From Awareness to Action: Neurodiversity in UK Education
Data is not the problem - complacency is…
Neurodiversity has moved firmly into the mainstream of education conversations. As teachers and leaders work to build truly inclusive schools and colleges, it helps to ground our practice in clear principles and practical steps that support staff and students alike.
What We Mean by Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity recognises the natural range of human brains and minds (Walker, 2014). It challenges the idea of a single “normal” way to think, learn, plan, or interact. Differences in attention, sensory processing, executive function, communication and memory aren’t deficits to fix; they’re part of human variation.
Beyond Awareness: Towards Affirmation
Awareness is a starting point acknowledging neurodivergent people and their rights. Affirmation goes further. It means actively valuing neurodivergent perspectives, designing environments where people feel seen and understood, and measuring success by whether individuals can thrive—not how well they mask.
Try asking in meetings or line management conversations:
What helps you do your best work?
What gets in the way—and what can we adjust?
How will we review whether that adjustment is working?
Universal Design: Practical, Not Parallel
A universal design approach benefits everyone and reduces the need for separate accommodations. Think built-in, not bolt-on—designing systems that anticipate difference, rather than reacting to it.
Equitable Use
Creating equitable systems starts with the structures that shape teachers’ working lives.
Terms & Conditions: Provision for hybrid or flexible working—for example, completing PPA time remotely or accessing ad-hoc flexible days can make a measurable difference to workload and wellbeing (WLTL, 2024).
Equitable Resources: Ensure technology, teaching materials, props and textbooks are consistently available across all classrooms, so no one relies on personal resources or informal borrowing to teach effectively.
Low Physical Effort
Reducing unnecessary effort mental, sensory, or physical supports focus, reduces fatigue, and helps teachers sustain energy across the week.
Assistive & AI Tools: Provide and maintain assistive technology (AT) for staff and ensure all teaching materials are AT-compatible. Recent NFER research found that AI tools such as ChatGPT can cut lesson-planning time by up to 30%, freeing teachers to focus on pedagogy and relationships.
Minimise Sensory Load: Build in quiet recovery time—for instance, enforcing a strict no learner contact policy during lunch breaks—and, where possible, timetable neurodivergent teachers in the same classroom or on the same floor to reduce transitions and sensory fatigue.
Flexibility by Design
Flexible formats: Provide slides, handouts and agendas in advance with clear headings and timings.
Choice in communication: Offer alternatives to rapid verbal exchanges (e.g., chat, shared docs, or short written updates).
Predictability: Visual timetables, consistent meeting norms and explicit task breakdowns help everyone manage cognitive load.
Sensory-aware spaces: Adjustable lighting, calm colours, and clear signage make classrooms more welcoming for all.
Universal design isn’t about special treatment, t’s about smart, inclusive design that removes friction for everyone.
Data, Policy and Leadership
Despite growing awareness, workforce data on disability and neurodivergence remains limited. For example, in the 2024 workforce census, schools failed to obtain disability information for 59% of teachers (House of Commons, 2024). But lack of perfect data mustn’t stall progress. We already know neurodiversity is a biological fact, our learning and workspaces should reflect this.
In the UK context, go beyond compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty by:
Embedding inclusion in recruitment (transparent processes, interview questions in advance, alternative assessment formats).
Building adjustments into budgets and planning cycles, not as discretionary extras.
Training middle leaders to spot disabling barriers—and remove them quickly.
Creating a Neuro-Inclusive Culture
Culture shows up in the everyday:
Meetings: Share papers early; invite written input; rotate chairs and minute-takers; stick to timings.
Workload: Break complex tasks into stages; agree priorities; protect focus time.
Feedback: Be specific and kind; avoid last-minute changes wherever possible.
Policies: Make workplace adjustments easy to request, trial and review—without stigma.
Identity: Recognise neurodivergence as a lifelong aspect of identity, not a temporary difficulty.
Support and Advocacy for Staff
If you’re navigating adjustments as a neurodivergent educator:
Ask for a Workplace/Reasonable Adjustment Passport so agreed supports travel with you between roles, line managers and settings.
Check your school or trust’s HR policies on disability and adjustments, and draw on guidance from your union.
Document what works: tools, schedules, meeting norms, physical environment tweaks—then review termly.
The Takeaway
Inclusion isn’t a project, it’s a design choice. When we pair affirmation with universal design, we create environments where both learners and teaching professionals can do their best work.
If you’d like support to make this real in your context—through mentoring, leadership coaching, or policy/practice reviews—get in touch.
Contact: Dr Annemarie O’Dwyer
Email: a.odwyer@neurodivergentinsider.co.uk
I provide workplace mentoring for neurodivergent teachers—targeted, practical support for you and your setting.
Resources:
Dr Nick Walker: Neurodiversity some basic concepts and definitions. Accessed: 25/11/2025
NFER ChatGPT in lesson preparation - A Teacher Choices Trial December 2024, Accessed: 07/11/2025
Universal Design for ND at Work, Birkbeck University of London, Genius Within, Accessed: 07/11/2025
How many teachers are there in the UK? TES, 20th June 2025. Accessed: 09/11/2025 https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/how-many-teachers-are-there-uk-england-scotland-wales-northern-ireland
