The Neurodivergent-Friendly Classroom: Twelve Simple Shifts

Twelve evidence-based, low-cost strategies for teachers and teaching assistants who want to make their classrooms work better for neurodivergent learners, without waiting for whole-school change or a diagnosis. Grouped into four themes: language, environment, time, and task structure.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Use plain language and processing time to reduce confusion and pressure
• Respond to dysregulation in ways that calm rather than escalate
• Audit your environment to reduce sensory overload and cognitive clutter
• Use routines, visible time, and transition scripts to reduce anxiety
• Support task initiation through chunking, modelling, and structured starting points