
It is currently Neurodiversity Celebration Week (21-27 March 2022), during which there is a focus on educating the wider community about the experiences of neurodivergent individuals whilst challenging the stereotypes that are often perpetuated.
Neurodivergent individuals experience differences in the way that the brain functions, when compared with individuals deemed as ‘neurotypical’.
Despite some of the misconceptions, there is no correct way for the brain to function, and the term neurodiversity reflects how the way that the brain operates differs between individuals.
Often individuals with neurological differences, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), will be diagnosed during childhood, with the prevalence rate of autism in the UK equalling one in every 100 children.
In keeping with the theme this week, it seems fitting that a new online training portal to further teachers understanding of the challenges their neurodivergent students face has been launched today (24 March).
This free training platform labelled as ‘Triple-A’ has been created by Durham University’s Centre for Neurodiversity and Development, and the Communication and Interaction Team at Durham County Council.
It aims to provide educators with the right tools to support neurodivergent children and young people through focusing on three of the most common difficulties that they face.
These include:
- Attention difficulty
- Arousal differences
- Heightened anxiety
The online resources offer some practical advice for educational professionals to try and ease the difficulties autistic and neurodivergent pupils may experience in school, such as reorganising classrooms to reduce arousal levels.
Find out how you could participate in the training here.