How School Leaders Can Support Neurodivergent Teachers

While 15 to 20 percent of the population is considered neurodivergent, there is a distinct lack of research and knowledge about supporting neurodivergent educators in schools. As an experienced school leader, I understand that administrators are busy; we have a full plate of rotating initiatives and daily problems to solve in our school communities.

However, a neurodiversity-affirming school provides benefits for all teachers, not only neurodivergent educators. Creating this type of school means understanding neurodiversity and the opportunities that exist to create a school where all minds belong.

Common types of neurodivergence include autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyspraxia. The umbrella of neurodivergence continues to expand and can also include anxiety, depression, and other conditions that affect thinking and processing. The neurodiversity movement seeks to change negative perception and stigmas associated with disability. A neurodiversity-affirming approach is strengths-based, values the contributions of everyone, and prioritizes acceptance, inclusion, and social support by altering the environment to suit all minds.

Affirming Neurodivergent Educators

As the neurodiversity framework continues to gain ground, there has been considerable movement in business organizations to both recognize and recruit neurodivergent individuals. This hasn’t been the case for schools, despite the fact that many schools embrace neurodiversity-affirming principles for students in classrooms.

My dissertation study explored the experiences of neurodivergent educators in schools. In my research, I learned that neurodivergent educators are an important and often “hidden” population in our schools who are strengthening a culture of acceptance and inclusion, while actively trying to balance their needs with the expectations of a school that is generally tailored for neurotypical minds.

Neurodivergent educators understand their strengths and challenges, choosing to disclose to students, peers, and administrators when they feel they can do so safely. In addition, they show a passion for connecting with students, especially neurodivergent students. Pedagogically, I’ve seen that neurodivergent educators are natural differentiators, creating engaging and scaffolded environments for diverse learning needs. However, they have often felt misunderstood or disconnected from colleagues due to different ways of communicating and benefited most when supported by a mentor or fellow neurodivergent colleague.

Neurodivergent educators are a deserving population existing in our schools and are actively contributing to an inclusive culture. It is the responsibility of school leaders to take the next steps to elevate their voices and create neuro-affirming schools.

3 Core Pillars of a Neuro-Affirming School

Space, belonging, and access are the core pillars of a neuro-affirming school. Each core pillar consists of key systemic shifts and actionable practices that school leaders can immediately implement. Refining existing systems creates the needed shifts to include all ways of thinking and learning to capitalize on educator strengths. Each of these actionable practices was suggested by the participants in my study and/or has been reflected in the teachers with disabilities research. Importantly, these practices are low-lift, building upon existing systems and practices, refining them for a neurodiverse population.

1. Physical and cognitive space. Make sensory adjustments to the school environment where appropriate:

• Replace fluorescent lighting with soft lamps to mitigate the buzzing sound or brightness of the lights.
• Replace shrill fire alarms with voice-alert fire alarms.
• Provide noise-canceling headphones or earplugs in the teacher workroom.

Introducing a variety of flexible seating and movement patterns can also ensure teachers’ comfort. Provide stand-up desks, chairs, couches, and tables for meetings/sessions. Create frequent movement breaks during meetings, and allow teachers to choose a seating option that works best for their learning. 

Structured and predictable communication supports cognitive processing and is crucial for ensuring that teachers are informed and mentally prepared. For example, provide a consistent weekly newsletter with action items using bulleted and highlighted or bolded words. It’s also helpful to use a running agenda to keep information and ideas in one document. Always make sure to place explicit expectations in writing to ensure clear understanding.

To support teachers’ ability to self-regulate, re-map teacher duties and responsibilities as needed. Map duties that match the sensory needs of your staff by having them complete surveys. Create “low noise” or “high noise” duty stations/responsibilities, and allow staff members to switch their duty stations to suit their needs.

2. Belonging. School-based affinity groups go a long way to generate a sense of community and belonging among teachers. In my experience, affinity groups are best implemented organically, meaning that school leaders can offer the opportunity for groups to form by reaching out to two or three individuals who have shown interest in building a presence and voice in the school. Or alternatively, school leaders can send out a communication that identifies the opportunity to create affinity groups to see which staff members might be interested.

Once these groups are established, school leaders can provide opportunities for affinity groups to present at staff meetings or facilitate professional learning. They can also create space for groups to provide suggestions for school policy.

To support teacher-led professional growth, administrators can modify the professional evaluation rubric to include how well teachers connect with students, participate in school events, and create opportunities for inclusion. Additionally, allow teachers to self-assess before formal evaluations. It’s also important to highlight pedagogical strengths in differentiation, and note when teachers use flexible seating, visual checklists, and differentiated assessments.

3. Prioritize accessibility. A multi-modal application process gives diverse candidates opportunities to highlight their strengths both for external candidates and for those looking to grow into leadership roles. Create flexible applications that include written responses, video/audio responses, or a scenario-based questionnaire. During the process, encourage a submission of artifacts such as a lesson plan or portfolio. Additionally, offer classroom tours to qualified candidates to give them a chance to converse outside of the formal conference room.

Structured onboarding is beneficial for neurodivergent teachers. To do this, create a bulleted list of school-related tasks that need to be completed during in-service days, and provide one-pagers for each step of the onboarding process. Compile a list of resources in a folder or binder for staff members to refer to during the year. Finally, provide a list of “unwritten policies” that schools use, such as subscribing to a master calendar, collaborating with teaching teams, and asking for support.

The core pillars of space, belonging, and access can help guide school leaders to create neuro-affirming environments that directly support neurodivergent educators, while also creating a more inclusive environment for all educators.

These low-lift systemic shifts and actionable practices are designed to benefit all individuals, which in the world of a busy administrator means that staff belonging is a priority as a means to including all.