Supporting Neurodiverse Students Through Course Design

You’ve doubtless heard the expression “Great minds think alike,” but the reality is that great minds work in countless different ways. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think and learn. Different peoples’ brains simply work differently. When we appreciate the variability in our students and design with that variability in mind, we can widen the path to success for everyone without removing content or requirements or sacrificing rigor.

Chances are very high that your classes will include neurodivergent students whose unique perspective, creative thinking, and innovative ideas can benefit you and all the class members. In this article, we will discuss neurodiversity in our students, and how we can support neurodivergent students through course design.

When we appreciate the variability in our students and design with the variability in mind, we can widen the path to success for everyone without removing content or requirements or sacrificing rigor.

Table of Contents

Workshop Information

Overview

Definitions

A good place to start is by defining “neurodiversity” and “neurodivergent.” Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to a diverse array of human brains and minds. Neurodivergent students experience, learn about, and interact with the world differently because their brains perceive and process information in a different way than society usually expects. Neurodiversity isn’t directly associated with intelligence but instead with the way that people take in, process, and make decisions on information. Often, the term “neurotypical” is used to describe people whose brains work in a way that is more commonly expected by society. 

Sometimes neurodiversity has been viewed through the medical model of disability, which views neurodiversity as a deficiency or abnormality that resides in an individual. However, if we view neurodiversity through a social model (i.e. as simply a difference that is challenging because of how the environment or society is structured and interacted with), we are empowered to consider how the environment we build through our course design can affect how neurodivergent students engage and perform. This approach to teaching is sometimes referred to as “compassionate pedagogy” (Hamilton & Petty, 2023).

Statistics

It’s estimated that somewhere between 15 and 40 percent of humans have neurodivergent characteristics. Here at NC State, the Disability Resource Office (DRO) reports that for Fall 2023, 51% (1,111) of the 2,173 students registered with their office identify neurodiversity as the reason they are seeking accommodations. The actual numbers of neurodiverse students are likely much, much higher because not all students who are neurodiverse register with the DRO, or even receive a diagnosis (Clouder, et al., 2020). Attrition rates for neurodivergent students are generally higher than average (Hamilton & Petty, 2023).

A breakdown of the neurodiverse students registered with the DRO indicates 821 students who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with or without another condition (learning disability and or mental health challenges); 154 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 122 with a learning disability, and 14 with brain injury. The most common accommodation approved by the DRO is more time to complete assignments, which is specifically helpful to neurodivergent students.

How to support neurodivergent students

While there are infinite variations of neurodiversity and no two brains are identical, many neurodivergent students share some common challenges. Course design that is based on Universal Design for Learning is recommended as a way to design for neurodiversity (Clouder, et al., 2020). Universal Design for Learning tells us that when we design for the edge  – in this case, those on the edges of what is considered typical for information processing – everyone can benefit, regardless of their neurotype. When implemented well, these design practices reduce the need for individual accommodations and enable neurodivergent students to experience the same levels of participation and success as their peers.

Use predictable, organized course layout

Predictability and consistency are very helpful for all learners, but especially those who are neurodivergent.

When you are designing your course in Moodle, use a repeated pattern for laying out your content and activities and consistent naming conventions for course sections and subsections, files, resources, and more. This way, once a student becomes familiar with how your course is organized in the first section, they don’t have to waste precious cognitive resources learning to navigate future sections of the course.

At NC State, a Quick Start Course Shell is available to guide your application of this best practice to your course. To learn more and get started, watch the Quick Start Course Shell YouTube tour and refer to the Quick Start Course Shell User Guide.  Even if you ultimately choose not to build your course by starting with the Quick Start Course Shell, you can apply the principles demonstrated in the shell to improve the predictability and organization of your course.

Simplify the visual display

A common challenge of neurodiverse students, particularly those with ADHD, is that it is easy for them to become distracted and lose focus.

By reducing visual distractions such as excessive decorative elements, animations, gifs and moving or flashing text, you can make it easier for students to identify and focus on the important content on a page, whether it’s a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation, a Moodle site, or any other document.

