We welcome & support neurodiverse learners

When it comes to how our brains work, there’s a wide range of ‘normal’. We all interact with the world and each other differently, and there’s no one way that is ‘better’ or ‘worse’.

What is neurodiversity?

The word neurodiversity was coined back in the 1990s by Australian sociologist Judy Singer to describe this diversity of thinking and promote inclusion for people with neurological differences like ADHD, ASD and dyslexia.

Why is inclusion important?

People who are neurodiverse can face challenges, particularly in settings that have been designed around the neurotypical. But they also have particular significant strengths.  It’s important that we recognise and work to draw upon these strengths, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it adds great value to the whole learning community.

Neurodiverse students

While every person has their own unique strengths, neurodiversity can contribute towards exceptional creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, attention to detail, abilities with systems like programming and maths… to name just a few. People who are neurodiverse can be wonderful students and make valuable contributions in shifting more typical approaches and thinking towards tasks.

How can we make learning environments more inclusive for neurodiverse people?

Learning environments have often been designed around neurotypical learning, but this is something that’s now changing. There are many simple things we can do to make learning more inclusive for people who are neurodiverse:

Create a judgement-free culture – every individual should feel comfortable being themselves with the whole learning community

• Respect – foster respect for all ways of thinking through awareness about neurodiversity
• Keep things calm – sensory sensitivity is common among neurodiverse people, so keeping the learning environment calm will help with focus
• No one-size-fits-all – everyone is different so encourage neurodiverse students to share their own ideas for inclusion

Academic adjustments

At ACAP, we also support neurodiversity through academic adjustments which may include assessment extensions, additional reading/writing time, scribes, software and assistance with study skills. Click here for more information on our AccessAbility Service

Are you neurodiverse? We’d love to hear your ideas for how we can be more inclusive

Contact us at [email protected]

Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.