EmpowerED Session Highlights: Addressing Neurodiversity in Education

September 18, 2024

Neurodiversity, the concept that an individual’s brain functions differently than that of a neurotypical person, encompasses various conditions like learning disorders, ADHD, sensory processing issues, and autism spectrum disorders. Neurodivergent students, who may possess unique strengths like hyper-focus abilities or exceptional memorization skills, often require additional support from teachers, counselors, and administrators to navigate academic, social, and emotional aspects and reach their full potential.

FindYourfit organized the 4th edition of the initiative ‘EmpowerED’ on the 17th of August 2024, with the theme of ‘Understanding Neurodiversity: Addressing Stress and Anxiety Among Educators ‘.

Our initiative, EmpowerED, highlighted the specific needs of neurodiverse individuals and enhanced their overall well-being for a greater sense of inclusion. It offered educators unique personalized strategies to tackle stress for themselves as well as students, to create an accepting classroom environment that values and nurtures the potential of every student.

A neurotypical person is someone whose brain functions in a way that is considered typical or standard according to societal norms.

Understanding Neurodiversity Among Students

In recent times, the term ‘Neurodiversity’ has gained a lot of attention in psychological and educational conversations. Neurodiversity refers to a shift from seeing different brain functions and behavioral traits as impairments or disorders to viewing them as normal variations, each with its own unique strengths and challenges.

This shift in paradigm emphasizes human diversity and acceptance, allowing each individual to thrive and be appreciated for their abilities and strengths. Hence, neurodiversity in schools is essential for creating an inclusive learning environment that allows students to thrive socially and academically. Schools and educators can best support children by identifying neurological variations and developing personalized learning plans and strategies that cater to their unique needs. By embracing neurodiversity in classrooms, educators can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.

EmpowerED, emphasises embracing neurodiversity in schools to foster empathy, acceptance, and respect. We help schools offer that support and acknowledgment of neurodiversity to create an equitable learning environment for all students.

Neurodiverse Vs. Neurodivergent

What is Neurodiverse?

Neurodiversity advocates the idea that every brain functions differently and that these differences are normal variations. It describes the range of neurological functioning that exists among different individuals and should be treated equally in educational institutions, workplaces, and public environments.

What is Neurodivergent?

Neurodivergent is a term used to describe a person whose brain processes, learns, and behaves differently than what is considered ‘typical’. It is used for individuals who were formerly diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism spectrum disorder. It is also used by individuals who are not formally diagnosed but experience behavior traits that can impact their lives.

How is Neurodiverse Different from Neurodivergent?

Simply said, neurodiverse is a broader idea that all brains don’t think or feel the same way, and these differences are natural variations. A group of people are neurodiverse, while neurodivergent refers to individuals who experience differences in mental functions, learning, behavior, sensory processing, and communication.

Misconceptions and a lack of awareness about neurodiversity and neurodivergent education can create unwanted barriers to learning and overall well-being. To help schools address these issues, our initiative EmpowerED provides teachers, principals, and students with the right information and resources, creating an inclusive teaching and learning environment.

The Benefits of Micro-Schools for Neurodiverse Learners

As the world constantly evolves at a rapid pace, education is also transforming to cater to these changing needs. Overlooking the one-size-fits-all approach, micro-schools focus on meeting the unique needs of students by blending traditional teaching techniques with a new innovative approach. Micro-schools focus on teaching neurodiverse students with a more personalized learning experience.

● Small Class Sizes
Smaller class batches allow for more individualized support and attention. Teachers understand every student’s learning requirements and tailor their teaching style to address their unique strengths and challenges. This personalized approach allows neurodiverse learners to get the support they need while fostering a strong relationship among students, teachers, and parents.

● Personalized Learning Experience
Micro-schools focus on students’ different learning styles and allow them to learn at their own pace. Teachers tailor their teaching methods to align with different neurodiverse needs, like auditory, kinesthetic, or visual. This allows for the creation of an inclusive space embracing diverse learning paths, allowing each student to thrive.

● Flexible Schedule
Another advantage of micro-schools is their flexible schedules. Often, neurodiverse learners need extracurricular activities and therapy sessions integrated into their learning. Micro-schools allow these accommodations with flexible schedules tailored for each student. This enables neurolearners to pursue their passions and interests as well as academics.

● Holistic Approach
Micro-schools offer a collaborative and supportive learning environment that motivates and engages students. These schools take a holistic approach to education that focuses on the student’s overall well-being, allowing them to tackle academic, societal, and emotional challenges.

With personalised learning experiences, flexible schedules, and accommodations for diverse learning styles, micro-schools have empowered neurodiverse learners to succeed academically and build confidence in their strengths and abilities.

Key Insights from Our Esteemed Facilitators

Our session was attended by 130 principals and teachers across India, who gained insights from our esteemed facilitators, Urvashi Warman, the Principal of The Palace School Jaipur, and Kavita Nayak, a Counselor at Anna Chandy & Associates.

The session highlighted the role of teachers and the need for them to be in good physical and mental health.
Neurodiversity refers to a person’s strengths, struggles, and challenges, which may differ from neurotypical.
Conditions like dyslexia, autism, down syndrome, epilepsy, hearing voices, eating disorders, personality disorders, OCD, intellectual disabilities, and other conditions come under the neurodivergent umbrella.
Orientation and sensitization are the first steps that educators can take to help neurodivergent students.
Another aspect that needs to be highlighted is the need for smaller classes to offer personalized attention and be mindful of educators.
They spoke about teachers being overwhelmed at times, and this is when counselling sessions can help reduce stress and navigate problems.
The mental health continuum model discusses stress and when you need to get help.
Parents, teachers, and schools can collaborate to support, accept, and motivate neurodivergent children.

The Role of AI in Supporting Neurodiversity Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can fulfill the diverse needs of neurodivergent students of evolving education landscape. It can provide a much-needed boost to bridge the learning gap. Neurodivergent schools can use the power of AI to craft personalized learning experiences that cater to these students’ needs. AI tools can help analyze student data and recognize their learning requirements. This approach allows educators to craft customized learning plans to ensure every student gets the needed support and guidance.

The integration of AI tools in classroom settings, such as text-to-speak for effective notetaking and speech recognition tools, can bring a positive change in the educational landscape. With the help of AI, classrooms can transform into supportive environments, promising a more accessible and inclusive environment for all students.

The Benefits of AI in Supporting Neurodiversity Learning

It offers an individualized learning experience by accommodating diverse learning styles and tailoring educational needs.
It provides bespoke resources, tasks, links to videos, and presentations crafted to each student’s progress level.
It offers real-time language translation and accessibility tools to make learning more inclusive.
It provides valuable insights that can help optimize teaching strategies accordingly.

AI is a beacon of hope in the realm of neurodivergence education, offering a more accessible and inclusive environment for students. Embracing AI in education can pave the way to a place where students and teachers can excel as well.

Benefits of Personalized Learning in Micro-Schools for Neurodiverse Children

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Individualised Learning: Micro-schools provide students with a highly personalized curriculum that considers every student’s needs and interests. This approach to learning helps to enhance students’ self-awareness and boost confidence.
Compassionate & Caring: These schools focus on emotional well-being with compassion, love, and care. This helps students succeed socially and academically.
Encourages Empathy & Respect for Diversity: These schools inculcate empathy, understanding, and respect for neurodivergence at a very early age, prompting a more inclusive and accepting society.
Learn at Your Own Pace: Individualized education allows students to progress at their own pace, which makes students feel more confident that their learning will progress at their own pace.

Conclusion

Neurodivergence advocates that every human brain functions differently, with unique strengths and challenges. Our session provided teachers, principals, and educators with practical strategies that could help create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. By embracing neurodiversity, we can create a society that celebrates diversity as a gift, not a disability. Our initiative, EmpowerED, is a school wellness program that empowers educators, students, and parents to create healthy communities. We are dedicated to providing you with the support and information you need.