Session 67: Neurodivergent-inclusive teaching: practical hints and tips

Abstract

Session overview:

Do you want to better support your neurodivergent students, but feel unsure about where to start?  Are you unsure of how to translate general information about reasonable adjustments into specific classroom strategies?  This session presents a beginner’s guide to neurodivergent-inclusive teaching in HE, from a neurodivergent academic who is also a researcher in Disability Studies and Neurodiversity Studies.

Drawing on 15+ years’ experience supporting neurodivergent students (as a support worker, lecturer, and senior lecturer), I’ll present a brief, accessible introduction to ‘neurodiversity’ and related concepts, before moving on to practical guidance on effective teaching for neurodivergent students. Drawing in particular on my experience of designing and delivering a new module on neurodiversity for a student group with a high proportion of neurodivergent learners at a previous institution, I’ll reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and consider how specific strategies might transfer to the LJMU context.

Key learning points from this session:

• Practical strategies for teaching neurodivergent learners.
• A better understanding of the concepts of 'neurodiversity' and 'neurodivergence', and the needs of neurodivergent students.

Neurodivergent-inclusive teaching: practical hints and tips PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource.