Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is a way of saying everyone’s brain is different. A neurodiversity approach views autism spectrum, dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADH) and other forms of ‘neurodivergence’ as natural variations. Neurodivergent people experience and react to the world differently to ‘neurotypical’ people.

Neurodiversity in education is about understanding and supporting students who are neurodivergent and who might have particular ways of thinking, engaging, participating and learning at school. A student who is neurodivergent might, for example, learn better in a quieter classroom or make better progress with a structured timetable and predictable routines. They might, for example, benefit from structured play

opportunities during break time or from receiving written feedback instead of verbal feedback, such as resolving situations of conflict.

Neurodiversity in education, therefore, is about shaping a whole school learning environment and making accommodations and adjustments that support the individual needs and learning styles of students who are neurodiverse, enabling them to succeed at school.

At Ashfield Public School, this includes a whole school framework of ten wellbeing choices that support students who are neurodiverse to develop healthy identities of self-worth, determination and accomplishment as they tackle everyday challenges and successfully engage and learn at school. These wellbeing choices foster a whole school culture that motivates and supports all students to celebrate and leverage their individual strengths.

In the classrooms of Ashfield Public School, supporting students who are neurodivergent happens in many ways. For example, flexible learning options include offering movement breaks for those who learn better when active and using visual supports alongside verbal instructions to accommodate different processing styles.

Teachers receive professional learning to understand the needs of students who are neurodivergent. Teachers learn how to create resources and use strategies such as breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps - a core component of explicit teaching – to engage and support students with cognitive processing challenges.

Creating inclusive schools benefits all students. Flexible learning and explicit teaching strategies for students who are neurodivergent are proven to support all students to learn complex skills. The accommodations and adjustments made for a student with specific needs to interact, participate and learn at school result in a more flexible and supportive learning environment for all.

Neurodiversity in education acknowledges the richness and complexity of every individual. When a school can respond to individual learning needs and learning styles, when teachers know how to structure their lessons to meet the physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of their students, effective learning outcomes are achieved for all.

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my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 2011, Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Melbourne

Anthropic. (2025). Claude [Large language model]. claude.ai

autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/identity/autism-and-neurodiversity