Neurodiversity

Helpful strategies that I have used in my classroom to support learners who face challenges such as self-regulation and information processing are structured routines and clear transition times, guided practices featuring scaffolded learning, chunking tasks, and collaborative learning. Many of these strategies benefit a variety of student learners, so no individual learner feels singled out. 

Challenges I have faced in providing support for neurodiverse learners are sometimes the same as the helpful strategies. For example, a structured routine is not always feasible in the classroom when things can very much change on the fly, such as a last minute assembly schedule, or a low attendance day that I was not predicting. In my Vocal music class last semester, I had a group of very fast-paced learners. They supported each other well, which greatly benefited the neurodiverse learners, however, given the speed at which they all processed new information, it would sometimes go over my head to write out the agenda, or scaffold a task because most of the class was already able to jump straight to the learning activity. Student choice was also something that confused some neurodiverse learners, because they found the options were too vast. For example, the Vocal culminating task was to sing a song of their choosing. If a student was having challenges picking between a few songs, I would pose a variety of questions to help them make a decision. Have you sung this song before and does it feel comfortable to sing? Is there a song that makes you feel happy or inspired? Is there a karaoke track available, or will you be singing the song acapella? This way, the student can still make their own choice and pick a selection they enjoy.