Educating a broad cross section of students successfully is difficult without deliberately creating a sense of belonging for all. Research supports establishing a more inviting, comfortable setting for multiple learning modalities, designating the classroom as a place all students can thrive and are safe to be themselves. Below are some tips to create a place of acceptance for all kids. 

A shared work environment can be a minefield for those on the spectrum, sometimes because of the ignorance of others, which can result in “othering” those with autism.

The only given among those who fall on the spectrum is that gender is a complex, multi-faceted, and deeply personal sense of self, much as it is for the neurotypical population. Fundamentally, Autigender makes room for and lends some explanation to much more diversity within the autistic subset. 

As a community helping children to be more aware, accepting, and empathetic, we can do better – and we must. Whether we’re improving our neurodivergent children’s self-awareness and perception or helping neuromajority children realize that different brain wiring impacts the way autistic peers understand and process the world around them, sharing information in an age-appropriate, strengths-based way is critical to healthy social emotional development.

What any educator will confirm is that every child is unique, whether on the spectrum or not. How they react to stimuli will vary among them, with some increased irregularity among our neurodiverse kids. Recognizing exactly how we’re feeling from their perspective, or how they’re feeling inside, can be difficult to interpret. Here are some common emotional responses to dispel some of the mystery. 

If the aim is an inclusive classroom for neurodivergent kids, we aren’t going to achieve much without leadership showing them how it’s done. Modeling this sort of behavior might feel cumbersome, for fear of overcompensating with forced or unnatural interactions. But a few subtle techniques fly right under the radar and create a culture of […]

As educators, we value the importance of inclusion and recognize that each and every student comes with their own gifts, quirks, and challenges. Our kids, who are still discovering who they are, and each other, benefit from classroom activities that foster inclusion, educate and celebrate their unique characteristics, and create better connections between peers. What […]

Autism Acceptance Month is just around the corner. Before we take the opportunity to hyperfocus on autism as a neurotype, let’s take a minute during this Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 13-19) to better understand what neurodiversity is and why it should be celebrated! Different models of neurodiversity will include a variety of neurotypes. The neuro […]

1 in 5 students in general, and 1 in 3 autistic students, are bullied. When bullying behavior focuses on a target’s disability, it can be disability harassment.