Communicate clearly, consistently and frequently

Planning, organizing, and reflecting on their work is a common challenge for many neurodiverse students. Remember that their other instructors will have different expectations for students, so be explicit and direct (probably more so than you think you need to be) about what you want your students to do and how they can be successful in your course. Share the learning objectives for each unit or lecture with your students to make it very clear what you expect them to get out of that portion of the course. 

Early in the semester, share timelines and due dates for assignments and assessments to help your students plan. Providing a comprehensive timeline for the semester and breaking down complex tasks such as term papers or final projects into smaller steps with associated timelines and constructive feedback helps students organize their time. Reminders about upcoming benchmarks and due dates are always appreciated and may reduce requests for extensions.

Regular and timely feedback will help students monitor their own learning and comprehension and track their progress so they can identify what they’ve mastered and what needs more attention, which is a challenge for many neurodivergent students. Effective feedback can come in the form of self-checks with automatic feedback, forum interactions, or personalized comments on assignments.

Support comprehension through scaffolding

Chances are that you have something you consider yourself an expert at doing. Can you remember what it was like to be a complete novice? To begin learning the foundations? Many of us forget those days once we’re experts, and we take for granted the network and scaffolding we’ve constructed in our brains that help us to make sense of new data in our field. This documented phenomenon is called the expert blind spot.

Watch your language!

Students may not yet be familiar with the jargon of your field of study, or perhaps even with NC State jargon and lingo, so using plain language and minimal abbreviations and acronyms can help build their expertise. Pre-teach vocabulary that is new, and provide or let students build a glossary.

Make objective transparent.

Neurodivergent students can find it challenging to distinguish key information from the supporting details, and in courses that cover a lot of content this can be overwhelming. Share your learning objectives for each lecture or course session or lesson with them so they know exactly what they should focus on learning. Offer scaffolding like note-taking templates or build concept maps together.

Chunk information

Large or long blocks of text can be difficult to read and focus on for neurodivergent students as well as others.

Chunking information increases the whitespace within a document, making it easier to navigate. Using built-in heading styles, bullet points and numbered lists where applicable can signify meaning as well as break up large blocks of text. Learn more about headings and lists in DELTA’s Digital Accessibility Guide. 

Use short (<10 min) videos or lecture segments and take time after each to solidify the key points, distinguishing main concepts from supporting examples. This can help students both maintain focus on each video or lecture and understand why that video or lecture is important.

Maximize flexibility

As mentioned before, the most often approved accommodation for neurodivergent students is more time to complete assignments and assessments. Can you create some flexibility in your deadlines? Can you use alternative assessments to remove timed exams? Many faculty turned to flexible timing during the COVID-19 Pandemic; you may find some useful ideas in the article, “Pandemic Pearls of Wisdom: Online Teaching Takeaways from the 2020-21 Academic Year.”

Being flexible in other aspects of your course can help all students. Consider using mid-semester check-ins to find out what’s working, or where more support is needed then tweak your course if possible and appropriate to make things work better. By asking students for feedback and then responding to their needs, you create an environment where they are comfortable approaching you.

Conclusion

Following course design best practices that minimize ambiguity and distraction and provide clarity, support for comprehension and flexibility can help students thrive in your course.

Beyond course design, you can support all your students by helping them feel comfortable approaching you with questions, concerns, or ideas without fear of negative consequences. A “Getting To Know You” survey (sample survey from Michelle  Pacansky-Brock) at the start of your course will help you learn about anticipated challenges, needs, or barriers to success that your students come to your course with, regardless of their DRO status. And for those who are registered with the DRO, remind them that they should submit their accommodation letter to you and set up a time to discuss their accommodations with you.

These simple but powerful practices can support accessibility, equity and inclusion in your course.

Resources

References

Clouder, L., Karakus, M., Cinotti, A. et al. Neurodiversity in higher education: a narrative synthesis. High Educ 80, 757–778 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00513-6

Hamilton, L. G., & Petty, S. (2023). Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: A conceptual analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1093290. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093290

Kwon, S.J., Kim, Y. & Kwak, Y. Difficulties faced by university students with self-reported symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a qualitative study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 12, 12 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-018-0218-3

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