4 Ways to Design a Course That Supports Neurodivergent Students Focus on Highlighting Their Strengths

Before day one: Provide a platform for students to share their strengths and interests

The start of a new term can be anxiety inducing, particularly for our neurodivergent students; they may feel unsure about what will be expected of them and how they will perform compared to other students.

But if you make an effort to learn about your students and open up dialogue before day one, your neurodivergent students will likely feel more at ease and better prepared to begin the new term. And when neurodivergent students are cognitively ready, they perform better.

To do this, I like to provide a platform for students to share their strengths and interests ahead of the first day of class. This provides invaluable insight into how they learn best and offers information about their personal and cultural backgrounds, which better informs my teaching. Here’s one way to do it.

1. Sign up for a community building platform, such as Padlet or Wakelet, that allows participants to share text, images, video, voice recordings, etc.
2. Create a wall on this platform. Add the first entry with a picture of yourself and a few sentences about your personal interests, why you love teaching the course, and your favorite topics within the course.
3. Prompt students to share their own picture, their interests and hobbies, and what they are most looking forward to in class.
4. As each student posts, respond by welcoming them to the course and making a one- or two-sentence connection between something they said and something another student said.
5. Encourage students to respond to each other’s posts, as well.

On day one: Turn your syllabus review into an interactive, dynamic experience

Neurodivergent students are great problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. So if you can review the syllabus and upcoming course assignments in a way that encourages them to use these strengths, it will help boost their EF skills. This starts with helping them connect their existing knowledge to the course content so they can plan and organize their approach to the work (two key EF skills). Students will start to build a mental road map of what they’ll learn and what will be required of them in the course.

To do this, I like to introduce an activity on the first day of class called “Take a Stand,” which promotes curiosity and discussion around the course content and diffuses any anxiety that may build among students as you review the syllabus. Here’s how:

1. Design a set of slides (up to 10) that prompts students to contemplate their current knowledge of the topics you will teach.
2. Include visuals and make the prompts short but exciting. It’s great to lead with a statement such as, “You are able to . . .” and then list a skill or problem that they will be able to solve by the end of the semester.
3. Students move to one side of the room or the other based on their current ability to solve the problem or use the skill. (If virtual, have them use emojis to respond or use free survey features on Google Forms or Pear Deck.)
4. Ask one or two students to briefly share their experiences related to the topic.

After day one: Create teams to connect classmates

If you want your neurodivergent students to develop a deeper connection to the course—and the learning—they need opportunities to connect with their classmates, which doesn’t always come naturally to them. A great way to do this is by developing teams.

A team structure ensures that your students are practicing effective organization and timely initiation of work (other EF skills) as they band together to research, curate information, produce strong work, and meet deadlines. By carving out time for brief student-led lessons, you can use connection and collaboration to ensure rigorous learning that’s beyond just memorizing facts.

To do this, divide your class into teams of three to four students early in the new term. These teams will work together throughout the course to complete group assignments, grapple with complex problems, and conduct research to teach—not just present—to the class (or to other teams if your class size is large).

If your class is small enough, try using the responses you got on Padlet before the first day of class as a guide to group your students based on interests and personalities.

RECOMMENDED READING

• To learn more about co-creating success with your students, listen to the podcast Cult of Pedagogy’s episode “Build it Together: Co-Constructing Success Criteria with Students.”
• For more information on how to teach procedures effectively, read The Dynamics of Writing Instruction.
• To learn more about creating curated resources lists to give your students agency over reading assignments, listen to Cult of Pedagogy’s episode “To Boost Higher Order Thinking, Try Curation.”

Highlight neurodivergent students’ resilience and strong work ethic

On their journeys to your classroom, your neurodivergent students have likely overcome many challenges, from self-doubt to biases about their abilities. This demonstrates their resilience, openness, and strong work ethic.

As we design our curriculum, let’s highlight these attributes through strategic activities to ensure these students’ continued success rather than creating more barriers. We must also foster our students’ ability to capitalize on their own strengths and develop their cognitive functions so they can thrive in their careers.

By connecting them right away to classmates and the course content, we can create a rigorous learning environment where all students can work diligently and excel.