5 ways EDUCATORS CAN support NEURODIVERSITY IN THE classroom

If you haven’t read part one in this series, where we explored what neurodiversity actually is and its implications, you can do so here…

Although research shows that 15% of the UK population can be classed as neurodivergent, numerous of Camiseta Schalke 04 the complexities surrounding their conditions and thought processes are widely misunderstood or misinterpreted by the public. However, with much more and much more students being diagnosed with neurological conditions, how can we guarantee they’re getting the support they need?

Teachers have an essential part to play in ensuring these students feel included, understood, appreciated and confident in their ability to do well in school and in life. By encouraging and appreciating that students process information differently from one another, a better understanding of what it implies to be a neurodivergent student can be developed.

At InnerDrive, we’ve come up with 5 ways that teachers can efficiently support neurodiversity in the classroom…

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Have a psychologically safe classroom

A psychologically safe classroom is an environment in which students don’t worry about looking dumb if something doesn’t make sense to them or have to ask questions for clarification. research shows that students in psychologically safe classroom environments reported greater confidence and well-being. This ought to be the top priority for educators, as it implies removing barriers to participation and learning for neurodivergent students. By fostering positive relationships with each student, they’ll be much more likely to speak up.

One way teachers can promote a psychologically safe classroom is through active listening – this is when teachers utilise their body language and summarise the speaker’s main points to demonstrate that they were listening. Sometimes, neurodivergent students struggle to verbally communicate their thoughts Camiseta Ajax and opinions efficiently or at all.

As a result, teachers ought to be client and allow these students to think, process and plan their reaction to stop them from feeling overwhelmed rather than push them to answer or to participate. It’s also essential to note that communication doesn’t have to be verbal and neurodivergent students ought to be given the option to communicate in the way they feel many comfortable with.

Present information in small chunks

Rosenshine’s second principle of instruction highlights the significance of presenting information in small, sequential steps so students can master a concept without feeling overwhelmed. Although this takes time, it has numerous benefits:

It allows students to make connections in their learning

It allows students to make stable progress

It allows students to understand why each step is important

It allows teachers to evaluate student progress much more quickly

It makes the task much more manageable

Often, students with neurological conditions take longer to process information than neurotypical students. Sometimes, this is because numerous have a smaller working memory capacity compared to the 7 +/- 2 items that neurotypical students are believed to have, which can make it challenging for them to meet the memory demands that numerous common learning activities require.

Other times, it’s simply because they may method and process information in a non-conventional method. For example, an autistic student may make a mental note of what chapter they need to read and choose to read it at home rather than be confined to a 10-minute reading period as this allows them to contemplate the implying of the chapter at their own pace rather than feel overwhelmed. Nonetheless, presenting information in Camiseta Sao Paulo FC small chunks can be beneficial for all students as it reduces the possibility of them experiencing a cognitive overload.

Diversify your teaching techniques

To make lessons much more available to neurodivergent students, teachers need to consider utilising different teaching and learning methods in the classroom. This is because different students will respond to different strategies, depending on how they think and process information.

Therefore, when creating lesson plans and presenting new information, teachers ought to consider how each of their students may respond to the lesson and be ready to adapt or modify their teaching style depending on student’s responses. teachers ought to also guarantee that they’re dedicating enough time to guiding student practice and spending time checking in with neurodivergent students in particular.

Trying different techniques is also great for exam preparation and developing a growth mindset in students rather than a deficit mindset. As Carol Dweck, who originated the growth mindset theory, stated in an interview, “telling students to try harder isn’t enough to promote a growth mindset” nor does it recognise the challenges that neurodiverse students may benull