Building a Neurodiversity Inclusive Future: Redefining Education with the Diversity of Human Brains in Mind

This is a guest blog post on the topic of

"Neuroinclusive Education of the Future." 

You might know me online as "The Neuroaffirming Parent" but honestly I'm just a regular 30 year old, Millennial, Female, Wife of almost 10 years, and Mom of two kids under the age of 7.

I went to a brick and mortar public school from 1998 to 2011. Looking back I wouldn't say I had a bad education… Yet I believe it's because I had the benefit of knowing that once I graduated highschool, it wasn't an experience I had to go through the same way again. 

Yet in 2021 that all changed. 

My oldest child, my daughter, started pre-k at 4 years old at a local public school. This was recommended to us by everyone. Family, friends, and our pediatrician because our daughter knew her alphabet, and counted to 40 all on her own. 

We had no clue we would experience school issues until the phone calls started, the notes home, the emails. 

When someone calls you with concerns as a Mom I wanted to know what was going on. 

The longer these issues went on we started having high pressure in school meetings. 

I started to look at my own childhood, my own education, and my own past. I was identified in 2002 as a gifted student. I mentioned this and the assistant principal of my daughter's school rolled her eyes and said, "Every child is bright". This woman didn't understand what Giftedness meant in terms of a different brain wiring. 

A year went by. More school meetings. More assessments. My daughter started to hate school. My daughter dreaded school. My daughter started to hate learning. 

I started googling all the complaints the school had made and Google popped up the word "Dyslexia". I didn't exactly know what it meant. I remember as a kid playing on the website Brain pop and first hearing it. What was described sounded so abstract I couldn't comprehend it. 

Yet I found websites like Nessy learning and Twinkl and ultimately a screening on Made by Dyslexia website made me realize. I am a Dyslexic adult. I found out 80% of Dyslexic adults graduate school unidentified. So how did I not get identified? I was taught to read with hooked on phonics in my public school in 1998. I knew how to read before first grade. 

That's when I listened to the sold a story podcast in October of 2022. I took the nessy learning dyslexia training. I took the made by Dyslexia training from Microsoft learn. I took the Cox campus training. That's when I knew something was wrong. 

My daughter's public school was still using balanced literacy instruction with a "phonics" patch. They did 10 mins of "Phonemic Awareness" and 10 mins of "Phonics" with two different programs. Then 60+ minutes of guided reading with Levelled readers. 

My daughter was effectively in a dyslexia vortex because the implicit instruction and the whole language based instruction was not teaching her how to read. 

I started to do more research and I learned about neurodiversity. I learned about how most autistic adults do not support the puzzle piece logo. I also learned the autistic adult community supports inclusive education and does not support applied behavioral analysis or ABA therapy. 

My daughter's school? Their only solution to these "problems" was a pull out program with a Lindamood-bell specialist. That's not inclusive. The BCBA wanted permission to touch, pole, and drag the nap mat of my daughter to wake her up from nap time. They refused to believe that dyslexia caused fatigue from learning. I said no. 

Ultimately my family removed all the paperwork and withdrew my daughter from the school all together. They wanted to use supports meant to help students, yet the only one benefitting was the school district, the admin, and the specialists. 

We switched to a virtual public charter school at home in January of 2023. This school used computers and a curriculum that had structured literacy. By March 2023? My daughter's love of learning had returned. We went on field trips. She made a local friend. At the end of 2023 school year my daughter had made the Honor Roll. 

Over the summer of 2023 I got free Phonics screeners online from teachers that advocate for assessments. 

My daughter had mastered most of her phonics. I began teaching my son to read from my Cox Campus training. He knows all his CVC words and he's only 4 years old. Today my kids practice Phonemic Awareness for fun in their room with their toys. 

So when I see people talking about neurodiversity online and in person and I see it begin to take center stage, I'm not just happy. I am excited! 

I made my Instagram account back in January out of frustration. Now I feel empowered to start a podcast to spread this information far and wide. Not many people realize a neuroinclusive approach aims to create a learning environment that embraces the unique strengths and challenges of all students, while fostering a sense of belonging for teachers, staff, and parents alike. 

Here are some of the essential components that I believe make up the foundation of a potential neuroinclusive education, including neuroaffirming practices, structured literacy, neuroscience-aligned curriculum, and the universal design for learning:

Neuroaffirming practices revolve around celebrating the diverse ways individuals process and perceive information. By acknowledging and valuing different learning styles and cognitive profiles, educators create an environment where all students feel seen and supported. It's about promoting self-acceptance, reducing stigma, and emphasizing each student's potential.

Structured literacy and explicit instruction form the cornerstone of neuroinclusive education. These methods provide systematic and clear approaches to teaching essential skills such as reading, writing, and math. By breaking down complex concepts into manageable steps, educators ensure that all students have access to the foundational knowledge they need to succeed.

Designing a curriculum that aligns with our understanding of neuroscience ensures that learning is optimized for all students. Recognizing the brain's capacity for plasticity and adaptation, educators can tailor instruction to accommodate various learning paces and preferences. This approach empowers students to develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

The principle of universal design for learning (UDL) centers around creating instructional materials and methods that cater to a diverse range of learners. By offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, UDL ensures that every student can access the content in a way that suits their individual needs.

In a neuroinclusive education system, inclusivity extends beyond the classroom walls. It encompasses teachers, staff, and parents as active partners in the educational journey. Collaboration among all stakeholders ensures that the support and accommodations provided are consistent and holistic, promoting the well-being and progress of every student.

So when I saw the Instagram account "Inclusive Neurodiverse" and saw the bame say: "Neurodiversity affirming shop" It immediately gave me hope and I fell in love! 

Ultimately…as the landscape of education evolves, my hope is that people will see how a neuroinclusive approach emerges as a beacon of progress. 

I'm thankful for the future because Neurodivergent parents, Neurodivergent kids, and the Neuroinclusive communities we create give me so much hope! 

I honestly believe that once all humans embrace neuroaffirming practices, structured literacy, neuroscience-aligned curriculum, universal design for learning, and inclusivity of all stakeholders, we will pave the way for an education system that celebrates diversity and empowers every learner to thrive. 

I'm looking forward to saving money and buying my family all Inclusive Neurodiverse T Shirts! 

It's so important for me to explain to others that our world is currently and always has been neurodiverse. 

The time is now to make it more Neuroinclusive – Who is ready to work together to build it?

Some of My favorite Resources: 

Neurodiversity:

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Literacy: 

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You can listen to my new podcast: The Neuroaffirming Parent PODCAST here

https://shows.acast.com/the-neuroaffirming-parent-podcast/episodes

If you'd like to follow me: 

I'm on all major social media platforms as @theneuroaffirmingparent