neurodiverse people’s accomplishments in history; and explicitly teaching and modeling that we all learn, process, and communicate in unique and valuable ways.

Support mental health and wellness in the classroom:Don’t expect neuro-divergent people to be neurotypical
Neurodivergent people have unique considerations that can affect mental health and well-being. For example, people with Tourette syndrome, ADHD, or autism will regularly mask or camouflage behaviours to appear more neurotypical. Students with ADHD may try to sit still when their bodies need to move. Autistic students may force eye contact despite it being painfully uncomfortable. A student with Tourette syndrome may hold their tics all day only to fall apart when they get home from school. In all of these examples, the students are facing barriers to engaging in their learning because so much energy is going toward camouflaging. Both research and advocates are reporting that this propensity to mask has negative implications for mental health. Not only is it exhausting, but it leads neurodivergent people to feel like they have to hide who they are to be accepted and struggle with developing a positive self-identity. As educators, we can be mindful of this struggle and encourage all students to be self-aware of their unique—and valid—needs. We all listen, communicate, and learn in different ways. Invite students to explore and share what that looks like for them, and then come up with community agreements for how everyone’s learning needs can be honoured.

Create inclusive physical spaces
Sensory needs of most students can be met by offering a choice and variety of options while also limiting elements that can lead to sensory overload. Overhead fluorescent lights, the buzz of electronic devices, fragrances, etc., can be overwhelming, distracting, and exhausting experiences. Thoughtfully building a space where students can have a variety of sensory needs met will remove participation barriers for neurodivergent students. Here are some examples:

• Cover fluorescent lights with warm-white covers, replace fluorescent lights in your room with soft-white or warm-white light bulbs, or use lamps and/or string lights.

• Adhere to scent-free environments. Even natural scents like essential oils can lead to sensory overload for some people.

• Reduce visual clutter in your room and on your walls.

• Provide a variety of seating options. In my experience, both neurotypical and neurodivergent high school students love to use rocking chairs, accordion stools, bean bag chairs, couches, bar stools, and hokki stools. Seating choices that allow for movement can be great self-regulation tools.

Normalize stimming and the need for breaks and alone time
Self-stimulating behaviours, or “stimming,” help neuro-divergent people express, regulate, soothe, relax, and process emotions, sensory information, and stress. Be curious about your students’ individual stims and how to incorporate their need to stim into your classroom and build in breaks to regulate. Common stims can be rocking, repetitive hand movements, pacing, playing with hair, chewing, humming, or watching visuals. We use a fish tank in our room and students often take five or ten minutes to quietly gaze at the activity in the water. Here are some other tips:

• Provide options to work or be alone. Sometimes we all need some personal space and processing time, or struggle with being unintentionally distracted or overwhelmed by peers.

• Accommodate absences. Sometimes neurodivergent people need to step away to regulate, and the stress of “missing out” or “falling behind” compounds and leads to further absences.

• Noise-cancelling headphones: understand students can be wearing these and still hear you! Noise-cancelling headphones help us reduce the overall noise of the class while also allowing us to hear voices clearly.

• Fidgets and “chewelry” can help maintain focus by keeping hands and mouths occupied.

This is just a scratch on the surface of considerations when working with neurodiverse people and, as with any population, each neurodivergent individual is unique and may have different experiences, opinions, or needs than what is reflected in this article. This serves as just the beginning of the conversation, and I invite everyone going forward to continue to be curious about neurodiversity and the lived experiences of neurodiverse people.

Definitions
Neurodiversity: The infinite variations and differences naturally occurring in human neurocognition.

Neurodivergent: A person whose neurocognitive functioning is significantly different than society’s standards of “normal” or “typical.”

Neurotypical: A person whose neurocognitive patterns are within the range of society’s standards of “normal” or “typical.”

Neuro-affirming: The belief and practice that neuro-divergence is to be validated and supported, as opposed to a deficit that needs to be cured, fixed, or changed.