Neurodiversity

The term neurodiversity refers to the differences between how people think, process information, behave and communicate. It is believed that approximately one in five people are neurodiverse. Types of neurodivergence include:

ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Some neurodivergent pupils may need additional support, while others may not. Every classroom is neurodiverse - because every pupil will have a different way of thinking, feeling, and learning. This should be encouraged and supported.

Increasing Awareness

At Uplands, we believe it is important for us to have an understanding of neurodiversity and how this might present itself in our children.  We want to ensure that all staff members are aware of what neurodiversity might look like in their classrooms and how best to meet a range of needs. With that in mind, we employed the services of our Educational Psychologist to run some whole-school training sessions; some staff members have attended a neurodiversity conference with a focus on ADHD; and some members of staff attended an online neurodiversity awareness training session.  These have been really beneficial in moulding our approach to our neurodiverse children.

Universal Provision

Some of the everyday things we have in place in our classrooms:

• Neutral backing on our class displays to reduce cognitive overload.
• A visual timetable so children know what to expect that day.
• Regular movement breaks.
• A quiet, calm space that can be accessed by any child.
• A separate space to eat lunch to avoid the hustle and bustle of the lunch hall.

Additional Provision

As well as the everyday things, we have a range of other things that we can use to support our children:

• Wobble cushions
• Fidget toys
• Theraputty
• Therabands on chairs
• Weighted items
• Now and next boards
• Ear defenders
• Distraction boards
• Various writing supports
• Social communication skills programme
• Well-being support groups
• Lego therapy
• Pre-reading and pre-teaching prior to lessons

Books 

It is very important that children see characters like them represented in books. Books are also a brilliant way for children to make sense of who they are and how they may be different - and to recognise that that is ok!  We have made sure we have books available in our school that include characters who are neurodiverse.  Some of the books we have in school are: